In accordance with best practices, observation of the trends documented at the Georgia Department of Public Health, my best judgment, and a smattering of faith, we will reopen on Monday, 27 April. Due to the amount of preparation involved for us to see patients (sanitizing, gloving, cleaning, etc.), we won’t be equipped to take walk-ins like usual. We will need to schedule carefully to spread visits out over the day to avoid bunching people into small spaces. Call ahead at 770-412-0005.
As Governor Kemp says, it will not be “business as usual,” but we will be able to see patients, do drug screens, alcohol screens, DOT exams, and pre-employment physicals.
What will be different is that we will use the same precautionary procedures we did before closing. Here is what to expect.
First, if you have fever, cough, shortness of breath, abdominal pain, nausea, loss of your sense of smell, or blue discoloration of your fingers or toes, postpone any appointment with us and call your primary care physician. If you have recently been exposed to anyone with COVID-19, or if you have traveled anywhere that is considered a “hotspot” for coronavirus, please stay home and observe quarantine for 14 days.
When you arrive, knock on the door. We will meet you at the door and check your temperature. We will ask you questions about recent exposure risk, travel, and signs and symptoms of COVID-19. Don’t be alarmed if we are wearing mask, gown, and eye protection. This will protect you as well as us.
We will limit the number of people in the waiting room to no more than three at a time in order to provide for “social distancing.” If we already have three people in the waiting room, you may be asked to wait outside on the porch or in your car. Please bear in mind that I hate keeping people waiting, so we will work as quickly as possible.
We will sign you in from inside the office so that you will not have to handle a pen or sign in sheet. We will provide an alcohol-based hand cleanser for you to use upon entry.
If you need to fill out paperwork, such as a DOT exam form or a new patient form, call us ahead of time and we will email the papers to you so that you can fill them out before you arrive. This will save both time and potential exposure.
Once in the building, we will work quickly to provide the service that you need. We will be cleaning surfaces between contacts, so you will smell alcohol or other disinfectant.
After we have taken care of your needs, you will want to wash your hands before leaving the building.
When you call the clinic (770 – 412 – 0005) beginning now and extending into next week, the phone will be answered off-site, and scheduling will be done off-site into our cloud software. Tomika will put you onto our clinic schedule.
We all hate inconvenience, but I anticipate these procedures will be short-lived. The pandemic is on the downswing. Hang in there. It’s all going to be better soon.
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