A patient at Regional West Medical Center in Scottsbluff is being tested for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and has been placed under Person Under Investigation (PUI) status per the CDC guidelines and the Nebraska State Epidemiologist’s recommendation.

Regional West is handling this case in the same way they manage other diseases that require airborne precautions and monitoring.

“We continue to follow the CDC’s guidelines and are working closely with the State Epidemiologist and their team of experts as we wait for the test results. We are exercising the utmost caution and have appropriately isolated the patient in the hospital as we continue to provide care for the other patients in the medical center,” said Regional West Chief Medical Officer Matthew Bruner, MD, FACOG. “Anyone in the western Nebraska region who has potentially been exposed to COVID-19 and experiences flu-like symptoms should call Regional West Community Health or Regional West Emergency Department at 308-635-3711.”

Regional West Medical Center is operating under normal conditions and focused on providing patient care as we await the results of the test. Test results are considered protected health information under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and will not be provided to protect the patient's privacy. For the latest information, visit the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services website at