COVID-19 – UPDATE ON OFFICE HOURS AND SAFETY MEASURES

**CHANGES TO OUR SCHEDULE** 

The safety of our staff and patients is our #1 priority!

In an effort to maintain social distancing practices, we are able to accommodate a limited number of scheduled, in-office, appointments only. Appointment times for in-office visits will be staggered in order to limit the flow of patient traffic in the office and to allow time for appropriate disinfection procedures between patient visits. We will continue to offer visits via our telemedicine platform based upon Medicare (CMS) and other insurance provider guidelines for reimbursement for these services.

If you are scheduled for a visit at our office and have recently come into contact with a person known to have the COVID-19 virus or you, yourself, have been sick in the past two weeks with any symptoms consistent with this virus (fever, cough, shortness of breath or any other upper respiratory symptoms) please call our office immediately so that we can guide you on what steps you need to take in order to care for yourself and to protect your loved ones from possible exposure to the virus.

**SAFETY MEASURES**

We are keeping the patient flow in our lobby and waiting room to a minimum in order to prevent the spread of the virus. One patient will be allowed at each desk for check-in and check-out purposes only. We are not allowing any walk-in traffic. If you feel more comfortable doing so, you may opt to wait in your vehicle until we are ready to see you. Just give us a call upon arrival to let us know you have arrived. If our schedule demands, we may institute a 'Car-to-Clinic' protocol, where your provider (or their assistant) will contact you by phone when the provider is ready to see you.

We kindly ask that you do not bring guests with you to your appointment with the exception of parental supervision for pediatric patient visits.

Our lobby areas are equipped with hand-sanitizer and Plexiglas 'sneeze' guards have been installed at the front desk as well as an ionizer room sanitizer. Masks will be made available for those who may not have one*.

Call ahead service is available for pick-up of any wellness supplements and products that you may need during this time, (602) 565-5060 ext 111.

All patients will be appropriately screened upon arrival with a temperature check. If your temperature reading is over 100.4 or you have symptoms consistent with COVID (or recent exposure history), we will triage you into our designated Sick Room where special precautions will be taken during your visit to prevent the possible spread of COVID to our staff and other patients.

Our office space will be thoroughly disinfected between patient visits and our providers/staff will be wearing appropriate masks and gloves to keep our patients safe. All staff members are being screened daily with temperature checks and weekly screening is taking place for exposure risk to the COVID virus. 

*While masks are OPTIONAL for WELL patients, we do appreciate when our patients wear masks as a courtesy to our staff members. Masks are NOT-OPTIONAL for SICK patients. In addition, in order to maintain a safe environment for our other guests, we ask that patients who opt to wait in our waiting room space, wear a mask if other patients are present.

If you have ANY questions regarding our current scheduling policies or safety procedures, please do not hesitate to call us at 623-565-5060. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation as we navigate this new landscape for practicing medicine safely during a pandemic.

The Physicians and Staff of Norterra Family Medicine