COVID-19 Updates and New Office Protocols

COVID-19 Updates and New Office Protocols

Hello Patients!

Thank you all for your patience with us during this unprecedented time. As you may have heard, the COVID lockdown for Texas ends on May 8^th. We are going to re-open our office on May 11^th at 9AM. We are currently NOT accepting walk ins. Patients can only be seen by appointment ONLY. By law, we are only allowed to see a limited number of patients at a time and be assured we are taking all the necessary precautions possible. As always, our number one priority is to keep our patients and employees safe. If you or your loved ones have an appointment on May 11^th or after, the following protocol will be put into place as part of our screening process. This includes making sure EVERYONE is wearing a mask when they enter the building.

*Due to COVID-19 we are trying to limit the exposure and face-to-face contact. Therefore, we are following the ADA and CDCprotocols and have created our own COVID19 Patient Protocol*

We are needing to screen patients two days prior and on the day of your appointment during phone check in. The COVID19 screening questions include:

• Do you have heart disease, lung disease, kidney disease, diabetes or any auto-immune disorders?
• Are you having flu-like symptoms?
• Have you been in contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case?
• Have you been out of the USA in the last 2 weeks?
• Have you been coughing?
• Do your currently have shortness of breath? Sore throat? Chills? Muscle pain? Fatigue?
• Have you had a loss of smell? Taste? Vomiting or diarrhea?
• What is your current temperature? If you do not have a thermometer, we will take your temperature on the day of your appointment. Any temperature above 99.6 degrees Fahrenheit will have to be rescheduled.

If patient answers YES to any questions above, we will have to reschedule your appointment

to the next following week.

Please be prepared to …

• Wash Hands when you arrive
• Always keep Mask on when no work is being done in the mouth
• Sign medical consent for liability purposes (This will be emailed to you a week prior to your appointment or sooner upon request.)

Our COVID19 Patient Protocol 3 Step Process:

1. 1 week before your appointment, we will call you to:
   1. Inform you we are screening 2 days prior to appointment
   2. Verify treatment
   3. Verify insurance benefits
   4. New COVID-19 social distancing financial arrangements
   5. Sign medical consent that is sent to your email

2. 2 days before your appointment we send an alert text to let you know we will be contacting you to do another COVID-19 screening and secure financial arrangements. Followed by that text will be a call to:
   1. Screen using COVID-19 questions
   2. Remind you to wear a mask day of appointment
   3. Remind you to take your temperature the day of their appointment
   4. Take balance/payment for appointment
   5. Remind you about the medical consent if we have not received a signed copy

3. Day of Appointment:
   1. Upon arrival, please wait in your car and call our office at (512-345-3166) to check in
      1. Final screening questions for COVID-19
      2. Record your current temperature and record in notes

• Do you need a mask?

1. Staff member will be by the North right-side door (across from the church) to greet you, when our front office informs you that we are ready for you
2. Patient will need sign medical consent before treatment starts if we have still not received a signed copy

• In order to confirm your appointment, we are requiring phone verification. No text message verifications are allowed at this time. There will be a text message sent out 2 days prior to your appointment and the day of your appointment to make sure we are in contact and able to reach you.
• For payment, we will be accepting payments over the phone 2 days prior or on the day of your appointment if you would prefer. If you are paying by check, please have the check in a sealed envelope!
• The waiting room will be closed until further notice. You will need to wait in your car until you receive a phone call from us, letting you know we are ready for you. Caregivers, Parents or Guardians without an appointment will need to remain in their car. Please let us know ahead of time if there are any special considerations.

We highly recommend anyone who is high risk or have underlying medical issues stay home. 

We appreciate your patience during this unprecedented time, we will be sure to keep you informed as new guidelines change. Thank you for being a part of our dental family.