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The fear of contracting COVID-19 is allowing a troubling trend to emerge. People with warning signs of a heart attack, stroke, or other health emergencies are putting off going to the emergency room and receiving the care they need. This fear can cost lives.

“Unfortunately, other illnesses or injuries are still occurring, and should be assessed and managed in a timely manner,” says Dr. Mark Winther, chief of Emergency and Trauma Services for Bassett Healthcare Network.

Fast treatment during an emergency not only saves lives – it also lowers the risk of serious complications from an injury or illness.

Visit the Nearest Emergency Room for Life-Saving Care

Bassett Healthcare Network’s hospitals and emergency departments are committed to keeping you safe while you’re receiving emergency medical care. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have actively taken steps to help keep COVID-19 from spreading in our facilities.

We:

  • Have made both our free online COVID-19 screening tool and COVID-19 central phone line at (607) 547-5555 available to all, to help reduce the amount of in-person examinations.
  • Pre-screen patients for upper respiratory symptoms and fever prior to all in-person visits, and again on the day of the visit. Anyone with possible COVID-19 symptoms is referred to one of our external screening or evaluation sites. Staff members go through a similar process prior to beginning their shift each work day.
  • Have set up external COVID-19 screening tents to evaluate all patients before entering our hospitals and emergency rooms.
  • Use and change personal protective equipment (PPE) between examining all patients, to avoid spreading infections and viruses among patients and staff.
  • Treat people with COVID-19 symptoms in separate, negative-pressure rooms with assigned nursing and appropriate PPE.
  • Consult with specialists via video for non-critical patients, and in-person for critical patients (using appropriate PPE).
  • Have expanded video access to primary care practitioners and specialists, so they can see patients through a video visit – if appropriate for their medical condition. We can also safely see patients in-person for medical issues that require an in-person visit.

So please, visit your nearest emergency room if you believe you are experiencing a medical or surgical emergency. Call 911 for life-saving care.


Visit Convenient Care for Non-Life-Threatening Care

Bassett Healthcare Network’s convenient care locations can also provide quick care for minor injuries and illnesses – including strains and sprains, minor cuts and burns, and more.

Need Guidance?

For established Bassett patients, our experienced primary care practitioners can help direct you to the appropriate care channels within the Bassett Healthcare Network. Call your primary care practitioner for assistance. You can look up your primary care practitioner’s contact information by using the search bar on our Find a Doctor page, here.

If you are worried about your risk of contracting COVID-19, use our free online screening tool, then call our COVID-19 central phone line at (607) 547-5555 to speak with a practitioner who will further assess your risk. These resources are available to anyone, including non-Bassett patients in communities served by the Bassett network. These resources have been established to provide accurate information about COVID-19, triage patients with symptoms, and if necessary, refer those at risk for in-person testing.