COVID-19
Coronavirus

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"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."

Troy Wells, President & CEO of Baptist Health

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.

MyChart

Easily Access Test Results & Take A COVID-19 Self-Assessment

If you think you may have symptoms of COVID-19 or may have been exposed, please use our self-triage tool in MyChart. It will help you determine what to do next. If you do not have a MyChart account, you can create one here. It is the easy and secure way to manage your healthcare and access much of your medical records online.

COVID-19 testing results will also be hosted on MyChart. You should receive your results within 5 to 7 days. Patients will only be called if their results are positive, otherwise, their negative results will be in MyChart. 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.

Home quarantine consists of:

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.

Under what exceptions would I be allowed to visit a hospital inpatient?

In the exceptions outlined below, one caregiver may be allowed where it is necessary to have a family sitter or caregiver 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 two parents or guardians who can visit on the same 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.

For further questions you may have about our visitor restrictions, please visit Visitor FAQs or call Baptist Health Healthline at (888) 227-8478.

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).

Baptist Health's medical centers continue to provide assistance for all types of emergencies. Our family and specialty clinics also remain open, offering several options to address health needs.

Accessing Care

Services from a provider are available over video 24/7. Before going to an urgent care facility or emergency department, visit Baptist Health Virtual Care.

Virtual Care

Frequently Asked Questions

General COVID-19 FAQs

What is COVID-19 (Coronavirus)?

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.

Who is at high risk?

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

What are the symptoms?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:

Fever or chills
Cough
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Fatigue
Muscle or body aches
Headache
New loss of taste or smell
Sore throat
Congestion or runny nose
Nausea or vomiting
Diarrhea

This list does not include all possible symptoms. If you are experiencing any unusual symptoms, especially after being around a COVID-19 positive patient, you should be evaluated by a healthcare provider.

What are some prevention methods?

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

Do I need to wear a face covering when visiting a Baptist Health facility?

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.

What if I don't have a face covering?

All visitors who arrive without a face covering will be offered a mask.

What screening criteria do I have to pass in order to visit a hospital patient?

At each visitor access point of the hospital, caregivers 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:

Have you had a fever (100.0 or greater) in the last 24 hours?
Do you have any respiratory or flu-like symptoms (cough, sore throat, body aches, diarrhea, loss of taste, loss of smell or fatigue)?
Have you been in close contact with a person who has tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 14 days?
Have you been tested for COVID-19 in the last 14 days?
- What were the results of your test? If still pending or positive the caregiver for a patient will not be allowed to enter the hospital.
- If they were tested for pre-screening or other non-symptomatic issues, the caregiver will be allowed to enter the hospital to care for the patient.

If a caregiver answers “yes” to any of the above screening questions, except with the clarification of 4b, they will not be allowed to enter the hospital.

What other requirements must all visitors meet at Baptist Health hospitals?

Hospital caregiver must be at least 15 years old and meet the screening criteria each time they enter the facility. All caregivers 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
Caregiver must wear a mask when hospital staff is in the patient’s room.

Are certain areas of the hospital closed to visitors?

All hospital common areas, waiting rooms, and cafeteria are closed to visitors.

How can I stay in touch with a loved one?

Virtually Visit

Baptist Health knows that interacting with friends and family is vital to the care of our patients. Patients and their loved ones are encouraged to communicate via calls, video chats and texts using a mobile phone, tablet or laptop.

If a patient does not have access to a mobile phone, tablet, or laptop, they are encouraged to use the phone in their room to speak with friends and family.

Email a Patient

Even if you can’t see a friend or family member staying at Baptist Health in person, you can still send a pick-me-up to them. Simply choose from a variety of card messages that are available to be printed and delivered to the patient.

Resources

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

Residents in the western portion of Arkansas and the eastern part of Oklahoma who have questions around the coronavirus should call (479) 709-6845. It is staffed by nurses from Baptist Health affiliated clinics from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

BReadyBHealthy

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

Play

For more information and updates on COVID-19, visit the Arkansas Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Support

We are all facing many challenges in these quickly-changing times. Baptist Health is blessed to have brave caregivers working on the frontlines to put patients and their love for our community first. With your vital support, we can ensure that our statewide hospitals and healthcare teams are equipped to respond rapidly to COVID-19.

Learn how you can help

The Baptist Health #BHeroes campaign is an initiative to recognize the system’s health care heroes who work in the many jobs that contribute to serving the health needs of Arkansas. Whether in jobs such as nursing in direct patient care or other areas that indirectly contribute to serving patients such as housekeeping and maintenance, Baptist Health is blessed to have so many heroes in the system contributing to the high quality of health care in the state.