Keeping You Safe
We know you may have concerns about coming to a healthcare facility, and it’s important to know we are taking additional measures to ensure our care centers and surgery centers are safe places to receive and provide care. As we begin the process of resuming normal services, we will:
- Pre-screen all patients over the phone when confirming appointments to establish if they have any symptoms of COVID-19 (fever, recent onset of cough, difficulty breathing, sore throat, or other acute respiratory symptoms) or have been in contact with a person who has been diagnosed with coronavirus disease. If a patient has symptoms or has been in contact with a person with coronavirus, they will not be seen in the office and will be offered a telehealth appointment.
- Screen teammates, patients and visitors once again upon arrival by checking for fever, cough, shortness of breath and flu-like symptoms.
- Ask patients to wait to be seen in their cars, in some cases.
- Limit the number of procedures per day in order to allow for social distancing and thorough cleaning of each room between patients.
- Require everyone to wear a mask or covering over their nose and mouth at all times. If a patient arrives to an appointment without a face cover or mask, they cannot be seen. Providers will wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), including, but not limited to, gowns, aprons and gloves when appropriate to keep them and our patients safe. Providers will continue to practice strict hand hygiene.
- Clean all frequently-touched surfaces often, including keyboards, workstations, countertops and doorknobs. We have removed frequently touched items such as magazines and televisions. To reduce unnecessary touching of surfaces, doors will remain open whenever appropriate.
- Arrange chairs six feet apart in the waiting room to allow for social distancing.
- Not permit visitors to accompany patients unless medically necessary.
- Receive co-pays and other advance payment over the phone to limit personal interaction once inside our facilities.
As we establish our new normal, we will work with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) and our local and state officials to ensure we are following the most up-to-date guidelines.
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We have continued to monitor the guidelines from the CDC and pay close attention to the data and recommendations from our local elected officials and public health departments. We are confident that our policies and procedures will help to keep our patients safe and allow them to receive the care they need.
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We have taken a thoughtful, phased approach to resume services. As we started elective procedures, we first prioritized procedures for patients whose health was most negatively impacted by any further delay in care and then for patients who required more preventive care. We have numerous measures in place to ensure a safe environment, including a rigorous screening process for all providers, teammates, patients and necessary visitors. We will continue to evaluate and evolve our policies, procedures and available services on an ongoing basis.
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Our patients’ and teammates’ health, well-being and safety are our top priorities. As we continue to monitor the number of cases in our area and use data to inform our decision-making, we believe the timing is right to resume elective procedures and surgeries. We are taking several additional safety precautions to help ensure our office is a safe place for you/our patients to receive care and those treating you/our patients are healthy and safe. We have rescheduled appointments that were canceled or suspended due to the pandemic, beginning with patients whose health was most negatively impacted by any further delay in care.
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We do not offer COVID-19 testing at our locations except in Washington state. Additionally, we do not offer antibody testing at our locations. If a patient or teammate requires testing, we can help refer them to an appropriate testing location in the area.
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We currently have an adequate stock of Personal Protective Equipment (or PPE), which our teammates and providers will use by following the latest guidelines from the CDC. To help protect you as well as our providers and teammates, we do ask that you wear a covering over your nose and mouth when visiting our facility.
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Our team has already reached out to patients to reschedule appointments that were canceled or suspended due to the pandemic, beginning with those whose health was most negatively impacted by any further delay in care. If you would like to schedule a new appointment, please find a doctor or location that is most convenient for you and submit an online appointment request or call the office.
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At this time, we are not allowing visitors unless medically necessary. If you have questions about your specific situation, please contact your physician directly.