We have taken a number of steps to decrease your risk of COVID-19 exposure in our offices:

• The waiting room is closed. We are asking patients to stay in their car until time to go into an exam room. This decreases your exposure, and ours. After patient visits, each room will be sanitized.
• Starting in August, we will be utilizing the Milton location for sick visits. We have been handling these on telemedicine, but the increasing number of patients who are ill is increasing and we anticipate an even larger number as fall arrives. So, if you are having gastrointestinal or respiratory symptoms we will likely schedule you in the Milton office.
• All  rooms and both offices will be cleaned between patients and every night. Thank you for your understanding during this time.
• Frequent sanitizing of our offices. As always, we also perform hand washing before and after each patient.
• The front desk will provide masks to each patient who does not have one. Masks are required in our office.
• We are screening patients with a fever for risk of novel Coronavirus on the phone.
• All of these steps are subject to change as the situation itself changes.

Screening for novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) risk:

• If you develop a fever and respiratory symptoms (cough or shortness of breath), or have been exposed to someone with confirmed COVID-19 within 14 days of symptom onset, or have traveled to an area of sustained community spread within 14 days, please CALL our office. We will determine whether you need to be managed at home or will need evaluation in our office. NOTE: We do currently offer the test but only for patients who meet specific criteria.
• If we believe there is a real risk of you having Covid-19, we will have you come to the office and we will conduct the test in a “drive-thru” fashion. You can drive to our side door, have one of our medical assistants administer the test, and, if need be, be evaluated by one of our providers, all while in your car. This will be only for those in whom we have a great suspicion of the illness.

How can you reduce COVID-19 exposure?

• Follow universal precautions: frequent handwashing, keep hands off your face, regularly clean frequently touched surfaces, cover coughs and sneezes, stay home if you are sick.
• Avoid crowded areas
• Avoid other sick people

Stay informed. Checkout further information at:
Centers for Disease Control www.cdc.gov
Georgia Department of Public Health https://dph.georgia.gov
World Health Organization www.who.int/COVID-19