Updated Thursday 3-19-20 @10:40am 
Original post was on:  3-13-20 @11:00am 
As the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak continues to spread, many of our patients may have concerns. We would like to answer your questions and provide everyone with accurate and timely information via this page that will be updated as new information becomes available. 

Our Triage Screening Process
We are committed to the well-being of all children and to providing the safest environment for patients, employees, and physicians. With this in mind, we have made several changes to our standard operating procedures.
  • Patients with respiratory symptoms will now be screened for potential exposure to the Coronavirus upon scheduling an appointment by answering two questions: Have you or anyone in your household traveled to one of the high-risk areas? and Have you or anyone in your household been exposed to the new Coronavirus (COVID-19)? 
  • If the  answer is yes to either or the two  questions and you believe your child is exhibiting symptoms of the Coronavirus , you will be transfer to our triage nurse before we schedule your appointment. 
For the safety of our patients and staff, we are kindly asking that each patient be accompanied by only one person when possible as we are trying to minimize the amount of people entering the offices and in our lobby areas. 
If our triage nurses feels you are in risk of having Coronavirus, they will give you special instructions on how to enter into the  office. This will help isolate you from our other patients. 
Update: Travel now includes any international or within the USA  

Contagiousness of the virus and office procedures  
The virus is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person through respiratory droplets which are sprayed  when an infected person coughs or sneezes. It is also possible that a person may catch Coronavirus by touching something that has a virus droplet on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes. Therefore we have designated specific examining rooms for different types of visits . Also we are increasing our cleaning procedures of our examining rooms after each visit . We also removed the  toys from our examining rooms and our waiting rooms in an effort to minimize potential contact surfaces. 
Update:  We are now seeing only well-visits and consultations in the morning and only sick-visits in the afternoon.

Testing for COVID-19
If your child has respiratory symptoms and travel history or contact with a confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19, he or she will be evaluated  by one of our providers . If the provider determines that your child needs to be tested , then we will coordinate  with our local health  department , as of today  ( March 16th ) we do not have the capability to collect specimens or test in our office.
Update: Evaluation maybe via a phone call with a provider. 

Helpful tips 
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
  • Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipes.
  • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
  • Vaccinations – Stay up to date on vaccinations, including the flu shot.
  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
  • Avoid traveling to areas where the virus is spreading rapidly.
  • Stay home when you are sick.

 Wear a mask?
Regular face masks should be worn by people who are sick with respiratory symptoms to help prevent the spread of viral diseases to others.

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