Special covid-19 protocols
Beginning Monday, May 4 both our Blue Ash and Landen offices will be reopening for routine care. Rest assured there will be some major changes to how we will continue to provide best possible care for our patient base until this situation passes. Safety for our staff and patients comes absolutely first. If you have an appointment with us, please read through this in its entirety.
1) Masks will be mandatory in our office at all times. Many of our patients are elderly, or immunocompromised and deemed high risk. The same holds true for some of our staff. Please value their safety.
2) When you arrive to your appointment, stay in your car and call us. We will meet you at the door, and then escort you to a hand sanitizing station. Any person that enters our building will be screened for fever, exposure, and symptoms of COVID-19. If your temperature is abnormal, you will be required to reschedule. If you choose to wear gloves, you must produce a fresh pair after washing your hands. We are requiring that all non-essential caregivers remain in the car and do not enter the building.
3) DO NOT BE LATE. We are only permitted to have a limited number of people in the building at a given time. We also have a tremendous backlog of patients to work through from several weeks of shutdown. If you are late, we have to prioritize those who arrive on time and you may unfortunately be moved to the back of the list. Please understand that on our end, efficiency is extremely important. If you have a list of questions, we will answer them, but please try to keep extraneous conversation to a minimum. Also understand that there are other means of direct communication with your doctor as well, namely the patient portal.
4) Our optical department will continue to proceed by an appointment basis. We have never had to do this before, but again, this is to limit the number of persons in a limited space. Please call ahead to schedule a time to look at new frames, pick up your new glasses, or to have your current spectacles repaired or adjusted. When shopping, we do ask that you be considerate to our other patients, and try to select your frame as quickly as you can. Our opticians are very good at their jobs, if you trust them they will help speed up the selection process significantly.
5) It is very highly recommended that you elect for an Optomap Retinal examination. In many cases this will allow us to defer having to use drops to dilate your pupils, will allow for more separation between you and your doctor, and allow you to have a more streamlined experience with us. There is a charge for this, $29. Some patients, may still have some conditions such as cataracts that will still be monitored best with dilation.
6) When possible, we will try to do as much pre-screening of current health histories, medications, etc. via telephone prior to your visit.