Patient & Visitor Safety | COVID-19 Updates | Baptist Health South Florida

Safety Precautions

At Baptist Health, we’ve always maintained high standards of safety and cleanliness. Now, in addition to our existing ongoing safety procedures, we’ve added new measures to keep us all well.

Visitor Guidelines

Baptist Health welcomes our patients and visitors with open arms, open hearts and open minds as we understand the value and importance of visitors to our patients’ healing. For your health and safety, visitors may be required to wear masks and other personal protective equipment during their visit.

Point-of-Entry Screenings

We have implemented a point-of-entry screening across all Baptist Health locations. Everyone will be asked a few simple questions and we will take your temperature with a touch-free thermometer to quickly assess your risk for COVID-19.

Universal Mask Use

Upon entry to all Baptist Health facilities, we will be providing everyone – patients, guests and caregivers – with a new, protective face mask. We ask that you please wear this mask throughout your visit.

Visitor Precautions

We have temporarily modified our visitor policy to limit the amount of people we have inside our properties. Policy varies by location. Please check our Visitor Guidelines page for the latest information

Social Distance-Designed Lobbies

We have redesigned our lobbies to comply with social distancing guidelines. Chairs have been spaced out and traffic flows reconfigured. Floor markings have been installed with cues on where to stand. We’re limiting how many people can sit at a table or ride an elevator.

Infection Prevention

We have placed hand-sanitizing stations and disinfecting wipes throughout our facilities. Magazines and charging stations have been put away. Coffee service has been suspended. Plexiglass guards have been installed at our front desks. All are reminded to practice proper infection prevention etiquette.

Enhanced Cleaning

We have instituted enhanced cleaning practices at all our facilities. We are employing everything from EPA-approved germicides to UV lighting and high-tech disinfecting robots. We have increased the frequency of our cleaning routines. Appointments have been staggered to allow for more cleaning time.

Personal Protective Equipment

To ensure our patients’ safety and that of our caregivers, we have personal protective equipment (PPE), including masks, gloves, gowns and face shields for all team members and medical staff. This helps protect you and our team from COVID-19 transmission.

Virtual Care

Our primary care physicians and specialists continue to see patients virtually via our Baptist Health Care On Demand telehealth app. Please contact your doctor’s office to schedule an appointment. You can also see our urgent care doctors right away from the app, no appointment necessary.

Wait Where You Feel Comfortable

We are staggering appointments to space out visitors at our facilities. In some cases, patients can wait from the comfort of their car, and we will text or call when we’re ready for them to come in.

Staff Safety Training

As part of our ongoing employee education programming, our team members have undergone rigorous infection control training that includes the latest recommended procedures and protocols. We are following all the appropriate guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention and the Department of Health to keep our patients and caregivers safe.

Front Desk Plexiglass Shields

For the safety of our patients and staff, we have installed protective plastic partitions at the front desks of many of our reception areas. In many instances, we also have placed temporary partitions between chairs. These new barriers are meant to guard against droplets from coughs or sneezes.

COVID-19 Patients Treated in Separate Areas

A patient who is suspected or confirmed to be COVID-19-positive will be isolated in a separate area to avoid cross-contamination. We take every precaution to ensure that a limited amount of caregivers with the proper personal protective equipment care for patients with COVID-19 in designated areas for the safety of all of our patients and staff.

Contactless Registration

For your health and safety, and to limit the spread of infection, our patient registration process is contactless. Prior to your visit, we collect your pre-visit forms, signatures and any applicable payments virtually by phone or on your personal device.

Arrival Experience

Exterior rendering of baptist hospital

Lobby Experience

Interior rendering of Baptist Hospital

Cancer Institutes Patient & Visitor Information

In effort to continue protecting our immunocompromised cancer patients at Miami Cancer Institute and Lynn Cancer Institute against COVID-19, we have updated our visitor guidelines.

Before you Come

Before coming in to one of our urgent cares or emergency rooms, patients are encouraged to bring their regular medications, including metered dose inhalers. Nebulizer treatment is not recommended for COVID-19 patients.

Medical Records Requests

Due to current visitor restrictions at our facilities, no medical record requests can be made in-person.

Upcoming Appointments at Baptist Health

Our physicians continue to see patients both in-office and virtually. Please contact your doctor’s office directly to schedule an appointment. We have always maintained high standards of safety and cleanliness, and have now added new measures to help keep you and your loved ones well.

In order to best ensure social distancing, certain physician offices may not be able to accommodate visitors at this time due to space limitations. If you have an in-office appointment with your doctor, please call ahead to confirm the most up-to-date visitor guidelines for that location.

Select offices may utilize the Baptist Health Care On Demand app for virtual visits. Click here to learn more.

Imaging Appointments

Baptist Health has resumed regular scheduling for imaging and diagnostic tests. If you need to reschedule an appointment, please call 786-573-6000.

Free Virtual Community Health Classes

While you are practicing social distancing by staying at home, you can still connect virtually to a host of Baptist Health Community classes. Whether it's healthy cooking, meditation, stretching, yoga or zumba, we have the option for you and your family. All classes are FREE via the Zoom app.

Upcoming appointments at Baptist Health

Baptist Health Doctor Appointments

In most cases, patients should keep their scheduled appointments. At this time, regularly scheduled appointments with our medical group physicians are continuing as planned, though visitor restrictions are in place. We are asking patients to call their healthcare provider if they are exhibiting any fever, cough, sore throat or respiratory symptoms before they come in. If your appointment does need to be postponed, you will be contacted by the office to reschedule.

If you are worried, please contact your doctor to discuss your concerns. If you are a patient who is at high-risk for complications from respiratory illness, your clinic may want to reschedule your appointment.