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COVID-19 OFFICE SAFETY PLAN

Our office is open for all services, including surgical services, as of Monday, June 1st. Although this has been a trying time for every British Columbian, we should feel proud that, collectively, we have managed to “flatten the curve”.

 The health and safety of our patients, team members and community is of utmost importance to us.  We have established new protocols and are following the guidelines that the British Columbia Ministry of Health and Public Health Officials have developed.  This includes adding sneeze guards, new enhanced cleaning protocols and enhanced staff PPE.

As always, we follow strict guidelines for infection control.

In addition to our already stringent disinfecting and sterilization procedures, we have added the following:

FIRST LEVEL PROTECTION: LIMITING THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE AT THE WORKPLACE AND ENSURING PHYSICAL DISTANCING WHENEVER POSSIBLE

  1. FOR THE DURATION OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC OCCUPANCY LIMITS WILL BE IN PLACE AND POSTED AT THE ENTRANCE TO AND THROUGHOUT THE CLINIC.  

RECEPTION AREA           THREE PEOPLE

RECEPTION DESK           TWO PEOPLE

CONSULT ROOM             TWO PEOPLE

EXAMINATION ROOM      TWO PEOPLE

LUNCHROOM                  TWO PEOPLE

  1. WHEN POSSIBLE, CLIENTS WILL BE TAKEN IMMEDIATELY INTO THE CONSULTATION OR EXAM ROOM.
  1. NON SURGICAL PATIENTS MUST ARRIVE AT THE CLINIC ALONE.
  1. SURGICAL PATIENTS MAY ARRIVE AT THE CLINIC ALONE OR WITH THE ADULT THAT IS THEIR PRIMARY CAREGIVER.  
  1. FOR THE DURATION OF COVID-19 THE CAREGIVER MAY NOT REMAIN IN THE RECEPTION AREA DURING THE PROCEDURE.
  1. ELECTRONIC PAYMENT IS ENCOURAGED.
  1. FOR THE DURATION OF COVID-19 CLIENTS WILL EXIT THROUGH THE BACK CLINIC DOOR.
  1. NO WALK IN CLIENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED.

SECOND LEVEL PROTECTION: BARRIERS AND PARTITIONS

  1. A PHYSICAL BARRIER IS BEING INSTALLED AT THE RECEPTION DESK.
  1. THE TWO DOORS INTO THE CLINIC IN THE RECEPTION ROOM ARE KEPT CLOSED AT ALL TIMES.
  1. THE BARRIER AND THE TWO DOORS WILL BE SURFACE CLEANED TWICE DAILY AND MORE FREQUENTLY AS NECESSARY.

THIRD LEVEL PROTECTION: RULES AND GUIDELINES

  1. VISIBLY SOILED SURFACES SHOULD BE CLEANED BEFORE DISINFECTION.  CLEANING WILL REMOVE, RATHER THAN KILL, VIRUSES AND BACTERIA.  IT IS DONE WITH WATER, DETERGENTS AND STEADY FRICTION.  CLEANING OF VISIBLY SOILED SURFACES FOLLOWED BY DISINFECTION IS RECOMMENDED FOR PREVENTION OF COVID-19 AND OTHER VIRAL RESPIRATORY ILLNESSES.
  1. CLEANING FREQUENCY FOR OFFICE (BASED ON BC CENTRE FOR DISEASE CONTROL “ENVIRONMENTAL CLEANING AND DISINFECTANTS FOR PHYSICIANS OFFICES” :

 

SHARED EQUIPMENT                                IN BETWEEN PATIENTS

HORIZONTAL AND TOUCH SURFACES        TWICE DAILY

FREQUENTLY TOUCHED SURFACES            AT LEAST TWICE DAILY

GENERAL CLEANING OF EXAM ROOMS      IN BETWEEN PATIENTS

BATHROOMS                                            AT LEAST TWICE DAILY

CONSULT ROOM                                       AT LEAST TWICE DAILY

RECEPTION ROOM                                    AT LEAST TWICE DAILY

  1. EFFECTIVE HAND HYGIENE IS PERFORMED UPON ENTRY AND BEFORE EXITING THE CLINIC WITH EITHER SOAP AND WATER OR ALCOHOL BASED HAND SANITIZER.
  1. WHEN POSSIBLE, STAFF SHOULD HAVE DEDICATED WORK CLOTHES AND SHOES. STREET CLOTHES CAN BE STORED IN THE OFFICE/LUNCHROOM OR IN THE PATIENT LOCKERS NEAR THE EXIT DOOR.
  1. STAFF IS TO STAY AT HOME WHEN SICK.
  1. ALL CLIENTS WILL HAVE THEIR TEMPERATURE CHECKED UPON ARRIVAL.
  1. WHEN POSSIBLE CLIENTS SHOULD BE EMAILED FORMS AND PAPERWORK BEFORE AND AFTER THEIR VISIT.
  1. CLIENTS ARE TO WEAR A MASK WHEN IN THE OFFICE, OR ONE CAN BE PROVIDED ON A COST RECOVERY BASIS.
  1. THE COVID-19 SCREENING QUESTIONNAIRE IS COMPLETED FOR ALL CLIENTS 24 – 72 HOURS PRIOR TO THEIR APPOINTMENT.  
  1. A SCREENING QUESTIONNAIRE WILL BE PROVIDED UPON ENTRY.
  1. CLIENTS ARE MET AT THE DOOR, AND EITHER TAKEN DIRECTLY TO THE TREATMENT ROOM OR CONSULT ROOM OR DIRECTED TO A CHAIR.
  1. CLIENTS WHO ARE LATE FOR THEIR APPOINTMENTS WILL BE RESCHEDULED UNLESS AN OPENING EXISTS.
  1. THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION WILL BE POSTED ON THE FRONT DOOR:

HAND HYGIENE EXPECTATIONS

PHYSICAL DISTANCING EXPECTATIONS

RESPIRATORY ETIQUETTE EXPECTATIONS

ILLNESS AND TRAVEL HISTORY REPORTING EXPECTATIONS

OCCUPANCY LIMITS

ENTRANCE RESTRICTIONS IF UNWELL OR IN SELF-ISOLATION

  1. ALL CLIENTS ARE SCREENED ON THE PHONE PRIOR TO THEIR APPOINTMENT AND AGAIN AT CHECK-IN BY ASKING IF THEY HAVE SYMPTOMS ASSOCIATED WITH COVID-19, HAVE BEEN ADVISED TO SELF-ISOLATE, OR HAVE TRAVELLED OUTSIDE OF CANADA WITHIN THE LAST 14 DAYS.  CLIENTS THAT RESPOND IN THE POSITIVE SHOULD BE ASKED TO LEAVE AND RESCHEDULE THE APPOINTMENT WHEN DEEMED CLINICALLY APPROPRIATE.
  1. MAGAZINES AND EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE.  NO BEVERAGES WILL BE PROVIDED.  
  1. UNLESS OTHERWISE APPROPRIATE, CLIENTS ARE INSTRUCTED TO ARRIVE NO EARLIER THAN 5 MINUTES BEFORE THEIR EXPECTED APPOINTMENT.
  1. SURGICAL CONSULTATIONS WILL BE VIRTUAL WHEN AT ALL POSSIBLE.
  1. WHEN POSSIBLE THE HEALTH PROFESSIONAL SHOULD POSITION THEMSELVES AT LEAST 2 METERS FROM THE CLIENT.
  1. HAND HYGIENE WILL BE PERFORMED WITH SOAP AND WATER OR USING A HEALTH CANADA APPROVED HAND SANITIZER BEFORE AND AFTER EACH CLIENT.
  1. WORK CLOTHES SHOULD BE LAUNDERED AT THE OFFICE AND DEDICATED FOOTWEAR SHOULD BE KEPT AT THE OFFICE.  IMMEDIATE SHOWERING UPON RETURNING HOME IS ADVISED.
  1. SELF ISOLATION GUIDELINES:
      • ANYONE WHO HAS HAD SYMPTOMS OF COVID-19 IN THE LAST 10 DAYS MUST SELF ISOLATE AT HOME; SYMPTOMS INCLUDE FEVER, CHILLS, NEW OR WORSENING COUGH, SHORTNESS OF BREATH, SORE THROAT AND NEW MUSCLE ACHES OR HEADACHE.
      • ANYONE UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE PROVINCIAL HEALTH OFFICER TO SELF-ISOLATE MUST FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS.
      • ANYONE WHO HAS ARRIVED FROM OUTSIDE CANADA OR WHO IS IN CONTACT OF A CONFIRMED COVID-19 CASE MUST SELF-ISOLATE FOR 14 DAYS.
      • AN EMPLOYEE WITH COVID-19 SYMPTOMS MAY BE SENT FOR COVID-19 TESTING AND, IF NEGATIVE, MAY RETURN TO WORK IF ABLE AND APPROPRIATE.
  1. FEELING ILL AT WORK GUIDELINE:
      • SICK EMPLOYEES SHOULD REPORT TO FIRST AID, EVEN WITH MILD SYMPTOMS.
      • SICK WORKERS WILL BE ASKED TO WASH OR SANITIZE THEIR HANDS, PROVIDED WITH A MASK AND ISOLATED.  THE WORKER WILL BE ASKED TO PROCEED TO VA FOR COVID-19 TESTING OR TO GO STRAIGHT HOME.  FURTHER GUIDANCE CAN BE PROVIDED BY CALLING 811.
      • IF THE WORKER IS SEVERELY ILL, CALL 911.
      • CLEAN AND DISINFECT ANY SURFACES THE WORKER HAS COME INTO CONTACT WITH.

FOURTH LEVEL PROTECTION: PPE

  1. EMPLOYEES ARE ADVISED TO WEAR A MASK AND PROTECTIVE EYEWEAR WHEN SOCIAL DISTANCING IS NOT POSSIBLE.
  2. INFORMATION POSTERS ON HOW TO PROPERLY WEAR A SURGICAL MASK, CLEANING AND DISINFECTION FOR EYE AND FACIAL PROTECTION, DONNING AND DOFFING PPE WILL BE POSTED IN THE CLINIC AND REVIEWED WITH STAFF REGULARLY.

Upon reopening, we hope you can understand that we will be unable to maintain our previous schedule.  Appointments will be more limited due to being spread out and staggered, and to allow proper time to disinfect treatment areas between patients.  Please be flexible with your appointment scheduling.  We will be trying our best to catch up, care for and accommodate all of our patients.

We greatly appreciate your patience during this time.