05/10/2020
OFFICE UPDATE: 5/9/2020
We are committed to providing the best care for your family, our staff and the community. We are grateful for the efforts people are making at staying healthy and safe, and obviously saddened by the continued illness that's occurred and occurring. We all can still make a difference with the choices we make, and we will continue to make our office as safe a place as we can for your children and family.
We have been doing visits with "healthy" children in the mornings, and visits for children with acute, sick illnesses only after lunch to try to provide increased separation.
The American Academy of Pediatrics has now recommended that we resume seeing all children for their regular well-child care needs, as many kids have missed opportunities for care and vaccination updates.
Effective immediately, we are instituting the following changes:
- We will expand seeing well child visits to 8:30 am - 12:00 pm and 1:30 pm - 2:45 pm daily.
- Sick appointments will be offered in the afternoon between 3:15 pm - 5:00 pm.
- We ask that you and your child(ren) 2 and above bring (and wear) masks in the office. This potentially helps protect you and others from illness. Although it's not a perfect solution, it IS better than not wearing a mask. It is not required that you do so, but requested. We cannot provide masks to everyone as we are already struggling to get enough protective equipment ourselves.
- We are now offering telemedicine visits by video for certain concerns, so that you don't have to come into the office if we can care for it over video: some sick visits like skin problems; asthma medication management; behavioral health concerns, like ADHD and medication checks; some chronic care needs.
Please remember:
* If you or your child is ill, or has been exposed to someone with coronavirus (COVID-19) or recently traveled to a high-risk area, your child’s well visit appointment will be rescheduled to an afternoon “sick” time or another day.
* Please limit the number of people that come with your child to the appointment to only one parent. If that’s just not possible (we know it’s hard with school being out) – everyone must be healthy (no cough, congestion, recent fevers or exposure to someone with known COVID-19.) If you or a child has illness symptoms during “well” visit times, we ask that you let us know and we'll reschedule.
Please note, that we are NOT doing COVID-19 testing in our office, PCR or blood testing. Banner offers drive-though sites where you can get tested. Call 1-844-549-1851 to discuss and schedule an appointment.
This statement is from the medical director for the state health department: “During this time with limited testing, it is critical that you tell your patients with any respiratory illness to self-isolate at home, drink fluids and rest. The vast majority of people do very well recovering at home. Getting a COVID-19 test does not change the treatment or the outcome. Patients with respiratory symptoms will be told to self isolate until 72 hours after their fever and symptoms resolve, regardless of a test result. Availability of testing is not what will ultimately impact the spread of this outbreak. But staying home when sick, washing our hands, not touching our faces, and avoiding unnecessary physical contact and group gatherings of more than 10 people will.”
Thank you in advance for your understanding and cooperation during these challenging times. We will do our best to be able to provide the best and safest care for your children!
