03/21/2020
For those still following this page, just a few pieces of information regarding this coronavirus crisis we are facing. I call it a crisis, because even though we only have one case in Columbus so far, it has affected us greatly. Stores and hotels have closed, and restaurants are serving take-out only. All theaters and large events are cancelled. Our local hospitals have enacted strict visitation policies, not allowing children under 13 to visit, and only one visitor per patient per day. All elective surgeries have been cancelled for an unknown period of time, and doctors offices have reduced patient visits to thin the number of patients in waiting rooms, and conserve supplies. We are seeing on the news that there is a nationwide shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) such as masks, gloves, gowns, and other supplies. As more and more people get sick with this virus, supplies will be used more rapidly, and possibly will be depleted. Why is this the case? Because many of these supplies come from China. And of course China has been on lockdown because of their crisis with the virus. So we ask your patience when we have to delay your doctors visit and can't give you a timeline of when you can come back in. Of course, emergencies will still be taken care of. Major hospital systems are looking into initiating telemedicine, which are virtual visits through videoconferencing. You may see this in our practice in the future, especially if this pandemic lasts for months. I encourage all of our patients to sign up for the patient portal through Piedmont, called MyChart, which will make it easier to communicate with you. Also please keep your voicemails uncluttered, or set them up if you haven't done so. Office hours may even be reduced in the future depending on what happens. There will be no walk-ins as all patients have to be triaged by phone first, to make sure no one is high risk for having coronavirus. We are worried about your health, but we also need to protect our own health, and that of our staff. If we get sick, no one gets seen at all. And for that reason, we ask that you follow CDC guidelines and those of the surgeon general, and STAY HOME! Now is not the time to lunch with friends at a restaurant, take a cheap flight somewhere, or even go to church, a wedding, or any large gathering. If you do, you risk your health and the health of others. And certainly don't come to our office after you have violated those recommendations. BE SAFE!
