It's going to be easier to do this with bullet points - so here we go:
1) First and foremost, we are here for you. Let me repeat that, in caps - WE ARE HERE FOR YOU. There are stories (unfortunately true) that patients cannot get care and are being turned away from urgent cares and emergency rooms. This is understandable, but necessary, which is scary. So if you are sick, please, CALL US FIRST. Let us attempt to triage you and treat you without having to suffocate our emergency departments who are already knee deep in this.
2) We are open regular business hours, 8 am to 5 pm, for now. We will likely be adjusting these to 3 pm, but we will be open Monday through Friday as normal.
3) We have "built" a separate area of our office to see sick patients. This segregates the sick from the asymptomatic, and is necessary for all of us. So, if you have a sinus infection and want to be seen, we will be able to see you.
4) We have started to perform virtual visits. We do this through Facebook Messenger as well as Apple Face Time. The visits we've performed so far went incredibly well, and we expect to see a significant rise in this type of visit as patients sequester at home during the outbreak.
5) We are completely disinfecting our office twice a day. Full 5% bleach solution wipe downs of all surfaces. We are doing this to decrease the spread of ANY contagion, but especially C19.
6) If you have an appointment, you can keep it. Doctors visits are allowed. If you come in for a visit, see the next three bullet points.
7) For all visits, we will room you immediately. No sitting in the waiting room. When you are finished, you can stop briefly at the front desk to schedule a follow up or discuss other needs, but we will attempt to keep this face to face interaction brief.
8) We ask that you attend your appointments alone. Family members will be asked to wait in their cars. For pediatric examinations, we ask that only one parent attends the appointment and that other children remain at home.
9) The closest person-to-person contact will be when Karla or I examine you. This typically lasts less than 30 seconds, and we will be gloved and masked during the contact.
8) We ask that you attend your appointments alone. Family members will be asked to wait in their cars. For pediatric examinations, we ask that only one parent attends the appointment and that other children remain at home.
9) The closest person-to-person contact will be when Karla or I examine you. This typically lasts less than 30 seconds, and we will be gloved and masked during the contact.
10) Despite C19 dominating every aspect of our lives, all of you still have your health needs that need attention and monitoring. We need to ensure that you stay healthy with those, which is why we are and will stay open during this unprecedented event.
11) We ask your patience as we work tirelessly to keep all of you healthy, which includes the behind-the-scenes work of prior authorizations, medication refills, and doctor-to-doctor communication that is so necessary for your health.
I am going to be writing regularly, with more precision than this general-type of message. Please keep reading, and feel free to share. I will attempt to give you boots-on-the-ground updates from the trenches, as well as practical ways to stay healthy while sheltering in place.
Lastly, thank you for trusting us with your care. I cannot tell you the strength that gives us, your physicians. We took an oath to care for the sick, and we hold that oath as absolute and unwavering. God Bless all of you, stay well, and see you soon.
JC, MD
