Beginning March 1st, patient admissions and dismissals will no longer be published in the newspaper or on the hospital’s website.  This decision to follow federal regulations around security and privacy standards was made by the executive team of the hospital, supported by the board and should not reflect negatively upon our local newspaper. 

Under federal regulations, our hospital maintains a directory of patients who have given consent for release of certain personal health information. With the emphasis on privacy and confidentiality, more patients are exercising their right to restrict information and are opting out of the hospital directory.   

Health care has changed a great deal in the last several years. In years past, patients had longer stays in the hospital. The primary function of the hospital was caring for those who were ill through the inpatient setting. Today, inpatient care represents only 28% of the services provided. Outpatient services and surgery; visits with specialists through the outpatient clinic and emergency department and Meadowlark Hospice make up the remaining 72%. Consequently, the individual names in the newspaper do not accurately reflect the number of patients, or the individuals, being served by the hospital. 

We appreciate the sense of community, the desire of friends, neighbors and church members to provide emotional support for patients while in the hospital. Even though we will not be listing patient names in the newspaper, individuals may continue to contact the hospital and ask about a patient by name. However, we can only acknowledge the person is a patient in our facility if they have opted into the directory. 

If you have questions, please feel free to call Clay County Medical Center (632-2144) and ask for Marcia Newell at ext. 489 or Jennifer Burget at ext. 484 Thank you for your cooperation.