COVID-19 - Open Letter to Our Patients

Steps we have taken to Prepare for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

Protecting our Patients

As your healthcare provider, we:

• Stay up-to-date on the best ways to manage patients with COVID-19.

• Monitor and measure the temperature of our patients in the waiting area from a safe distance using a thermal infrared imaging camera. 
• Isolate patients with COVID-19 symptoms to a designated area and request patients without the mask to step outside the office.
• Provide ample, well-ventilated space for our patients as follows: 
  • Our large waiting room supports the social distancing protocols set forth by the public officials. The large waiting area also allows us to permit our patients to bring a support family member to their appointments.
  • We use our additional exam rooms as extra waiting areas to manage all our patients. 

• Encourage patients to use our KIOSK which helps in keeping up with the current social distancing protocols. 
• Implement strategies to prevent patients who can be cared for at home from coming to our office potentially exposing themselves or others to germs, like:
  • Using our telephone system to deliver messages to incoming callers about when to seek medical care at our practice, when to seek emergency care, and where to go for information about caring for a person with COVID at home.
  • Adjusting our hours of operation to include telephone triage and follow-up of patients during a community outbreak.
  • Leveraging telemedicine technologies and self-assessment tools.  

Protecting our Workers

As your healthcare provider facility, we:

• Screen patients and visitors for symptoms of acute respiratory illness (e.g., fever - any temperature above 100°F / 37.7°C, cough, difficulty breathing). We pre-screen patients before they come in as shown in this video by CDC https://youtu.be/oGruT7Fd54E
• Keep up to date on the recommendations for preventing the spread of COVID-19 on CDC’s website.
• Ensure proper use of personal protection equipment (PPE). In the event our staff comes in close contact with a confirmed or possible patient with COVID-19, our staff should wear the appropriate personal protective equipment.
• Conduct an inventory of available PPE. We also explore strategies to optimize PPE supplies.
• Encourage sick employees to stay home. Personnel who develop respiratory symptoms (e.g., cough, shortness of breath) are instructed not to report to work.  We also ensure that our sick leave policies are flexible and consistent with public health guidance and that employees are aware of these policies.

Our Preparation

• We stay informed about the local COVID-19 situation by continuously monitoring the CDC COVID-19 website and the LA County Public Health for the latest information.
• To accommodate our patients, we have developed an emergency plan including alternative staffing plans. This will ensure that we have enough staff to take care of our patients’ needs. 
• We have established contacts with key healthcare facilities and public health partners in our community to ensure our patients’ care is not interrupted.

        Los Angeles County Department of Public Health
        241 N Figueroa St Ste 151
        Los Angeles, CA 90012-2601

Phone: (800) 339-6993 

• As your healthcare provider, we are obligated to report diseases or conditions of public health importance to our local health department as follows:
  • After Hours/Epi-on-Call Phone Number - (213) 974-1234
  • Infectious Disease Outbreak-Related Question - (213) 240-7941
• We have put up educational posters all over our practice and ePosters in the exam room to keep our patients and employees informed.
• Hand sanitizers are available all around our practice to help keep 
• We have designated staff members who regularly disinfect all exposed surfaces, countertops, doorknobs, exam rooms, and all accessible areas.

Communication with our Staff and Patients

• We continuously communicate and train about COVID-19 with our staff and share information about what is currently known about COVID-19, the potential for surge, and our preparedness plans as described by the CDC. We follow CDC’s guidelines for healthcare facilities.
• We also communicate about COVID-19 with our patients. We provide updates about changes to our policies regarding appointments, providing non-urgent patient care by telephone, and telemedicine. We will continue to use our website or social media pages to share updates.