COVID19 OPERATING PROCEDURES
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Things are looking a little different around the office these days! In order to maintain the health and safety of our patients and staff, the following procedures and precautions are in place until further notice:
Normal Operating Procedures (in place prior to COVID 19)
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An acupuncturist’s treatment location should be kept clean and sanitary with an appropriate written schedule for cleaning and decontamination.
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A sink with hot and cold running water must be located in or near the treatment rooms. Liquid hand soap and paper towels must be available at hand washing stations. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers may also be available.
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Any paper or other disposable material used as a covering on a chair, seat, couch, or treatment table, and any towel, cloth, sheet, gown, or other article that contacts the patient’s skin should be clean, and should not previously have been used in connection with any other patient unless laundered before reuse.
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The treatment room table tops, shelves and other working surfaces should have a smooth, impervious surface, be in good repair, and be cleaned with a suitable disinfectant at least once a day and whenever visibly contaminated or whenever a patient may have contaminated the surface by coming in contact with the surface directly.
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Treatment tables and chairs used for treatments need to be disinfected between each patient visit.
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Reusable medical and AOM equipment must be disinfected between use on patients per CDC guidelines.
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All needles are sterile, single use and disposed of after treatment per CNT requirements.
Additional COVID 19 Operating Procedures
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Safety Officer: Jacqui Kinzig, owner, shall be the designated Safety Officer. She will ensure all safety guidelines are being adhered to and to keep up to date on emerging CDC & public health recommendations and guidance
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Commonplace: Commonplace/waiting areas will not be used. Patients will be required to wait in their cars until called by the provider to enter the building. Patients are also required to come alone to their appointment, except in the case of parents accompanying their child to the child's appointment or patients who require a caregiver present during their treatment. Drivers and other friends/family should remain in the vehicle at all times.
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Emerging CDC Guidelines: Any and all new CDC recommendations will be incorporated as instructed by the Kentucky Department of Public Health.
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Patient Screening: All patients will be verbally screened for symptoms of illness prior to clinic entry and temperatures will be checked at the door prior to entry. Any symptomatic patients will be referred to their primary care physician immediately and not seen for treatment.
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Appointments: We plan to operate at only 50-67% capacity in order to further maintain social distancing guidelines. Please recognize that this will decrease the number of available appointments.
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Social Distancing: Patients will remain at least 6ft apart from practitioner(s) and employee(s), except during the actual acupuncture treatment or when checking out.
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Waiting Room: Patients will not loiter in the waiting room – they will pull into the parking lot and call or text our office to let us know they have arrived. They will be notified when they may enter.
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Checkout: Whenever possible, rescheduling will be done in the treatment room and patients will be sent an online invoice to collect payment during their appointment. If online payment is not available, patients will be brought up to check out one at a time.
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Handwashing: Patients will be asked to wash their hands (hand sanitizer is acceptable) upon entering the building and before leaving after treatment.
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Patient PPE: It is required that patients wear cloth masks while in the facility, except during their treatment. Patients will keep shoes on until in treatment rooms.
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Provider PPE: Providers will wear surgical masks at all times and gloves during any patient contact (unless patient approves provider to insert needles without gloves).
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Employee PPE: Employees (i.e. the lovely Brandy) will wear masks and gloves as necessary during patient contact.