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COVID-19 Updates for Patients & Visitors

COVID-19 Updates for Patients & Visitors Main Content

family member visiting patient in the hospital

Community COVID-19 Nurse Line

(Email)

Talk to a Baptist Health nurse about what's next and how to get care for COVID-19 symptoms. This services is available Monday - Friday, 8am-5pm, for free.

904.302.5050

During the COVID-19 pandemic, our top priority is to keep our patients, visitors and caregivers safe. To protect everyone in our facilities, we’ve changed many of our policies and happenings at Baptist.

Here you’ll find:

  1. Who Can Visit & Where?
  2. Parking and Entry Information
  3. Updates to Events, Meetings, Tours and Classes
  4. Preparing for Your Surgery or Procedure
  5. Additional Resources & FAQs

Community COVID-19 Nurse Line

(Email)

Talk to a Baptist Health nurse about what's next and how to get care for COVID-19 symptoms. This services is available Monday - Friday, 8am-5pm, for free.

904.302.5050

COVID-19 Updates for Patients & Visitors Additional Content Section 1

Who Can Visit & Where?

Visitors to our facilities should be limited to those essential for the patient's physical or emotional well-being and care (such as his/her care partner or parent). Visitors must be 18 years of age or older. All permitted visitors will be screened and checked for COVID-19 symptoms.

Hospital visitation hours are 8 am to 8 pm, with special exceptions for pediatrics and labor & delivery.

Masking Policies

We require all patients and permitted visitors to wear masks or cloth facial coverings at all Baptist Health facilities. Please bring your ID and allow at least 15 minutes to complete our visitor check in, which includes safety education.

Masks with an exhalation vent or a face shield without a mask are not permitted at hospitals or emergency center. Learn more about our accepted mask policies.

Permitted visitors may include:

Due to the increasing prevalence of COVID-19 in our community, the following visitation policy will take effect Wednesday, Nov. 18:

  • Adult Inpatient: One designated visitor* per day.
  • Adult Inpatient Surgery: One designated visitor* will be able to wait until surgery is complete. Following surgery, the inpatient policy will apply. If surgery ends later than 8 pm, the designated visitor will be permitted to stay until surgery is complete. Then, they will be asked to return when visitation opens again (8 am the following day).
  • Adult Emergency Center: One designated visitor.* If the patient is admitted, the inpatient visitation policy will apply.
  • Outpatient Surgery: One designated visitor.*
  • Labor and Delivery: Two designated visitors* for the entire stay of the mother. This may include a spouse/partner, loved one or doula.
  • Pediatrics - Inpatient and Outpatient (excluding NICU): Two adult parents/guardians for the duration of the stay. Other children may not be brought along for the visit and may not be left unattended while the parent/guardians visit the patient.
  • NICU: Up to two designated visitors* for the duration of the stay. No rotating visitors for NICU patients.
  • Hospice: Two loved ones will be permitted.
  • End-of-life: Two loved ones will be permitted. Care teams will arrange visitation on a case-by-case basis.
  • Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center: One designated visitor* over 18 years of age permitted.
  • COVID-19 Positive Adult Patients: No visitors at this time.
  • COVID-19 Positive Pediatric Patients: One parent/guardian per day.

*Who is a designated visitor?

All hospital and emergency center visitors are registered into our system upon entry. Designated visitors must be 18 years of age or older. The designated visitor of the day may come and go, but may not switch out with another visitor in the same day.

Why Baptist Health is Safe

Learn more about how we’re keeping patients, visitors and team members safe at our locations.

Safety Practices at Baptist

Parking and Entry Information

Entrances may be limited. Patients and permitted visitors should park and enter through the following areas:

COVID-19 Updates for Patients & Visitors Additional Content Section 2

Emergency Room & Urgent Care

The Emergency Room is designed for severe medical cases or injuries. If you suspect COVID-19, do not go to the ER unless you have severe symptoms ( i.e. respiratory issues).

  • If you feel sick, call your primary care physician or the Florida Department of Health’s hotline at 866-779-6121 for advice first before scheduling an appointment.
  • Do not show up at a doctor’s office or clinic without first contacting your doctor.
  • Chat with our digital assistant from the safety of your home about your symptoms and other factors to help you self-assess your risk for coronavirus (COVID-19).
  • Baptist Health also has convenient options available including video doctor visits, to help you determine the appropriate next step in care. To set up an online doctor visit or see ER wait times at each of our facilities, please visit baptistcarenow.com.

Preparing for Your Surgery or Procedure​

We are committed to your safety during every step of your experience. While many remain concerned about the COVID-19 outbreak, we know some illnesses and injuries simply can’t wait. For your surgery or procedure, we want you know Baptist Health is a safe place for care.

Preparing for Safe Surgery
Testing Prior to Surgeries/Procedures

Your Virtual Care Needs

Caring for your health shouldn’t stop due to COVID-19. Our physicians can diagnose, treat, prescribe medications virtually, and conduct annual wellness checks.

Get Virtual Care

In-House COVID-19 Testing

We perform in-house COVID-19 testing on patients admitted to a Baptist Health hospital or Emergency Department, which differs from drive-thru site testing. If you had a COVID 19 test performed at a Baptist Health Laboratory, this fact sheet will answer many of your questions and give you important background information about your test.

COVID-19 Testing Fact Sheet

COVID-19 Updates for Patients & Visitors Additional Content Section 3

Events, Meetings, Tours and Classes

To reduce the risk of exposure to COVID-19, we have canceled most of our in-person classes, events, tours and meetings. Some classes will take place virtually. You will receive a notification if your event has been canceled or is available online.

We apologize for the inconvenience, and we will provide updates on any rescheduled events and classes as quickly as possible.

If you have any questions, please contact us at covid19@bmcjax.com.

Current Online Classes

We are now offering some of our maternity classes virtually. Register for any of these classes:

Childbirth Preparation Baby Care Basics Breastfeeding 101 Class