To limit the risks of COVID-19 spread in our community while meeting our patients' needs and resuming in-office evaluation, our office will be implementing the following.
1. When making or confirming appointments over the phone, we will be asking whether patient has cough, fever and shortness of breath or been in contact with someone with those symptoms. We will reschedule the patient two weeks after being asymptomatic while referring the patient to the PCP if the answer is affirmative to any of the above.
2. If patient needs to bring a companion, only one companion may come up to the office. All others will have to wait in the car to allow for social distancing.
3. Patient and companion will need to wear masks in the office at all times.
4. Once patient arrives the parking lot, please call up to the office to check-in and update changes in insurance, address, phone number, etc. If patient has Apple pay or credit card with chip, staff will collect the out-of-pocket cost when patient comes up. Otherwise, staff will do it over the phone with credit card number. We will limit handling cash.
5. We ask that patients wait in car until staff calls patient to enter.
6. We ask that patient use hand sanitizer upon entering and leaving the office. Sanitizers are available in every room as well as the hallway.
7. We will refrain from handshaking.
8. We will disinfect surfaces and objects, such as door handles, front desk area, pens, clipboards, exam and other patient chairs, and all exam equipments after each patient.
9. We will avoid touching our eyes, nose, or mouth and ask patient to do the same.
10. We will wear gloves and wash our hands between patients.
11. We will wear masks and ask patients to also wear masks at all times.
12. We will cough or sneeze into a disposable tissue and discard it and wash or sanitize our hands afterwards and ask patient to do the same.
13. We will eliminate all reading materials and tablets in waiting area.
We know that these measures can be a nuisance, but we also know they help our first responders and community at large. We are confident that, with such measures, we will continue to keep you safer as well. We thank you for your understanding and cooperation and wish every one health and safety.
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