PENDLETON — St. Anthony Hospital this week announced access to a free virtual urgent care service, Virtual Care Anywhere, for anyone in the community experiencing mild to moderate symptoms of the coronavirus. The hospital’s parent company, Catholic Health Initiatives, subscribed to the service, which is staff by health professionals in various locations.

“Virtual urgent care visits are one way we will help patients with COVID-19 symptoms assess their options for treatment or testing,” said St. Anthony spokeswoman Emily Smith. “Virtual visits allow for timely care delivery without putting other patients or our clinicians at risk for contracting the virus. And while it’s not intended to replace in-person care visits, it will help reduce patient volumes at care sites so we can serve those who need care the most.”

She said, as facilities across the country experience an increase in the number of patients with COVID-19 symptoms, virtual visits allow people to speak with a medical professional without physically visiting a health care facility.

To use the service, visit www.franciscanvirtualcare.org, download the Virtual Care Anywhere app in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, or call 855-356-8053 and use the coupon code COVID19. The service charges $35 per visit, but the fee will be waived for any patient who thinks they may be experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. After requesting an appointment, a virtual care provider will contact the patient once they are available, typically within 15-30 minutes, although high volume may result in longer wait times. The service is on-demand and does not accept appointments. People with with milder COVID-19 symptoms, such as low-grade fever, cough or shortness of breath, are good candidates for the service.

Anyone experiencing severe symptoms of a respiratory illness, such as high fever or difficulty breathing, should call 911 or visit the nearest care site. St. Anthony Hospital encourages people to call the medical facility in advance to notify the team there of any COVID-19 symptoms before visiting in person.