How Our Center is Protecting You from Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
COVID-19 Health Alert:
To help us provide the safest care for all of our patients during the COVID-19 spread:
- If you have fever, cough, body aches and/or shortness of breath; or
- If you (or someone close to you) have recently traveled outside the USA, have been on a cruise ship within the past two weeks, or have had close contact with someone who recently has been diagnosed with COVID-19,
Do NOT come to the center. Please call us for further instructions.
If you are having severe symptoms such as shortness of breath, please call 911 and seek emergency care.
Ensuring the safety of our patients is our utmost priority, and while the COVID-19 is a concern for some, we want you to know that we are closely monitoring the situation and taking steps to keep everyone as safe as possible.
Not only is our center accredited by the Ambulatory Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) and Medicare to ensure your safety, but we have also taken extra steps to follow The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) Guidelines regarding COVID-19.
A. Ambulatory Surgery Centers vs. Hospitals
Ambulatory surgery centers, like ours, are quite different from hospital settings. If you have a procedure scheduled at a surgery center, you meet certain health criteria that allows you to have your procedure completed outside the hospital environment. Simply, our patients are generally healthier than patients needing a procedure at a hospital, thus decreasing your chances of contracting illnesses.
B. What is the COVID-19?
There are many types of human coronaviruses including some that commonly cause mild upper-respiratory tract illnesses. COVID-19 is a new disease, caused be a novel (or new) coronavirus that has not previously been seen in humans.
C. What are COVID-19 Symptoms?
The following symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure:
- Fever
- Cough
- Shortness of breath
D. How to Avoid COVID-19
Follow the CDC’s recommendation (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html) for preventative steps to keep yourself healthy. This includes but is not limited to:
- Clean your hands often
- Avoid close contact
- Stay home if you’re sick
- Cover coughs and sneezes
- Wear a facemask if you are sick
- Clean and disinfect
E. What Should I Do if I’m Sick?
If you are experiencing any of the above symptoms, please stay home! We do not need to see you at our center. Please call us, and we will be happy to reschedule your procedure.
We do not have any more specific information than what is recommended by the CDC. Furthermore, these recommendations may change from day to day. We will continually update as we receive information.