Our office policies are changing rapidly as we all adapt to new information about the COVID-19 Pandemic and how to best care for and protect our patients, providers and staff.
The policies outlined below were last updated on: January 3, 2021
- Well visits>: We can see all patients in-person or virtually for well visits. Feel free to call and talk with our staff about scheduling. See below for a breakdown of our policy.
- Face-to-face Visit: Available for all patients but we strongly encourage in-person visits for the following ages: 0-6 months, 12, 15 & 24 months, 4,11, and 16 years old so that we can give needed vaccines.
- Telehealth/Virtual Visit: Visits when vaccines are not required.
- Our experience with telehealth has been extremely positive so far and although we look forward to seeing all of our lovely patients in our office very soon, we think this is the best option for now. Obviously, there will be things we cannot achieve during a virtual visit (immunizations, lead screenings, vision screenings, etc.). We will keep track of those for each child and invite you back into our office later. We will consider it a little reunion and something to look forward to!
- What you will need to prepare for a virtual visit.
- If possible please weigh and measure the length/height of your child; if under 18 months we would also love a head circumference if you are comfortable doing that.
- Well-lit room with an option for privacy for adolescents/young adults (headphones and a closed door work well)
- Zoom (on a web browser if using your computer, on the app if using your phone -- the web browers don't work on the phone)
- MyChart registration (this can be done by calling the office to set it up if needed)
- Sick visits: Our aim is to manage as many patients as we can via telehealth visits, though there are some situations where seeing an ill child in person is the only way for us to deliver proper care. Our providers will decide over the phone if the visit requires an in-office visit, a virtual visit (with video) or a telephone call.
- Telephone advice: We will continue to give advice over the phone as before. Your insurance company may be billed, depending on the level of care (time, complexity) provided.
- Behavioral Health: Our social worker, Jasmine Sahady, LICSW, is seeing patients by virtual visit. Please call if you would like to schedule an appointment with her.
- Weekend care: Weekend coverage remains unchanged, except that we will be managing as much as we can via telehealth and only seeing patients in the office when necessary. We continue to rotate coverage with our wonderful colleagues at Centre Pediatrics
- Covid testing: We have multiple options for our patients including PCR testing through Quest Diagnostics (variable turn around time but ranges between 2-7 days depending on volume), Nucleic acid testing using Abbott ID in our office (turn around time is same day, from minutes to hours depending on office volume that day) and multiple community sites.
- Symptomatic patients who need testing ONLY. Go to Stop the Spread to find a testing site near you. During the week we may have the option of sending your child to Boston Children's Hospital for drive-thru testing, depending on their volume.
- Symptomatic patients who need testing AND an exam/advice from our providers will be seen in the office in the afternoon only. We can perform nucleic acid testing with same-day results.
- Asymptomatic patients who are close contacts with someone with known COVID-19 can be screened either through Stop the Spread or through our office during our routine screening clinics on Tuesdays and Thursdays or on other days as volume allows.
- Asymptomatic patients who need testing before or after travel or for routine curiosity are welcome to call for an appointment however these samples are sent to Quest Diagnostics and therefore turnaround time can be very long. Plan ahead as required.
- Office procedures to reduce the transmission of COVID-19:
- We are currently screening all patients for coronavirus (COVID-19) by phone and all patients/families at the time of check-in to minimize transmission of this illness among our patient population.
- We have a dedicated room for newborns only.
- We see well patients in the morning and sick patients in the afternoon.
- Each room is cleaned thoroughly between patients
- Our practice is following the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and MADPH (MA Department of Public Health) protocols and will continue to update our policies in accordance with changing guidelines. We urge you to stay informed about this rapidly evolving situation using the following websites:
- MADPH: https://www.mass.gov/resource/information-on-the-outbreak-of-coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19
- CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
For Travel related questions: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/index.html - Boston Children’s Hospital: http://www.childrenshospital.org/conditions-and-treatments/conditions/c/coronavirus