COVID-19 Visitor Restrictions:

Visitors are not allowed at Lovell FHCC's main hospital or clinics at this time, due to the surge in COVID-19 cases. Visits to Community Living Center residents and other inpatients are not allowed except when necessary for providing medical care or visiting under compassionate care circumstances, such as grave illness or imminent death of a family member under care in the facility. For more details, go to: https://www.lovell.fhcc.va.gov/visitors/index.asp.

Patients should arrive for outpatient appointments alone, unless a companion is medically necessary. Everyone entering Lovell FHCC facilities will be screened for signs of respiratory illness.

COVID-19 Vaccine Update:

We continue to vaccinate (1st, 2nd doses and boosters) enrolled veteran and Dept. of Defense/TRICARE patients, ages 12 and up, as well as unenrolled veterans, their spouses and caregivers. We also are vaccinating TRICARE patients, ages 5-11.

For unenrolled veterans, their spouses and caregivers, pre-registration will save time. For more information, including registration instructions, go to the Lovell FHCC COVID-19 vaccination page: https://www.lovell.fhcc.va.gov/services/covid-19-vaccines.asp.

Weekday adult vaccinations take place at our main hospital in North Chicago, in Bldg. 133CA on the second floor. Park in the four-story garage, come in the Bldg. 133EF/Ambulatory Care Clinic entrance, follow signs to the check-in table by Radiology/Imaging on the second floor of Bldg. 133CA.

To help us adhere to pandemic protocols, appointments are strongly encouraged. For appointments for TRICARE beneficiaries ages 5-11, only, call 800-941-4501. All others, call 224-610-3899 to schedule an appointment. 

Hotline: For questions about the COVID-19 vaccine, please call our COVID-19 Vaccine Hotline at 224-610-4636, weekdays between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. (Please note operators can't make appointments.)

Booster shots: Per CDC guidelines, Lovell FHCC is administering booster doses to patients 16 and older. The booster shots are given a minimum of six months after patients completed a two-dose series of an mRNA vaccine, or two months after receiving the Janssen (J & J) vaccine. 

Veterans who received their first COVID-19 vaccinations elsewhere may get booster shots at Lovell FHCC, after registering if they are not already patients. Unenrolled veterans' spouses and caregivers may get booster shots as well. Please provide your CDC COVID-19 vaccination card!

Testing: We currently are not offering COVID-19 testing to outpatients. Our recommendation is for our patients to get tested in the community.

For the latest information, we invite you to follow Lovell FHCC social media pages - https://www.facebook.com/lovellfhcc, https://twitter.com/lovellfhcc - and our COVID-19 vaccination page on this website: https://www.lovell.fhcc.va.gov/services/covid-19-vaccines.asp. Scroll down to see information specific to Lovell FHCC.

COVID-19 Safety Precautions:

If you have to come to our main campus in North Chicago, take note of these safeguards: 

• If you are feeling symptomatic, please reschedule your appointment with us unless it's medically necessary.
• Patients arriving for appointments should only bring companions with them if it is medically necessary. Only one companion is allowed per patient.
• Screening for COVID-19 symptoms, including temperature checks, is done at check-in tables inside main entrances.
• Face coverings remain mandatory. We recommend surgical masks, not cloth, worn over the nose and mouth.
• Appointments are strongly recommended. At this time, elective procedures/surgeries are being rescheduled.
• Social distancing is required, for example in elevators and common areas.
• After hours, if you have symptoms or just have questions, VA patients may call the Nurse Advice Line at 224-610-2920. Dept. of Defense patients may call 800-874-2273.The VA COVID-19 website is a good reference for answers to many questions: https://www.va.gov/coronavirus.
• COVID-19 information for Dept. of Defense beneficiaries is at www.TRICARE.mil/coronavirus.
• Staff members who feel they may have been exposed to the virus, and/or have symptoms, should contact Employee Occupational Health at 224-610-4215, prior to returning to work (and also contact your supervisor).

COVID-19 Policies at Community Based Outpatient Clinics: 

Our community based outpatient clinics in Kenosha, Evanston and McHenry remain open. For more information, please call the Kenosha CBOC at 262-653-9286 and the Evanston CBOC at 847-869-6315, to talk directly to CBOC staff. McHenry can be reached at 815-759-2306. Appointments are required, and screening for COVID-19 will take place at the CBOCs. Please allow for extra time. 

General Pharmacy Questions: Please call 224-610-7600.

Don't forget to get an influenza vaccine! 

Lovell FHCC is offering flu shots, both on a walk-in basis and by appointment. An appointment will save you time. For the latest information, please go to our Influenza Season 2021-2022 page: https://www.lovell.fhcc.va.gov/influenza_season.asp. Veterans and military patients also may choose to get their flu shots in the community. More detailed information and links are available on our Influenza Season page to help you our patients find participating pharmacies in the VA or TRICARE networks.  

Federal Holiday Closures:

Unless otherwise indicated, Lovell FHCC ambulatory clinics, surgery, administration and community-based outpatient clinics are closed during federal holidays. The Lovell FHCC emergency department, acute medicine, acute psychiatry and critical care unit remain available 24/7. The surgery department also is closed during federal holidays but is available for emergencies. For questions during normal business hours, please call 847-688-1900 or a specific Lovell FHCC clinic.
For a list of future federal holidays, go to:

https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/

Inclement weather information:

Patients, if you are running late because of the weather, or need to reschedule, please call Central Scheduling at 1-800-393-0865 (veterans), or call 1-800-941-4501 (TRICARE beneficiaries).If the weather impacts the status of FHCC operations at any time, the information will be posted at:https://www.lovell.fhcc.va.gov/emergency/index.asp(this page) and athttps://www.facebook.com/lovellfhcc/. We urge all who must travel during hazardous weather to take appropriate precautions when driving on area roads, and to allow plenty of extra time for commutes. For up-to-date information on road conditions in Lake County, Ill., go to:https://www.lakecountypassage.com/. For up-to-date information on road conditions in the Kenosha area, go to:https://511wi.gov/.

For Illinois road conditions, go to the Illinois Department of Transportation's website:

https://www.gettingaroundillinois.com/default.htm