Southwest Missouri has made national headlines recently due to the rise of Covid-19 cases. That has led to Freeman Health System in Joplin opening a new unit specifically for Covid patients. For KRPS, Fred Fletcher-Fierro reports.

Dr. Robert McNab, Director of Covid services at Freeman Health Systems in Joplin, on Thursday, announced the opening of a new Covid unit at the hospital. The COVID19 Stepdown or CSD Unit will be used for patients as they transition out of the intensive care unit. The CSD Unit is located in a separate area of the hospital and rooms have been adapted for isolation. Dr. McNab continues to encourage people who are on the fence about receiving the vaccine to take a second look. “Well, I can tell you, as somebody from this community, it was safe for me to get that vaccination in November and I don’t have a family member who is not fully vaccinated. And so if this is something I would recommend for my own health, or for my own loved ones, I would absolutely recommend it, for everybody’s loved ones”.

Visit Freemanhealth.com for information to schedule a vaccine or call 417-502-SHOT.