Safety Measures in Our Practice
‍
1.  Team Training and Education
2.  Patient Scheduling & Social Distancing
3.  Upon Patient Arrival
4.  Patients in the Operatory
5.  Clinical Team Protocols
6.  Post-Treatment
7.  Recommendations for Our Team

Team Training and Education

‍We are training our staff on preventative measures, according to CDC guidelines.

  • Research shows that most people do not thoroughly wash their hands. Our team has undergone specific training in proper hand washing techniques. Hand washing fora minimum of 20 seconds is required before, during, and after patient interactions.
  • To minimize exposure between our team and the patient, we will engage in the appropriate use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) during all treatments.
  • Should a team member not feel well, they are required to stay at home for a minimum of 14 days.
  • Team members have their temperatures checked upon arrival to work and throughout the day. Anyone with an elevated temperature (100.4 degrees and above) is sent home.
  • To minimize exposure, we are limiting the number of team members providing care to individual patients.
  • Our team follows a checklist of precautionary measures so that they arrive to work healthy and go home to their families with peace of mind.

Patient Scheduling and Social Distancing

Scheduling

  • Our reception area accommodates the recommended 6ft distancing
  • All items that cannot easily be disinfected (magazines, pillows, toys, etc.) have been removed from the waiting room
  • Disinfectant wipes are used frequently in the waiting area, bathrooms, on door handles, tables, light switches, computers, and other items with high levels of contact

Social Distancing

  • To ensure minimal contact with others, high-risk patients are prioritized
  • To limit the number of patients in the waiting room, we follow established scheduling protocols
  • Encourage patient escorts to wait in the car to limit the number of people in the waiting room and promote social distancing
  • When Social Distancing is becoming difficult, we will utilize a “virtual” waiting room by encouraging patients to wait in their cars or outside the office where they can be contacted by text / phone call when our clinical team is ready

Upon Patient Arrival

  •  Masks, tissues and hand sanitizer are made accessible to those in our reception area.
  • Upon request, we will provide patients with instructions about hand hygiene, respiratory hygiene, and cough etiquette
  • Patients are asked about the presence of symptoms of respiratory infection and history of travel or contact with possible COVID-19 patients and are required to sign a health declaration form
  • Patients are assessed for respiratory symptoms and fever (with a non-contact digital infrared thermometer) and will be asked to sign a health declaration form
  • If a patient’s temperature is greater than 100.4°F or any respiratory symptoms are present, they will be advised to seek medical treatment and their visit will be rescheduled

Patients in the Operatory

  • Patients are promptly taken to the operatory, minimizing time in the waiting room
  •  All team members strictly follow basic infection control practices between patient visits (e.g.,hand hygiene, cleaning and disinfecting shared equipment)
  • Patient movement in office is restricted once in the operatory
  • Once the patient has left the surgical operatory, the room undergoes appropriate cleaning and surface disinfection before the next patient is seated
  • Special precautions are taken when performing Aerosol Generating Procedures (AGP)

Protocols for the Clinical Team

As always, out team adheres to the usual standard and transmission-based precautions in our surgical suites. Our attention-to-detail ensures that procedures are followed consistently and correctly.

With that, we have established a rotation of team members whose primary focus is sanitation. These team members are responsible for the thorough disinfecting of all surface areas within the office, including the waiting room and operatories.

Hand washing and Hygiene
  • Our team is required to wash their hands with soap and water for a minimum of 20 seconds.
  • Hand washing is completed before and after all patient contact, with potentially infectious material, and before putting on and after removing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE),including gloves
  • Hand washing is also done after removing PPE in order to remove pathogens which may have been transferred to bare hands during this removal process

Personal Protective Equipment

  •  Wear PPE (N95mask, gloves, eye protection, face shield, gown)
  • Routine surgical masks are one time use and discarded
  • N95 respirators should be used during any surgical procedure

Eye Protection, Gloves, and Gowns

  • Upon entry to the patient room or clinical area, put on eye protection (i.e., protective glasses or a disposable face shield that covers the front and sides of the face)
  • Reusable eye protection (protective glasses, surgical loupes) will be cleaned and disinfected utilizing proper germicidal wipes prior to re-use
  • Put on clean gloves upon entry into the patient room or care area
  • Change gloves when they become torn or heavily contaminated during a patient encounter
  • Remove and discard gloves when leaving the patient room or care area, and immediately wash hands
  • Put on clean isolation gown upon entry into the patient room or area
  • Change the gown if it becomes soiled. Remove and discard the gown in a dedicated container for waste or linens before leaving the patient room or care area
  • Gowns will be prioritized for all aerosol-generating procedures and during activities where splashes and sprays are anticipated

Post-Treatment

  • Non-disposable medical equipment used for patient care is cleaned and disinfected according to manufacturer’s instructions after every patient encounter
  • Environmental cleaning and disinfection procedures are followed consistently
  • Routine cleaning and disinfection procedures (e.g., using cleaners and water to pre-clean surfaces prior to applying an EPA-registered , hospital-grade disinfectant to frequently touched surfaces or objects for appropriate contact times as indicated on the product’s label) are appropriate for SARS-CoV-2 in healthcare settings, including those patient-care areas in which aerosol generating procedures are performed

At the End of the Day

  • Our commercial cleaning technicians have been instructed and updated on these infection control guidelines.

We are confident these guidelines will help to create a safe environment for all of our Parkshore patients and team members. We aim to have our patients feel secure in the knowledge that we are doing everything in our power to provide the safest clinical environment to protect our patients, our team, and our families. If you have any specific questions on these guidelines,please reach out to our office at  239-963-2695.