BACH implements additional safety measures for beneficiaries

By BACH Public AffairsMarch 24, 2020

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BACH implements additional safety measures for beneficiaries

Although Fort Campbell currently has no confirmed coronavirus cases, Blanchfield Army Community Hospital leadership is doing everything possible to limit the spread of the infection as Fort Campbell's adjacent communities have received confirmed cases.

On Friday, March 27, the hospital will close the C Building Entrance to the hospital until further notice and move all outpatient primary care services out of the hospital to one of the hospital's outlying clinics.

"These measures are being put in place to apply additional safety measures to help reduce the risk of non-COVID-19 symptomatic patients being exposed to the COVID-19 virus," said Col. Patrick T. Birchfield, hospital commander.

Family members with scheduled primary care appointments will be seen at the Byrd Family-Centered Medical Home located at 7973 Thunder Blvd or Screaming Eagle Medical Home within the Clarksville community. All Soldiers with scheduled appointments will be seen at one of the Soldier-Centered Medical Homes. Soldiers who are routinely seen at the Byrd Soldier-Centered Medical Home will be provided an alternative medical home site to go when calling for an appointment. For primary care appointments, continue to call 270-798-4677 or 931-431-4677.

All patients needing hospital services unrelated to the COVID-19 virus, will need to enter the hospital's A Building Entrance. Patients with COVID-19 symptoms will be told where to go once they have been given an appointment and if additional care is needed will use a separate entrance into the hospital. For COVID-19 appointments, patients should call the 24/7 Military Health System Nurse Advice Line at 1-800-TRICARE or chat with a nurse at MHSNurseAdviceLine.com. If you are unable to get through the 1-800 phone line, you can call the hospital appointment line at 270-798-4677 or 931-431-4677, seven days a week, 6 a.m. - 9 p.m.

"If you are showing mild COVID-19 symptoms such as a fever, cough and shortness of breath and it is not an emergency, we ask for you to stay home to recover and if symptoms worsen, we want you to call us," said Birchfield. "If it is a medical emergency, call 911."

Reports showing countries with fewer infected people are able to mitigate the spread by applying segregation and isolation. "It is important for our community to take the social distancing and self-quarantining approach seriously so we can fight this infection and begin to go back to our normal lives."

"We are changing our patient locations and hospital entrance openings as extra safety measures to keep our community members segregated as much as possible. We urge any patient showing COVID-19-related symptoms to please call us ahead of time before showing up to our hospital so we can give you the appropriate action to take. Lowering the risk of infection is the best way we can defeat this virus. The safety of our patients and staff as well as the Fort Campbell and surrounding communities is our priority."