March 12, 2020
Dear HopeCentral Families,
The situation surrounding the novel coronavirus that causes Covid-19 continues to evolve rapidly.
This memo will cover:
1. General Health Reminders
My general recommendations continue unchanged:
Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly.
Cough into your elbow.
Don't touch your face.
Call us if your child has cough and fever (over 100.3 F) or difficulty breathing so we can discuss whether they need to be seen.
2. Social Distancing
Pediatric patients continue to have a low likelihood of a severe infection, and the large majority of people who have contracted Covid-19 have only experienced mild flu-like symptoms. However populations in our community including the elderly and people with chronic heart and lung conditions are vulnerable to significant complications and death from Covid-19. The significant steps that governments, schools, and businesses are taking for social distancing are an effort to protect our most vulnerable neighbors. These vulnerable neighbors are those most likely to need acute care from our health system, and slowing the spread of the infection helps ensure the system is able to meet those needs. This New York Times article is a helpful, quick look at why it is important to take strong, community-wide actions. In summary: most people, and the vast majority of children, are not at risk of severe illness from Covid-19. It is our most vulnerable neighbors who will most benefit from our collective efforts to slow the spread of infection.
3. Steps to stay safe at HopeCentral
The HopeCentral staff is taking steps to make your visit with us as safe as possible. These steps include:
Thoroughly disinfecting exam rooms before each patient visit.
Screening all patients (including patients seeking behavioral health services) for symptoms related to Covid-19 (cough and fever). Medical patients with these symptoms are given a mask and taken directly to the exam room. Patients seeking only behavioral health services will be asked to re-schedule their appointments, and wait until they are asymptomatic.
Reserving one of our exam rooms exclusively for well-child visits.
Removing the toys from our waiting room and temporarily suspending the gifting of used books (we will continue to give out new books during well-child checks for our younger patients).
Giving non-essential staff the option to work from home.
Steps that your family can take include:
Bring your own toys and hand-sanitizer.
If possible, avoid bringing non-essential family members to visits.
If you arrive early, consider taking a walk around the block to minimize time in the waiting room.
4. Novel Coronavirus Testing
HopeCentral has the ability to test for the novel coronavirus, however test availability is limited. Testing guidelines may change as test availability increases, but at this time it is only recommended for patients with severe illness or with exposure to a confirmed case. If your child has cough and fever (over 100.3 F) or difficulty breathing, please call our clinic for guidance.
Our thoughts and prayers are with your families and our vulnerable neighbors. We will continue to keep you updated and we continue to be grateful for the opportunity to serve your family!!
Dr. Chris Jones
Medical Director-Clinical Operations