Message for our Patients
Dear Patient,
As a valued patient of Meadows Maternity and Family Practice, we appreciate the trust you place in us and want to inform you about how we are addressing the COVID-19 situation.
We are closely monitoring events in our local community and keeping up to date on the recommendations made by Alberta Health Services (AHS), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centre for Disease Control. We are committed to continue to monitor the situation very closely and update our clinic policies and protocols as a result of new information.
Please know that our office is following all recommended guidance from public health authorities, including best practices for hygiene, infection control and medical professional team health. We feel confident in our ability to continue to see patients and provide the high quality care that you have come to expect and deserve.
Our highest priority is to keep all of our patients and staff as safe as possible. As such, we have currently made the following changes:
- Sanitation Stations with alcohol-based sanitizer are available throughout our clinic. Patients and employees are required to wash and sanitize their hands regularly.
- Masks are available at the front reception desk if you require one.
- All patients are required to undergo screening when booking an appointment. Telephone screening involves questions on history of cold or influenza-like symptoms, travel history, potential exposure to someone who travelled, or history of close contact with a person who has been confirmed to have COVID-19. Based on these screening questions, patients may be asked to re-schedule non-urgent appointments and visit the AHS Covid-19 Self-Assessment site. This assessment tool will inform you on whether you are fine to come into our clinic or if you need to proceed to another medical centre for assessment and/or testing.
- Should you develop any of the screening criteria prior to any booked appointment, please call our office for advice before coming to the clinic.
- Our clinic is NOT doing Covid-19 testing at this time. This must be done at one of the AHS designated testing centres and only after it is deemed necessary by completing the Covid-19 Self-Assessment Tool and calling 811. An 811 staff will be able to make an appointment for you at one of the testing centres. Only 811 staff make testing centre appointments.
- Staff and physicians are screened in the same manner as patients. Any staff or physician who screens positive for any criteria will remain at home.
- Along with continuing our routine cleaning services, our clinic employees are required to regularly clean and sanitize all equipment, furniture and other supplies. Exam rooms are thoroughly cleaned after each patient. We have removed all items from the clinic that are not necessary for clinic operations including things such as magazines and toys.
- When coming to your appointment, we ask you to avoid bringing children, unless it is deemed absolutely necessary. Currently, we are permitting on support person for prental visits. Any family or support people who need to accompany you should complete the Covid 19 Self-Assessment to ensure they have also been screened appropriately and that it is safe for them to enter our clinic.
- We are making all efforts to ensure patients are put directly into an exam room when they arrive to adhere to social distancing recommendations and minimize any time spent in the waiting area. Further, chairs that remain in our waiting room have been appropriately spaced.
If you are at home on self-isolation and need non-urgent medical attention or a prescription refill, we ask that you phone our clinic for management advice. Our staff will be happy to discuss your concerns and then will review the situation with our doctors for instructions regarding your care or have a physician contact you directly at their earliest convenience.
Thank you for your continued trust as we work together to fight this virus. If you have questions about this notice or your upcoming appointment, please call our office.
Should you have any further questions or concerns regarding Covid-19, please visit www.ahs.ca/covid. Please also follow us on Facebook (Meadows Maternity and Family Practice) and Instagram (@meadowsmaternity).
Sincerely,
Dr. Chappell, Dr. Lundgren, Dr. Nkemdirim, Dr. Sutton, and Dr. Van Essen
Meadows Maternity and Family Practice