Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
KSMU is dedicated to broadcasting critically important information as our community experiences the COVID-19 pandemic. Below, you'll find our ongoing coverage.

Forward Triage Facility Established At Mercy ER Entrance

A private blessing was held Monday morning for a forward triage facility at Mercy Hospital Springfield. 

The new facility is located just outside the hospital’s north emergency entrance.  It opened right after the blessing and is being used to quickly provide help and masks for those who think they might have COVID-19, according to hospital officials.

The purpose is, in part, to protect patients who are visiting the ER for unrelated reasons.  If COVID-19 is suspected, the patient will be isolated from the rest of the patients and treated in that space.  If the suspected COVID-19 patient is seriously ill, they will be routed through a separate entrance to minimize exposure to the waiting room and other patients, according to Mercy.

Michele Skalicky has worked at KSMU since the station occupied the old white house at National and Grand. She enjoys working on both the announcing side and in news and has been the recipient of statewide and national awards for news reporting. She likes to tell stories that make a difference. Michele enjoys outdoor activities, including hiking, camping and leisurely kayaking.