Carle wants to keep you informed of rapidly changing guidance and encourages people to use the Carle COVID-19 hotline at (217) 902-6100 to have your COVID-19 questions answered.
Please visit our Carle Visitor Policy page.
Patient and approved visitor symptom screening takes place at all public entrances or check-in desks. Everyone (patients, visitors and staff) must be masked on entry. Those without a mask will be provided one.
Patients preparing for a procedure may be requested to complete a COVID-19 test.
Patients may call the Carle COVID-19 hotline at (217) 902-6100
Please visit our COVID-19 Community Testing Sites page.
It’s recommended to immediately isolate from family and friends and stay home if you receive a positive test confirmation. Follow the steps at CDC.gov if you have or suspect you may have COVID-19. Carle does offer treatment options to those who qualify and it may be available to you. Contact your primary care provider soon after a positive test to determine the right next steps based on your needs.
It remains Carle’s top priority to best care for our community by promptly identifying the COVID-19 virus while minimizing exposure to others.
Following state guidelines, Carle is performing elective surgeries and procedures. Patients may be asked to complete a COVID-19 test prior to their procedure.
Unvaccinated patients scheduled for elective procedures/surgeries are required to complete a COVID-19 test within 72 hours of the procedure. Vaccinated patients are not required to complete a pre-procedure COVID-19 test. Most in-office appointments and procedures do not require a COVID-19 test prior to treatment.
Please visit the CDC website for the latest guidance on what qualifies as fully vaccinated.
Carle has taken many steps to provide the safest environment possible for team members. The most visible is to provide more Personal Protective Equipment or PPE and adjusting processes to accommodate social distancing as the organization resumes services, additional sanitizing and other precautions will be a strong focus area.
All Carle Health team members are required to receive the COVID-19 vaccine and are allowed to complete vaccination during a scheduled shift.
Carle Health has the ability to conduct virtual visits via EPIC MyChart Video Visits. When scheduling your follow-up care we encourage you to discuss the option of virtual visits with your provider. We recommend that you contact your health insurance carrier for specifics on your benefit coverage.
If you live out of the area and wish to get your required COVID-19 test at a location that is not a Carle facility, staff will need one business day to receive your test results. Only unvaccinated patients scheduled for elective procedures/surgeries are required to complete a COVID-19 test prior to their procedure.
If your surgery is scheduled on a Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday and you want to get your COVID-19 test at a non-Carle location, please discuss this with our staff to ensure Carle will receive your test results in time for your surgery.
Due to test results potentially not being available over weekends from non-Carle/Christie testing locations, patients who have a surgery scheduled on Monday will need to have the required COVID-19 test administered at a Carle testing site. This will ensure that we will not need to contact you on Sunday to cancel your surgery.
Yes, for everyone’s safety, Carle will continue to require masks while on our campuses regardless of vaccination status.
Special conditions will be evaluated on an individual basis to determine how best to care for these patients.
The Health Information Management main office at Carle at The Fields is currently closed to walk-in patient access. Medical Information is available and can be distributed to patients via MyCarle portal, EPIC Care Everywhere, fax, secured email, mail or Fed Ex. Patients will be encouraged to use these methods to obtain medical information. Only in emergent situations will medical information and/or images on CD be delivered face to face. Patients must call (217) 902-6100 to arrange an appointment in this situation.
Refer to the Advance Care Planning Guide and email ACP@carle.com or call you doctor’s office to schedule a phone visit with a social worker or advance care planning facilitator. Advance care planning assures your wishes are understood and communicated to healthcare professionals and your loved ones even when you aren't able to speak for yourself.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) describes COVID-19 as a disease caused by a virus called SARS-CoV-2. Most people with COVID-19 have mild symptoms, but some people can become severely ill. Although most people with COVID-19 get better within weeks of illness, some people experience post-COVID conditions. Post-COVID conditions are a wide range of new, returning, or ongoing health problems people can experience more than four weeks after first being infected with the virus that causes COVID-19. Older people and those who have certain underlying medical conditions are more likely to get severely ill from COVID-19. Vaccines against COVID-19 are safe and effective.
People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported- ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. Please refer to the CDC website for the latest updates.
The principal mode by which people are infected with COVID-19 is through exposure to respiratory fluids carrying the infectious virus. Infectious exposures to respiratory fluids carrying COVID-19 occur in three principal ways (not mutually exclusive):
Everyone who qualifies should receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Everyday health practices are the most effective prevention:
The CDC recommends covering your mouth and nose with a cloth face cover when around others.
CDC recommendations are changing frequently. Visit the CDC website for the latest guidance.
Monoclonal Antibody Treatment (MAB) can help your body fight off COVID-19 and reduce the risk of severe disease and hospitalization. Patients who meet any one of the criteria below may qualify for monoclonal antibody infusion. If you believe you may qualify, please contact your primary care provider for next steps.
Monoclonal Antibody Infusion qualification criteria: