Accessing Care

Is it safe to visit the emergency department? 

Baptist Health takes every precaution to make our hospitals safe and follows all guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Our job is to save lives, and we have never been more focused on caring for you. We are ready for your emergencies. Baptist Health’s physicians, nurses and other medical professionals are ready to treat you for strokes, heart attacks and other emergent conditions, but they can only help if patients come to the hospital for treatment.

What is Baptist Health doing to keep patients safe in their emergency departments? 

Baptist Health takes extraordinary measures to ensure that our emergency departments are safe environments for patients with any type of emergency. We have created multiple layers of safety for patients so they can feel comfortable coming to the emergency department and ultimately to the hospital should they need to be admitted.

Our hospitals have negative pressure rooms that remove air out of the patient’s room and vent the air through a proper filter so that patients in the nearby rooms aren’t exposed to the same circulating air of infected patients. Baptist Health also has strict isolation protocols in safety gear to make sure there is no cross-contamination between employees, professional staff and patients.

When should I go to the emergency department?

Serious, life-threatening injuries or conditions are medical emergencies and should be treated in a hospital emergency department. Some warning signs of a medical emergency include uncontrolled bleeding, chest pain, difficulty breathing, and fever greater than 103 degrees Fahrenheit. If one of these is occurring, you should go to the emergency room or call 911.

I have an appointment with a Baptist Health primary care provider. Should I cancel it? 

Baptist Health takes every precaution to make sure our facilities are safe and follows all guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Our job is to save lives, and we have never been more focused on caring for you. Please call your clinic to discuss your appointment and next steps. 

How can I access care with my primary care provider? 

Baptist Health’s providers are offering several ways to care for their patients. These include telehealth visits over the phone, using video and messing capabilities through MyChart and the Baptist Health Virtual Care app or in-person. Call your clinic to get more information.

I have a surgery or procedure scheduled, will it be canceled?

In response to COVID-19, we’re limiting nonurgent outpatient appointments and certain elective surgeries/procedures for the health and safety of our patients and staff. 

Elective surgeries/procedures are being assessed on a case-by-case basis and may be rescheduled. Your provider’s office will contact you if there is a change to your scheduled appointment, surgery or procedure. 

Will I have to be tested for COVID-19 before I can have my procedure?

At the present time, all urgent/emergent procedures do not require COVID-19 testing. Elective procedures, however, should be limited to cases where an overnight stay is not expected. These cases should also be limited to relatively healthy patients with no exposure to COVID-19, in accordance with the Health Department guidelines. For a patient to be a candidate for an elective procedure, he or she must be asymptomatic and have one negative COVID-19 test within 48 hours prior to the beginning of the procedure.  

For more information surrounding COVID-19 including testing information, visitor restrictions and helpful resources, click here.