State of Maryland Secretary of Health Robert Neall has issued an amended Directive and Order that "all licensed healthcare facilities and healthcare providers may resume elective and non-urgent medical procedures and appointments at 7:00 A.M., May 7, 2020, provided certain measures are in place."
Effective immediately, offices in Annapolis and Church Hill, MD will now follow all available CDC guidelines for safety to prevent the spread and infection from COVID-19 recommended for healthcare provider offices.
As a healthcare professional in compliance with regulations for the practice of Acupuncture, many steps have already been in place for Clean Needle Technique practiced for each patient encounter, which includes disinfecting, hand washing and proper hygiene practices.
However there will be a series of steps taken in addition to these established protocols. These are:
1)Pre-Screening
Pre-screening will take place of all patients before they enter the facility. This will include but not limited to:
a) Check for patient history involving exposure to others that have been suspected of having, quarantined or diagnosed with COVID-19.
b) Ask if patient has any of the following symptoms: Fever, Shortness of Breath, Cough, Body Aches, Chills, Sweating, Fatigue, Loss of Sense of Taste or Smell, Sore Throat, Runny Nose and other acute-illness related symptoms.
c)Ask if Patient has traveled out of the USA in the past 14 days or traveled domestically on commercial flights, train or bus.
2) Check-In Procedure
a) Patient will arrive 5 minutes before their scheduled time and call or text 410-703-4431 to notify that they have arrived.
b) The Provider will give the “Green Light” to enter the facility when the office and treatment room have been cleared of the previous patient and the disinfecting protocol has been completed.
c) The Patient will be required to wear a facial mask from the time they leave their vehicle upon arrival till they return back to their vehicle upon the completion of their appointment.
d) Upon arrival, the Patient will be required to perform hand hygiene which h will include washing their hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or using ABHR(Alcohol Based Hand Rub).
3) Informed Consent and Patient Agreement
Each patient, existing or new, will be required to sign an Informed Consent and Patient Agreement Forms before the start of the appointment. See Section 9 Resources.
Importantly, each patient will be advised that they need to fully weigh benefits vs. risks involved when receiving an elective procedure such as Acupuncture. If they are not comfortable with the amount of risk involved with the treatment, they should not schedule or be seen for an appointment and reschedule for a later time when the patient has decided that the risk is at an acceptable level for that individual.
4) Treatment Protocols
a) The Practitioner will wear a facial mask during the entire patient encounter and will wear exam gloves before performing a physical exam, point location or needle insertion. The practitioner will also perform regular hand washing or hand sanitizing with ABHR before and after each patient encounter.
b) Before each patient arrives for treatment, the office including but not limited to tables, desks, doorknobs, handles and other touch surfaces will be disinfected with CDC recommended products following the manufacturers directions and CDC recommendations for effective virus elimination.
5) Payment and Scheduling
a) Effective immediately, we will no longer accept cash payments.
b) Payment will be rendered using a credit card system like Square and the patient will forgo signing the touch screen.
c) Scheduling can be done either by text, phone or in person upon completion of the treatment.
6) Social Distancing
Important to limiting the spread of COVID-19 is social distancing of individuals to at least 6 feet. To maintain this, we will be:
a) Eliminate Waiting Area – As mentioned in Section 2 “Check-In Procedure”, All patients will enter the facility only when cleared by the practitioner and the previous patient has left the office.
b) Patients are strongly encouraged to come alone without a companion. If a patient requires one for mobility or translation purposes, that companion will be required to follow all the same protocols specifically laid out in this manual for Patients.
c) The Building Manager of 20 Ridgely Avenue Annapolis, MD has agreed to post signage from the CDC informing visitors to practice Social Distancing. Also, restrooms will now be converted to Single Occupant Only to avoid inadvertent contact with others.
7) Practitioner Self Screening
As a healthcare provider who is responsible for patient care, it is extremely important that the practitioner screen for symptoms of illness to prevent the spreading of infection. This includes but is not limited to:
a) Temperature taking before each shift to check for Fever.
b) Monitoring for symptoms Fever, Shortness of Breath, Cough, Body Aches, Chills, Sweating, Fatigue, Loss of Sense of Taste or Smell, Sore Throat, Runny Nose and other illness related symptoms.
If the practitioner has an elevated temperature or any of the symptoms listed above, they will not report to the office for work. They will contact the MD Department of Health for guidance and will continue monitoring symptoms. If the practitioner comes into contact with a known person who has been suspected or confirmed of having COVID-19, they will immediately cease contact with patients and contact the MD Dept of Health and follow their recommendations.
8) Building Safety and Cleaning
20 Ridgely Management has increased it’s normal cleaning schedule to now include regular disinfecting of touch surfaces in addition to it’s normal cleaning schedule. They are also posting signage appropriate to Public Health awareness and COVID-19. Signage will also be posted in the Suite 312 office.
The Church Hill office will practice regular cleaning and disinfecting of common surfaces and areas of traffic including but not limited to doorknobs, handles, stair railings, tables, chairs and other touch surfaces. Signage will be posted alerting patients to the importance of following CDC guidelines.
9) Resources
CDC Reopening Guidance:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/reopen-guidance.html
Md Department of Health :
https://coronavirus.maryland.gov
https://phpa.health.maryland.gov//Documents
/05.06.2020%20-%20MDH%20Sec%20Order%20-%20Amended%20Various%20Healthcare%20Matters.pdf
Covid-19 Information provided by American Acupuncture Council
(The following are On File Available By Request):
COVID-19 Office Safety Protocols - 2020-05-13
COVID-19 Informed Consent Form - 2020-05-13
COVID-19 - CDC Health Professionals Guidelines
NCCAOM Weekly Townhall Webinars on COVID-19
https://www.nccaom.org/nccaom-webinars-posted/townhalls-meetings/
Maryland Board of Acupuncture
https://health.maryland.gov/bacc/Pages/index.aspx
