To our patients from the physicians and staff of River City Pain Management,
The pandemic of the COVID-19 is a cause for concern. We would like to let you know what we are doing to provide safe and effective care for you during this difficult time and inform you of things that you can do to protect yourselves and those around you.
The physicians and staff have their temperatures checked daily. If we develop a cough, fever, or signs of illness we will stay home until we are certain that we are no longer contagious. This may disrupt the schedule, but we will make every effort to cover the shortfall. What you can do-if you have fever, cough, or signs of illness do not come to the office. If you need medication, we will send it even if you are due for an appointment. These are special circumstances that require special consideration. If you are ill, limit your contact to other people as much as possible and stay home unless your illness is such that you require medical attention. If you are having shortness of breath or other serious symptoms, certainly go to the emergency department. Otherwise, call your primary care physician first to get direction on where to go for evaluation.
It is just a reminder that handwashing is the first defense against infectious disease. What you can do-wash your hands. This is especially true before and after eating, after contacting surfaces used by the public and after contact with other individuals.
This one is a little hard. One of the primary principles of medicine is patient contact. You may note us sitting back a little farther, limiting contact to just the essentials of the exam, and less willing to shake hands. It’s not personal, it’s just our way of protecting you and ourselves. What you can do- Keep a safe distance. We know the waiting room is crowded. Whenever possible space yourselves. The 3 foot or 1 m distance is a recommended space to minimize spread of infectious agents.
We normally welcome friends and family to your visits. We know that many of you need assistance coming to your visit and you want a 2nd set of eyes and ears to collect all the complicated information we pass out during your visit. We ask that during this challenging time, you limit your friends and family to no more than one person per patient. The fewer the people in the exam room and the waiting room, the less the risk of passing illness. What you can do-avoid crowds. Social distancing is the idea that the fewer people we contact, the lower the chance of spreading illness. We cannot avoid all human contact, but during this difficult time we can pick and choose what we must do and limit those encounters that aren’t essential.
You may notice a strong smell of disinfectant. We always clean surfaces that people contact but we are being a little more aggressive about cleaning handrails, armchairs, and other services we commonly contact. What you can do-clean, clean, clean-if you have antiseptic wipes feel free to use them, especially when exposed to services that are commonly touched.
We treasure the opportunity to take care of you. We hope this information will reassure you that we are constantly thinking of ways to keep you safe and healthy during this time. Please feel free to ask any questions, and if we ask you to put on a mask, it’s nothing personal.
Signed,