COVID-19
Coronavirus
"While many things have changed in our world, one thing has not changed, and that's our commitment to your health and safety while in our Baptist Health facilities."
Baptist Health has set up screening sites at various locations throughout Arkansas to evaluate people who are concerned about possible exposure to the coronavirus (COVID-19). Click on the button below for more information.
Sign Up for MyChart to Easily Access Test Results
To access lab results including those from COVID-19 screenings, sign up for MyChart and download the MyChart app. It is the easy and secure way to manage your healthcare and access much of your medical records online.
You will receive your results in MyChart within 2 to 4 days. Patients will also be called for both positive and negative results as soon as they are available, so there is no need to call Baptist Health.
If you have trouble getting access to MyChart, click here for further instructions.
Your COVID-19 Test is Still Pending
Continue home quarantine until the results of your test are communicated to you. You will be given further instructions at that time.
- Stay home except to get medical care. If you do need medical care, please call the ED or physician’s office before you arrive and let them know you have been tested for COVID-19 and results are pending. Either wear a mask or ask the health care provider to give you a mask before contact. If it is a medical emergency and 911 is called, tell them you are in home quarantine due to COVID-19.
- Do not have visitors in your home.
- Separate yourself from others in your home as much as possible (i.e. separate room, wear a mask when around others and stay 6 feet away).
- Wash your hands and use alcohol-based hand sanitizer often. Do not share personal items such as dishes, cups, forks, spoons and towels.
- Do not use public transportation – airplane, bus, ride-sharing or taxis.
- Check your temperature twice a day (once in the morning and once at night) and write it down.
- Limit contact with pets and animals.
Visitor Restrictions
Baptist Health has refined its visitor access policy to protect patients, healthcare workers, and the community at large during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hospital Inpatients
All routine, in-person visits to our hospitalized patients are temporarily suspended. We encourage the use of alternate forms of communication, including phone calls, FaceTime, and Skype.
We are committed to communicating with you about your loved one’s status. With the patient’s permission, one designated family member will be called with updates, at least once per day, after the physician rounds.
In the exceptions outlined below, one visitor may be allowed where it is necessary to have a family sitter or caretaker present:
- Where the patient is undergoing a critical life-threatening procedure
- Where it may be deemed valuable for the patient to have appropriate family caregiver oversight
One caretaker may be allowed on a case-by-case basis for special circumstances such as patients who have altered mental status or special needs where a caregiver provides needed attention to improve patient safety.
Visitation for critically ill patients who are at end of life, in hospice, or suffered severe life-threatening trauma will be made on a case-by-case basis by clinical leaders.
Surgery
Surgical patients who will be admitted at all Baptist Health facilities may be accompanied by one family member/caregiver who is compliant with screening criteria and proper masking. This visitor is encouraged to stay in the patient’s room throughout the day during the patient’s stay in the hospital.
Women's and Children's Services
One visitor for the stay is permitted for labor and delivery and postpartum patients, and NICU visitation is limited to one parent or guardian per day.
Emergency Department
Visitors will not be permitted in treatment areas. If required, one visitor will be allowed to support patients with impairment or mobility needs.
Outpatient Services
One visitor will be allowed to support treatment for patients with impairment or mobility needs.
Appointments/Access to Care
Baptist Health remains committed to our mission of providing quality patient-centered services and responding to all of your healthcare needs with Christian compassion. For the safety and wellbeing of those we serve during the COVID-19 pandemic, we offer a variety of services to help you learn more about the coronavirus and evaluate your next steps. Baptist Health’s top priority, as always, is protecting the health and safety of our patients and providers.
In-person visits with your primary care provider or for specialty services continue to be a safe option for needed care. Our emergency departments also remain safe and appropriate environments for those who need immediate assistance. Please do not delay appropriate visits to seek treatment due to fear of exposure to COVID-19. Delay of care could result in poorer overall health outcomes and even life-threatening situations.
For a stay-at-home solution, Baptist Health also offers telehealth services from online providers on the Baptist Health Virtual Care app or through MyChart. If you have questions, call Baptist Health HealthLine at 1-888-BAPTIST (227-8478).
General COVID-19 FAQs
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a respiratory illness that can spread from person to person. The virus that causes COVID-19 is a novel coronavirus that was first identified during an investigation into an outbreak in Wuhan, China.
Those currently at a higher risk of significant complications with the coronavirus include:
- Older adults
- People who have serious chronic medical conditions like:
- Heart disease
- Diabetes
- Lung disease
According to the Arkansas Department of Health, reported illnesses have ranged from mild symptoms to severe illness and death for confirmed coronavirus cases.
These symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure:
- Fever
- Cough
- Shortness of breath
Physical Contact: Avoid contact with people who are sick.
Keep Hands Clean: Wash your hands often and apply an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
Avoid Touching Face: Try to avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
Avoid Unnecessary Travel: Health officials advise to avoid unnecessary travel due to risk of spreading.
Clean Surfaces: Clean and disinfect objects and surfaces.
Feeling Sick?: If you’re sick, stay home.
Baptist Health Visitor FAQs
All visitors should wear a face covering, or mask, when entering and walking throughout a Baptist Health hospital, clinic or other facility, following guidance from the Arkansas Department of Health.
All visitors who arrive without a face covering will be offered a mask.
At each visitor access point of the hospital, visitors will be asked to sign in and designate who they are visiting. Once access is confirmed, they will be required to answer “no” to the following health screening questions and have their temperature validated:
- Do you have a fever? Greater than 100.0 will not be allowed to visit.
- Have you traveled outside of the country within the last 14 days?
- Within the last 14 days, have you traveled to areas of high risk for COVID-19?
- Do you have respiratory or flu-like symptoms?
- Have you had close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19?
If the visitor answers “yes” to any of these questions, they will be denied access to the facility.
Visitors who have traveled to areas considered high risk for COVID-19 transmission will not be allowed to enter our hospitals, clinics and other facilities.
Travel to the following states – in addition to the District of Columbia and all international travel – is currently considered high risk, based on scientific evidence regarding the current number of COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population:
- New York
- New Jersey
- Massachusetts
- Connecticut
- Rhode Island
This list is subject to change as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identifies other parts of the country where COVID-19 is spreading rapidly. Baptist Health’s travel guidance is updated as needed in accordance with CDC and Arkansas Department of Health guidelines.
Hospital visitors must be at least 15 years old and meet the screening criteria each time they enter the facility. All visitors must follow all required precautions:
- Follow social distancing guidelines of at least 6 feet distance from each other
- Practice good hand hygiene
- Follow directions of the hospital staff
COVID-19 Information Hotlines
Baptist Health has established free hotlines to serve residents across the state of Arkansas and into Oklahoma. The hotlines are for patients and non-patients to call in with concerns about the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and aims to help residents better understand conditions from the comfort of their homes and receive direction on the next steps for care.
24/7 Hotline
This hotline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and is staffed by nurses to help residents better understand their conditions and receive direction on next steps for care should they be concerned about exposure to COVID-19. The number is 1-888-BAPTIST.
Western Arkansas & Eastern Oklahoma Hotline
Baptist Health continues to be on the front lines of caring for patients and families who have been affected by COVID-19. Now, we are also ready to aid churches and places of worship as they reopen to help assure safety in social distancing. Through BReady BHealthy, we want to partner with you and provide a set of resources that may be helpful as you reopen including our preparedness toolkit and personal guidance and support from expert specialists. For more information, contact us at BReadyBHealthy@Baptist-Health.org or 1 (888)-BAPTIST.
Hear from the Experts
Support
Latest News
Baptist Health Relocates COVID-19 Testing Site in Fort Smith
FORT SMITH, Ark. – Baptist Heath-Fort Smith has relocated its COVID-19 testing site for people concerned about possible exposure to COVID-19 or who are experiencing
Baptist Health Offers Another COVID-19 Testing Opportunity in Greenwood
GREENWOOD, Ark. – Baptist Health Family Clinic-Greenwood will offer a second drive-thru testing event for COVID-19 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., Monday, June 22. Baptist
Baptist Health to Offer COVID-19 Testing in Greenwood
GREENWOOD, Ark. – Baptist Health Family Clinic-Greenwood will offer drive-thru testing for COVID-19 from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., Wednesday, June 10. The clinic is located
Baptist Health Physicians Urge Patients to Continue to Seek Care During Pandemic
FORT SMITH, Ark. – The COVID-19 pandemic has made people hesitant to go anywhere in public – and that has included seeking health care for conditions