03/24/2020
PT Clinics are to remain open to help flatten the curve by keeping people out of hospital ERs and urgent cares, as resources need to be reserved for those who are ill. We are trained to evaluate and treat every kind of orthopedic and neuromuscular injury no matter how severe, so here's what you can do if you or a loved one end up with an injury right now:
1. Call or email us or your local physical therapy clinic and we will screen your current condition over the phone (we are available 7am-7pm, 7 days a week by phone or email at this time)
2. You can also call your doctor, or any orthopedic clinic near by and ask to be screened over the phone first before going in person if at all possible
Many clinics including ours will offer free consultations and are more available during the day to help direct patients in our community to the right place and help with your current condition without having to expose you to anyone who may be potentially ill.
PLEASE READ BELOW FOR WHY PHYSICAL THERAPY CLINICS ARE TO REMAIN OPEN
Homeland Security Memorandum on Identification of Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers During COVID-19 Response
Many physical therapists in private practice are struggling with the question of whether or not to stay open from an ethical perspective. The question pertains to whether or not we, as private practice business owners, are contributing to the rise of the infection curve, versus supporting
the flattening of it, by remaining open to see our patients.
We are writing to share a memorandum from the US Department of Homeland Security issued on the list of essential infrastructure workers (see page 5 of the memorandum). It may be argued that it is our duty to continue to care for our patients' physical therapy needs during this time of crisis.
The guidance from the memorandum states that:
If your clinic is able to practice within the recommended CDC guidelines and follow your local government mandates, consider that community-based physical therapists assist in keeping people healthy. According to Dr. Matos, an expert in biologic surety and the management of select agent programs at federal facilities:
Physical therapists are essential in flattening the curve of the COVID-19 pandemic. They play a key role in keeping people they can help out of the doctor offices and ER’s. This will not only free up the medical teams to treat those impacted by COVID-19, but also limit the exposure of those seeking the care of the physical therapist.
Dr. Matos is an advisory group in Chemical, Biological, Radiological, And Nuclear Defense. Dr. Matos has experience working with the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center, Department of Defense Global Emerging Infections Surveillance and Response System, and the CDC. He has served as a public health emergency officer for 14 Department of Defense installations and has participated in multiple disease and epidemiologic investigations. Dr. Matos has received extensive training in risk communication in a public
