MARSHALL — Clinic patients at Avera Marshall will need to make another change starting this week.

As the health care provider’s preparations for COVID-19 continue, clinic services at the Carlson Street clinic will now be offered at the Avera Marshall Medical Center campus on Bruce Street.

Avera Medical Group spokespeople said the change takes effect starting today. Health providers and staff from the Carlson Street campus, the ground floor of the Bruce Street campus, and Behavioral Health Services will be seeing patients in the first floor clinic at the Bruce Street campus.

The Bruce Street campus will have separate entrances and clinic space for well people and people with respiratory symptoms.

“Consolidating clinics to one location for now will help us further prepare for a possible surge of patients needing hospital care in the future. It will also help us preserve the health of our workforce and conserve resources for critical needs,” said Mary Maertens, regional president and CEO of Avera Marshall.

Avera Marshall has been temporarily changing its clinic services over the past few weeks, as part of precautions around COVID-19. At first, well people with routine medical visits were directed toward the Carlson Street clinic to separate them from people with respiratory symptoms like coughs.

Avera has also taken steps like postponing elective surgeries, and has expanded its virtual technology that allows people to “visit” their doctors and get prescriptions through videoconferencing.

“The way we are caring for patients is changing temporarily,” Maertens said. “We aren’t seeing as many patients in person as we typically would. Unless health needs are urgent or emergent, we are inviting a lot of patients to see their physician or advanced practice professional through virtual visits via smartphone, tablet or laptop instead,” Maertens said.

With the new consolidation, people with respiratory concerns will have in-person visits in a separate area from well visits, to help keep patients and medical workers safe. Entrances for both areas will be near the main hospital entrance. When patients arrive in the hospital parking lot, signs will direct them to the appropriate door, Avera spokespeople said.

“We are taking extreme caution to designate distinct, separate entrances, registration areas and care spaces for clinic patients with non-respiratory needs and those with respiratory concerns,” Maertens said. “All staff, providers and patients continue to be screened upon entering the facility. As an additional precaution, all employees are now wearing masks.”

Urgent care for people with symptoms like sore throat, sinus congestion, shortness of breath, cough, fever, ear pain and pink eye will be available from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays, and from 9-4 on weekends. Before arriving at urgent care for these symptoms, people should call 1-877-AT-AVERA to be screened for COVID-19.

For people with concerns like rashes, cuts, joint or limb pain and headaches, same-day care is available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays. After-hours care is available through options like virtual visits with local providers through AveraChart, or visits with other Avera providers through the AveraNow platform.

People who have questions about where to go for care can call Avera Marshall at 507-532-1101.

“We are thankful to our customers for their patience with changes we’ve made to our clinic processes over the last several weeks,” Maertens said. “Each change has been driven by our goal of being prepared to provide the best possible care to our community and region in the face of this pandemic.”