Beyond COVID-19: Where to Go for Other Health Care Needs

By staying home more often, you may have hit pause on many parts of life. But your health concerns haven’t necessarily changed — and when you need personalized treatment and compassionate, whole-person care, we're here for you.

Whether you're managing a chronic condition, need routine prenatal care, or want to be seen for a mole or lump that’s worrisome, you can (and should) get expert attention.

Some ways of seeing or talking with a health care provider may look a little bit different in the time of COVID-19. Others are actually easier and more convenient now — for instance, online doctor video visits. If you need to see a provider in person, know that it's safe to do so. Your health is our priority.

Read on to learn more about your care options.

The Emergency Room: Always Available

For critical and life-threatening medical problems, the emergency room (ER) is still the place for you — and it’s open 24/7.

Call 911 or head to the ER directly for:

• Animal bites
• Complicated fractures, which also involve injuries to veins, arteries, nerves or other structures around the bone
• Extreme difficulty breathing
• Major head injuries
• Poisonings
• Serious allergic reactions
• Severe abdominal pain
• Severe burns
• Strokes and heart attacks
• Vomiting or coughing up blood

Some symptoms of COVID-19 also signify a health emergency, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These include:

• Bluish lips or face
• Confusion or trouble waking up
• Pain or pressure in your chest that doesn’t let up
• Trouble breathing

If you experience these symptoms, call 911. Tell the operator about your condition. And if you can, put on a face covering as you wait for help to arrive.

Any medical emergency is frightening. Know that we’re taking steps to protect and care for all patients in the emergency room. Everyone is screened for coronavirus, social distancing is enforced, common areas and patient rooms are cleaned frequently, and patients with COVID-19 are treated separately from those without coronavirus.

Urgent Care: For Concerns That Can’t Wait

While the ER never closes, it’s best reserved for true emergencies. You can get help for many other painful but non-critical health care needs at your local Centra Care Urgent Care Center.

Head to Centra Care for:

• Earaches
• Minor cuts, including those that require stitches
• Minor injuries, including broken bones and sprains; X-rays are available on-site
• Sore throats
• Stomachaches
• Symptoms of COVID-19 that aren’t severe, such as cough, fever and shortness of breath. But first, contact your doctor or Department of Health if you think you’re at risk. They’ll direct you to the best place to seek care

These clinics are open seven days a week, and some locations have late-night hours. You can book your visit online in advance, or simply walk in. Many prescription and over-the-counter medications are available on-site — meaning you don’t have to make a separate trip to the pharmacy.

Every location is stocked with the necessary equipment to keep you safe, including sanitizer and masks. We’re also taking extra preventive measures, such as:

• Cleaning more frequently
• Greeting patients outside
• Having dedicated exam rooms for visits not related to contagious illnesses
• Using remote registration

Telehealth: Care in the Comfort of Your Home

Video conferencing technology doesn’t just work for business meetings. Our doctors and nurse practitioners can diagnose and even treat urgent health care needs through convenient video visits.

Grab your cell phone, tablet or desktop computer and be seen face-to-face by a provider online for concerns that include:

• Colds and flu
• Conjunctivitis, also known as pink eye
• Coughs, including bronchitis
• Lower back pain
• Skin conditions
• Sinus and upper respiratory infections
• Urinary tract infections

You can also use telemedicine to see your primary care provider for ongoing or preventive health needs, or to visit a specialist, such as a neurologist, cardiologist or behavioral health specialist.

In fact, you might be surprised by the wide range of services that can be provided by virtual doctor appointments. You may be able to use video visits to:

• Consult with a psychiatrist, psychologist or therapist about your mental health
• Get a prescription for a new medicine
• Go to physical therapy
• Monitor an ongoing condition, such as diabetes or high blood pressure

Telemedicine can also help if you have mild or moderate symptoms of COVID-19, including cough, fever and shortness of breath. The online doctor or nurse practitioner will ask questions to assess your risk and determine next steps during your video visit.

If you already have a regular doctor or specialist, reach out to your provider’s office for information about scheduling telehealth appointments. For new concerns, call your nearest AdventHealth location for information about booking a visit.

In-Person Visits: Protecting Your Health

If you or your child had an elective procedure on the books, such as a joint replacement or tonsillectomy, your doctor likely already contacted you about postponing or rescheduling. Reach out to your health care provider directly with questions about how to take care of your health, and your family’s, in the meantime.

However, some nonemergency treatments simply can’t wait — nor can they be delivered remotely. You may still have to come in person for some cancer treatments, dialysis and giving birth, for example.

Or, your doctor may ask you to come in after talking with you on the phone or seeing you in a video visit. You might receive treatment in a different type of facility than you’re used to — for instance, in an outpatient clinic instead of the hospital or at a different office.

If you have COVID-19, or suspect you might, always call ahead before going to a doctor’s appointment, even if it’s for an unrelated reason. That way, the providers and staff can take steps to prepare for your arrival and protect other patients.

Rest assured that we’re here when you need us — and we're taking extra precautions to keep you safe in our facilities. After all, our greatest concern is caring for your whole-person health.

We’re cleaning and sanitizing frequently, keeping patients who may be infected separate from those who aren’t and using all the necessary personal protective equipment, including face masks.

Here for Your Whole Health

AdventHealth is committed to providing the latest information to keep your family healthy and safe. To learn more about how we can support you, visit our website.