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COVID-19 Safe Care

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The health and safety of our patients and team members continue to be our top priority

All patients, visitors and staff are still required to wear a mask at all Baylor Scott & White entities, in line with CDC guidance. We remain focused on protecting your safety and well-being through our COVID-19 Safe Care plan and firmly stand behind these evidence-based safety measures.

We are proud to be paving the way for COVID-19 Safe Care. These new preventive measures and innovative offerings are designed to protect patients and team members across the state.

Here's a snapshot of our plan:

  • COVID-19 testing of patients deemed appropriate through individual case review prior to in-hospital surgeries; swabs collected at convenient locations across North and Central Texas
  • Virtual waiting rooms at select locations, allowing clinic patients and loved ones of hospital or surgery center patients to receive updates about their care via calls and text messaging, minimizing time in common areas
  • Virtual care options provided to patients before and after surgeries and procedures when appropriate, simplifying the experience
  • Masking of patients, approved visitors and staff in hospitals, surgery centers and clinics
  • Enhanced cleaning and touch-free protocols in hospitals, surgery centers and clinics, including UV-light disinfection and paperless registration at many locations
  • COVID-19 home monitoring digital care journey, enabled through our MyBSWHealth app or website, to be offered to those diagnosed with COVID-19 so they can be supported by our care teams while quarantined
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Additional ways we are keeping you safe

We are committed to educating our communities about the many ways we are working to safeguard their health and well-being—as well as that of our caregivers—from COVID-19. New measures and protections are in place across our hospitals, surgery centers and clinics, in accordance with CDC guidance and recommendations by our clinical experts.

Mask policy
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All patients and visitors must wear a mask over their nose and mouth upon arrival to our hospitals. Limited exceptions include:

  • Children under the age of two
  • Anyone who has trouble breathing
  • Anyone who is unconscious, incapacitated or unable to remove the mask without assistance

Masks may be brought from home. Our facilities are also providing cloth masks, which have been inspected and laundered, donated by our community. Cloth masks provided by our facility should be returned so they may be appropriately laundered.

Patients who have or are suspected to have COVID-19 should continue wearing surgical masks provided by our facility.

Thank you for understanding and for helping keep our patients, employees and visitors safe.

Screening at entry points
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Our visitor screening includes a temperature check. Those with a temperature at or above 100°F will not be permitted to visit at this time.

We continue to conduct a short screening at our hospitals and clinics for patients and those visitors who meet our visitor exception criteria, which can be found in the next section. This screening is based on CDC guidelines for identifying respiratory illnesses, including coronavirus (COVID-19):

  • Fever
  • Cough
  • Shortness of breath
  • Sore throat
  • Weakness
  • Muscle pain
  • Diarrhea
  • Vomiting
  • Loss of smell
  • New severe headache

Patients

If a patient answers "yes" to any of the questions above, our team will immediately mask the patient and expedite the placement of the patient in a designated area.

Visitors

If an approved visitor answers "yes" to any of the questions above, our team will ask if they need medical assistance. If yes, we will transport the visitor to the emergency department. If no, we will kindly ask that they return home and contact their primary care provider.

Modified Visitation Policy
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Required screening and masking

For the safety of all, approved visitors must pass a health screening, including a temperature check and wear an approved mask at all times in our facilities. Hospital visitors with an unapproved mask will be given an approved mask to wear while visiting. Unapproved masks include (but are not limited to) bandanas, masks with valves and neck gaiters.

Visiting patients and facilities (excludes COVID-19 patients)

We ask visitors to be limited to those essential for the patient’s physical or emotional well-being and care (e.g., care partner, parent). We continue to encourage the use of alternative mechanisms for patient and visitor interactions, such as video-call applications on cell phones or tablets.

Please note visitation policies may differ and are up to the unit’s discretion.

COVID-19/patient under investigation (“PUI”) patients

No visitors allowed except one visitor over the age of 16 in the following circumstances:

  • Pediatric/neonatal care patient
  • Laboring/post-partum patient
  • Patient undergoing a surgery or procedure
  • Patients with difficulty understanding or making decisions (i.e., may lack capacity)
  • Patients who may be disabled or may be impaired
  • Patient receiving end-of-life care
  • As otherwise determined by local facility leadership

For end-of-life situations, the facility may allow more than one visitor, a visitor under the age of 16, or a member of the clergy. We ask visitors of a COVID-19 patient/PUI to not visit public areas of the facilities, such as the cafeteria.

Thank you for your understanding and support in helping to keep our patients, caregivers and visitors safe.

Feel peace of mind when scheduling your next appointment
We know you may have put your health on hold over the past several weeks. Whether you have a chronic illness or are due for a wellness screening—like a mammogram or colonoscopy—it’s important you don’t delay. We're here for you.

In addition to our in-person services, we are proud to offer virtual care available through MyBSWHealth. You can also call to learn more about our Safe Care plan, schedule an appointment or speak with a nurse.
Schedule online
Schedule a virtual visit
Call 888.4.BSWSAFE
888.427.9723

We're taking extra care

We have built a safety plan designed to evaluate each patient's case individually as we determine the need for certain safety measures, including COVID-19 testing. In some cases, patients will be tested for active infection; in other cases, caregivers will treat patients under the assumption they are COVID-19-positive, and caregivers will take appropriate measures consistent with CDC guidelines.

While we postponed many surgeries and procedures following the governor's March executive orders, we also—in compliance with those orders—continued to safely treat thousands of patients with emergent conditions.

Recently, Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order intended to preserve hospital capacity in counties that have experienced a significant increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations. These restrictions apply only to hospitals, not surgery centers or physician offices.

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Frequently asked questions

About our Safe Care plan

COVID-19 Safe Care is a combination of new preventive measures and digital offerings to keep our patients and team members safe so they can feel confident in receiving or delivering care.

  • COVID-19 testing of patients deemed appropriate through individual case review prior to in-hospital surgeries; patient swabs collected via convenient drive-thru locations
  • Virtual waiting rooms, allowing clinic patients and loved ones of hospital or surgery center patients to receive updates about their care via calls and text messaging, minimizing time in common areas
  • Virtual care options provided to patients before and after surgeries and procedures when appropriate, simplifying the experience
  • Masking of patients, approved visitors and staff in hospitals, surgery centers and clinics
  • Enhanced cleaning and touch-free protocols, in hospitals, surgery centers and clinics, including UV-light disinfection and paperless registration
  • COVID-19 home monitoring digital care journey, enabled through our MyBSWHealth app or website, to be offered to those diagnosed with COVID-19 so they can be supported by our care teams while quarantined

To keep our patients and visitors healthy and limit unnecessary congregating in community spaces like waiting rooms, we will provide updates to approved visitors* via text or phone call.

*with patient consent

To keep you healthy and limit unnecessary contact, our no-touch registration* uses verbal or electronic approval as patient consent (instead of a physical signature), utilizing the eCheck-in function on the MyBSWHealth mobile app, providing verbal price estimates, etc.

*Not available at all locations

Any patient diagnosed with COVID-19 in our system (through lab testing or clinical diagnosis without testing) will receive support, including an overview video, as well as communications every day to check in on them and their symptoms.

If their symptoms appear to be escalating, they will get an outreach from a provider for a quick check-in to determine if they need immediate evaluation in the ED or just need to get back in for a visit with their PCP.

As always, in the event of a medical emergency, please call 911 or report to the nearest emergency department.

Absolutely. Call your provider’s office or book via MyBSWHealth. To download the app, text SAFECARE to 88408.

Our patient-facing staff and providers self-monitor for fever and symptoms, which includes temperature checks twice daily—always once prior to a shift in accordance with the CDC’s guidance. Additionally, our team members are instructed to immediately inform supervisors if they feel ill. Symptomatic employees are removed from work and returned in accordance with CDC guidelines.

For months, our facilities have prepared to address the anticipated needs of this pandemic and have surge plans in place to successfully manage capacity so we may continue safely treating both COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients. At this time, our system has sufficient capacity to continue caring for COVID-19 patients and continue performing elective surgeries and procedures.

While we have seen a recent increase in the number of cases, it is important to note that the majority of our patients have been receiving care unrelated to COVID-19.

How we are addressing your safety before and during surgery

Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order intended to preserve hospital capacity in counties that have experienced a significant increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations. These restrictions apply only to hospitals, not surgery centers or physician offices.

At this time, we believe our facilities in Dallas and Travis counties have sufficient capacity to continue caring for COVID-19 patients and continue performing elective surgeries and procedures. As always, the safety of our patients, staff and communities comes first. We will continue closely monitoring our capacity and will make further decisions as appropriate.

Your safety remains our top priority. At Baylor Scott & White, we are proud to offer COVID-19 Safe Care environments. have built a comprehensive safety plan designed to evaluate each case independently and have several measures in place to protect you. With new screening procedures – and dedicated units to separate potentially infectious patients from the general population – hospital care is safe and ready for those who need it.

  • We are verbally screening all patients for COVID-19
  • We are testing all surgical patients for COVID-19
  • We are limiting visitors, and all allowed visitors are screened for COVID-19
  • All patients, visitors and healthcare team members must wear masks while in our facilities
  • Patients who do not have COVID-19 are cared for in separate areas than patients with known COVID-19 infections
  • Also, we are further minimizing risk for patients and caregivers by continuing to offer telemedicine, virtual care and drive-thru specimen collection options

Yes, you are permitted one visitor. They will need to wear a mask upon entering (brought from home or provided by our facility), and they will undergo a screening and temperature check. Visitors with a temperature at or over 99.6°F will not be permitted to visit.

About COVID-19 testing before surgery

Many people infected with COVID-19 do not have any symptoms. These people can spread COVID-19 to others without knowing it.

A healthcare team member will tell you where and when to go for testing.

A healthcare team member will put a long swab into one of your nostrils until it touches the back of your nasal cavity, gently turning and moving the swab to get a sample of fluid for the test. The swab will be removed after a few seconds. This test, called a nasopharyngeal swab, is an approved test for COVID-19.

A positive test means you have an active COVID-19 infection. A healthcare team member will call you if your test is positive and tell you how to care for yourself and protect others. We are also required to notify your local health department of a positive COVID-19 test. Your doctor will look at your personal health needs to decide if your surgery or procedure should be done as scheduled or delayed until after you get well.

A negative test means you probably do not have a COVID-19 infection. You WILL NOT get a call if your test is negative; you should come for your surgery or procedure as scheduled.

Please note, some people have a negative test when the test is done in the first one or two days after becoming infected.

Please call your doctor’s office or clinic. Tell them when your surgery or procedure is scheduled, and ask them to tell your doctor that you have symptoms of COVID-19. Stay home and do not come for your surgery or procedure unless told to by your doctor.

What you can do to protect yourself

In the days before your surgery or procedure is scheduled:

  • Stay home as much as possible
  • If you must go out, stay at least 6 feet away from other people
  • Wear a cloth face covering if you go out
  • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to a public place or after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing
  • Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available
  • Do not touch your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands
  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick
  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily. This includes tables, doorknobs, light switches, counters, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets and sinks.

 

COVID-19 Resources

Discover latest about COVID-19, including FAQ, news, tips and ways you can help

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