Boulder Community Health provided another email update Monday to community members relating our health system's ongoing preparations against COVID-19. On May 11, CEO & President Rob Vissers, M.D., related how BCH has successfully and safely reopened nearly all patient services, including non-emergency surgeries and sophisticated imaging services.

Expanding services thoughtfully

The expanded safety measures we have put into place across our network are effectively protecting patients and our staff.

Anyone who is experiencing troubling changes in your health – whether it’s shortness of breath, severe headaches or ongoing nausea – should seek medical attention. Delaying treatment too long can turn a minor issue into a major problem. People with ongoing medical concerns, such as chronic heart disease, high blood pressure or diabetes, also need to check in with their physicians. Changes in a chronic condition need to be properly assessed in order to maintain your health.

We have resumed offering traditional in-person visits in our physician clinics. We also offer a broad range of virtual care options, including video and phone visits, along with secure texting. Virtual visits offer added convenience and are easy to schedule. To learn more, visit the BCH Virtual Visits page.

Our three Urgent Care Centers are seeing patients seven days a week for common illnesses and non-life-threatening injuries. Visit the BCH Urgent Care Center page for more details. Of course, the expertise and extensive resources of the Emergency Department/Trauma Center at Foothills Hospital are available 24/7.

Watch how BCH is safely expanding services while also remaining prepared to deal quickly and effectively with any surge of COVID-19 patients.

BCH expands COVID-19 testing

BCH has partnered with local testing company Biodesix to offer expanded access to diagnostic COVID-19 testing. Symptomatic patients can now schedule appointments at drive-up testing sites in Boulder and Erie:

• Della Cava Family Medical Pavilion parking garage, level 5
4801 Riverbend Road, Boulder

• Erie Medical Center parking lot
101 Erie Parkway, Erie

Testing is available by appointment at both drive-up testing sites on weekdays, 8 a.m. to noon.

Testing is available with a physician’s order for patients currently experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, which include fever, new cough/shortness of breath, or two or more of the following: loss of taste/smell, chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat.

If you have a BCH physician, you can call that clinic to schedule a convenient virtual visit to assess whether a COVID-19 test is warranted. Your physician can order the test for you.

Individuals without a BCH physician can call their primary care physician or 303-415-8180 to be screened for scheduling a COVID-19 test.

Once an order is placed, patients will be contacted within 24 hours to schedule the test.

COVID-19 snapshot

BCH continues to see a very low number of COVID-19 patients. As of May 11, we had five confirmed COVID-19 patients at Foothills Hospital. We have performed 285 pre-surgical COVID tests since lifting the restrictions on non-urgent procedures, and all patients tested negative.

The news is also promising across the state. According to data provided by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, we are experiencing a statewide decline in hospitalizations. After experiencing a peak of 888 hospitalized patients around April 14, there were only 573 COVID-19 patients in hospitals across the state as of May 10, which represents a 35% decline. Additional statewide COVID data is available here.

Visit bch.org/coronavirus to learn more about our response to COVID-19.