COVID-19 UPDATE:

WHAT OUR PATIENTS SHOULD KNOW

Our clinic is open to assist our patients and the doctors who have referred you here for diagnostic and therapeutic care. All of our doctors and staff have been fully vaccinated.

If you chose to seek assistance from our clinic, we require that you be fully vaccinated and show proof of your vaccination when you check in to register. Because we are a medical clinic with both young and elderly patients who are vulnerable, and because some of our staff are immunocompromised, at this time we are not able to accommodate new or existing patients who have not yet been fully vaccinated for COVID-19.

Given concerns about COVID-19 and the effects this virus has had on our community in Kalamazoo, Neuropsychology Associates will continue to follow guidance for small businesses as recommended by the CDC and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). We also follow guidance from Kalamazoo County’s Health and Community Services Department. Because our local hospitals are at the forefront of combating COVID-19, our clinic mirrors the COVID-19 directives in place at both Ascension Borgess Hospital and Bronson Methodist Hospital. We check health updates weekly and make changes as additional information becomes available and recommended.

The following are several tips to cope with the COVID-19. These come from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). We will update this guidance for our clinic and patients as additional information becomes available from the State of Michigan or Federal government. We ask that all of our patients are vaccinated for COVID-19.

As a medical practice we will continue to support our patients needs and we will follow what our Federal or State governments, the CDC, NIOSH, and our local hospitals direct and advise.

THE FOLLOWING ARE RECOMMENDATIONS ON COPING WITH THE COVID-19 virus

First and foremost, if you are sick, or if you begin to feel sick, stay home

Based on the CDC recommendations, if you feel symptoms of acute respiratory illness like a dry cough or shortness of breath, or if you become sick prior to or during your appointment at our clinic, immediately separate yourself from everyone, tell someone and immediately go home.

Talk to your friends and family and remind them about the importance of wearing a mask and washing hands after physical contact with another person. This includes the staff here at Neuropsychology Associates

Wear a mask whenever you are in public. Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue whenever you have to cough or sneeze or use an elbow or shoulder if there is no tissue available in front of you. We have masks and Kleenex brand Anti-viral tissues distributed everywhere and in every room in the clinic.

Confirming appointments

When our staff call to confirm your appointment, we will ask the need to stay home if you feel sick, have any symptoms, think you might have been exposed, or have traveled recently.

When we confirm or call to make your appointment, we ask that you to come alone or restrict the appointment to only one family member. Until this pandemic is resolved, we are unable to have multiple individuals of a family in an office, exam room, or waiting room. Alternatively, we may be able to accommodate your needs with a TeleHealth appointment.

Telehealth appointments

Our Telehealth system is extremely simple. Instead of a face-to-face appointment, and especially for our elderly patients, those who are confined to their homes or quarantined, not feeling well, would prefer not to come out of the home, have traveled recently, or feel that a distance visit is more desirable, please ask our staff about how to schedule a Telehealth appointment.  

 Use respiratory etiquette and hand hygiene. Cough etiquette is especially important for infection control

Hygiene etiquette involves practices that prevent the spread of illness and disease. A critical time to practice good hygiene etiquette is when you are sick, especially when coughing or sneezing. Serious respiratory illnesses like COVID-19 are spread by:

1.    Coughing or sneezing

2.    Not wearing a mask or not washing hands

3.     Touching your face after touching contaminated objects

4.     Touching objects after contaminating your hands

Stopping the spread of germs

Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.

1.    We have masks, antiviral tissues and sanitizer receptacles for use by patients.

2.    Put your used tissue in a waste basket.

3.    If you can’t hold it or if there is no tissue within your immediate reach, cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve, not your hands.

4.    Wash your hands after coughing or sneezing.

5.    Wash with soap and water.

 Wear a mask and keep hands clean through improved hand hygiene

  1.    This is one of the most important steps we can take to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others.

2.    Many diseases and conditions are spread by not washing hands with soap and clean, running water.

Clean or wash your hands after physical contact with a person

Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer or wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Soap and water should be used preferentially. Depending upon our ability to purchase and availability, we will keep these in the clinic.

We routinely clean all frequently touched surfaces in the clinic

1.    Our administrative staff sanitize the waiting room surfaces, workstations, countertops, and doorknobs.

2.    We use the antibacterial and antiviral cleaning agents on all surfaces and floors.

3.    The CDC recommends no additional disinfection beyond routine cleaning at this time.

4.    Disposable wipes are used for commonly used surfaces (for example, doorknobs, keyboards, remote controls, desks) and are wiped down by employees before each use.

 Additional Measures

If you ever think you have been exposed Employees exposed to COVID-19 tell your primary care doctor and refer to CDC guidance.  Lastly, to prevent any stigma and discrimination in our clinic, please do not make determinations of risk based on any person’s race or country of origin, and be sure to maintain our confidentiality in our clinic.

SUMMARY OF COVID-19 GUIDELINES

In an effort to ensure the safety of all of our patients and our staff the following precautions are in place for all appointments:

• Please stay home if you have symptoms of cough, cold, fever, shortness of breath, abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting.

• Please stay home if you have been in contact with anyone exposed to or infected by the coronavirus.

• Please stay home if you have tested positive for coronavirus.

• In order to reduce exposure patients are asked to attend their appointments by themselves.

• If a family member needs to be present because of age or circumstances (such as elderly patients who do not drive or children who need a parent) please have only one person accompany the patient.

• Please leave all siblings or additional family members at home.

• We disinfect all surfaces and materials between appointments.

• Social distancing will be maintained whenever possible.

• Neurocognitive diagnostic testing will be in person.

• Initial consultations, clinical histories, and review of findings of diagnostic testing can be either in person, by Telehealth, or by telephone.

We realize that these guidelines may create some level of hardship for some families and apologize in advance for any inconvenience. Our goal is to continue to provide all of our patients and their family members with the highest possible medical and psychological care possible, while also ensuring the highest level of safety and health of all. Thank you for understanding.

We found the following picture below below and thought it might be helpful to our patents. Please call our office with any questions or concerns.