•  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)

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.

• Our team is required to wash their hands with soap and water for a minimum of 20 seconds.
• Handwashing 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
• Handwashing 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

• 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