WE’RE BACK!!! (Well…kinda!)
We hope that you have all been well during this COVID-19 shut down. We know that many of you are needing our services and we are planning our reopening now in a phased approach. For the week of May 4, we will begin seeing patients on a limited basis and will reopen the optical department. We ask for your patience as we are unable to catch up on six weeks of backlog overnight. Please be patient!!! We ask that those with more urgent problems (broken glasses, medical eye conditions, etc.) be given priority and appreciate your patience as we triage patients in need of care. We plan to be fully operational the week of May 11, but on a more limited scale than prior to the virus. Please read further for details.
WHAT WE ASK OF YOU:
- Please do not enter the building if you are exhibiting signs of COVID-19 (fever, difficulty breathing, loss of taste or smell, etc.) or if you believe you may have been in contact with someone who may have been exposed
- Please wear a mask at all times.
- Wash your hands (or use hand sanitizer) upon entrance to the building
- Please enter only if you have an appointment or need assistance from our optical department. Do not bring additional family members/friends with you unless pre-approved (minors or patients with disabilities only).
- Please adhere to CDC guidelines for social distancing and maintain 6 feet between other patients and our staff.
- We will do our best to provide plenty of distance between you and our other patients at all times. If for some reason, we are unable to provide adequate distancing from other patients, we will ask you to wait outside and will call you when we can accommodate you safely. Please be patient with us.
ADDITIONAL STEPS WE ARE TAKNG TO ENSURE YOUR SAFETY
- Temperature check upon arrival – all patients will be screened with a contactless forehead thermometer upon arrival. Those with a fever will be rescheduled.
- Additional cleaning of all surfaces – While we are vigilant about cleaning under all circumstances, we have increased our cleaning procedures during this time
- Additional physical barriers – Due to the necessity of closer proximity of the doctor and patient during certain portions of the eye exam, we have added a larger barrier on the biomicroscope to prevent any spread of respiratory droplets
- Limited exams per hour – In an effort to maintain social distancing and allow additional time for cleaning, we will limit patient examinations per hour
- Limited face to face talking – Because this virus is spread via respiratory droplets, we will attempt to keep more general conversation to a minimum. Although we LOVE hearing about your family and enjoy catching up during your visit, we will keep our discussions focused only on your medical eye care. (Sorry…we don’t like that part either!)
- Verbal case history – for those with appointments, one of our technicians will be contacting you by phone a day or two before your appointment to discuss your case history (reason for your visit, any problems you are having, medication review, etc.). This will reduce the amount of time spent face to face in the office (same reason as above). Please be sure to answer your phone!
- Limited patients in the optical – We will actively be limiting the number of patients in the building, including the optical department in order to maintain social distancing per CDC guidelines
- Masks for patients and staff – Please wear a mask when you arrive to the office.
- Disinfection of frames after try on – After trying on a frame, please return the frame to the optical staff for proper disinfection. Do not return it to the display.
- Hand hygiene for all staff – All staff will wash their hands before and after each patient encounter
- Social distancing – Please do your best to maintain at least 6 feet between other patients and our staff.
- Optomap digital retinal exams – If you are scheduled for a comprehensive eye examination, we will require an Optomap image (additional $25) instead of dilation to reduce physical contact and to reduce your time in the office. In some circumstances, dilation may be considered medically necessary and the doctor will discuss this with you if this is the case.
- Contact lens fittings – Due to the necessity of close physical contact during the instruction for insertion and removal of contact lenses, we will not be doing any new contact lens fittings during this time. We will continue to do annual contact lens assessments and modifications for existing wearers.
We ask for your patience as we make adjustments based on the CDC guidelines and our local authorities recommendations. It is our sincere hope that we can all remain safe as we learn to adapt to our new normal.
If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to us via phone (850-216-2020) or email (welcomecenter@tallahasseeeyecenter.com for general questions, optical@tallahasseeeyecenter.com for optical questions or contacts@tallahasseeeyecenter.com for contact lens questions). EMAIL IS BEST WHENEVER POSSIBLE.
Thank you again for your patience! We look forward to seeing you again soon!