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New Patient Appointment or 214-645-8300
From the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, UT Southwestern has implemented and enhanced strict safety precautions to protect our patients and employees from the spread of the virus. Those measures remain in effect at all of our facilities, where your safety and well-being are always our top priorities.
We are requiring that everyone – patients, visitors, and staff – wear a mask or cloth face covering that meets CDC guidelines. If you don’t have a mask, we’ll be happy to provide one. However, if you have a mask, please bring it.
We are disinfecting clinical spaces daily with procedures recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to kill the COVID-19 virus. High-touchpoint areas are wiped down at least three times per day.
All visitors, patients, and staff will be be screened at designated entry points for symptoms and exposure, and will receive a no-touch thermometer scan.
Patients will be tested for COVID-19 within 72 hours of a scheduled surgery or procedure so results will be available for review 24 hours ahead of the appointment time.
The Clements University Hospital ER was designed with airflow systems to handle pandemic situations, and patients with COVID-19 are treated in a separate area of the hospital.
At all UT Southwestern facilities, our staff is adhering to safe physical distancing guidelines, and we request that you do, too. Signage and floor stickers designate safe distances in high-traffic areas.
Please contact your physician if you have urgent care needs or if you’re experiencing symptoms of COVID-19. You can also call 214-645-8300 to schedule an appointment. We are offering both in-person and video visits. The scheduling team will help determine if your appointment type can be handled with a video visit.
No. UT Southwestern remains committed to your safety and well-being whenever you come to any of our facilities – either as a patient or a visitor. If you are experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms or you suspect you've been exposed to COVID-19, please contact your primary care physician first, or your local health department for direction. They may be able to refer you to our drive-up testing facility.
A Video Visit is a safe and convenient way to get access to a broad spectrum of primary and specialty services at UT Southwestern. Video Visits allow you to receive the same high-quality care from a health care provider as you would receive in person while saving time and the cost of travel.
Video Visits are scheduled appointments that are conducted through a live video and audio feed, using a smartphone, tablet, or computer. Video Visits are accessed through your MyChart account and our video and audio conferencing platform called BlueJeans.
Patient safety is, and always will be, our number one priority at UT Southwestern. As the nation and community recover from this pandemic, you can count on us to deliver the care you need just as we always have – safely and effectively. That remains our commitment to you.
With the health of our patients and health care professionals in mind, we have put new measures in place to limit the number of visitors per patient, restrict the number of entry points to our medical facilities, and implement screening guidelines for all visitors.
With declines in COVID-19 cases and a growing number of people being vaccinated, UT Southwestern is expanding its patient visitor policy from one guest to two in certain environments that provide ample space for social distancing.
Two visitors per patient are permitted in Williams P. Clements Jr. University Hospital and Zale Lipshy Pavilion, unless under the following circumstances:
Given that social distancing can be more challenging in our ambulatory settings, patients are allowed one guest to clinic appointments.
At this time, children under age 12 should refrain from visiting our hospitals and Outpatient Surgery Center. Minors are permitted in our clinics, so long as the one visitor per patient rule is upheld. If children are UT Southwestern patients, they may be joined by two parents/guardians.
All visitors, patients, and staff will be screened at designated entry points. In addition to being asked about symptoms (fever, shortness of breath, cough, runny nose, sore throat, or malaise) and contact with anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19, everyone will also have a no-touch thermometer scan.
Please see the limited entrances or access points for our patient care areas.
Patients and visitors will have limited access points to our hospital and care facilities. Please view the table for the most up-to-date information.
Our patient intake process involves immediately identifying those who have potential respiratory or other infectious diseases and providing masks and isolation for further screening. If you are admitted, all patient rooms at UTSW Clements University Hospital are private rooms, limiting exposure to other patients.
Intake coordinators are trained to ask an initial round of questions. Infection preventionists and/or infectious disease specialists might ask additional questions to help further guide the potential infectious diagnoses and to order the appropriate tests.
The screening protocol used at UT Southwestern has been developed using the national expertise available from our faculty who are specialty-trained in infectious diseases and in accordance with recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Dallas County Health and Human Services (DCHHS).
Aston Ambulatory Care Center is valet parking only.
Clements University Hospital, Simmons Cancer Center, Zale Lipshy Pavilion, and the Outpatient Building have both valet and self-parking options.
Valet attendants are wearing masks and using hand sanitizer between each transaction.
Cafeterias remain open, but self-service food stations have been discontinued. Grab-and-go packaged options are still available.
Some tables have been removed from the dining area to create safe social distances, and we ask diners to limit large gatherings at meals.
The Outpatient Building, West Campus Building 3 (WCB3), and the Radiation Oncology building coffee shops will operate during regular hours.
