What To Expect During Your Next Visit

Across the nation, healthcare facilities are adjusting to new restrictions and regulations formed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Though many states are taking steps to reopen the economy, the CDC still recommends that people avoid large crowds, practice good hygiene, wear a face mask in public, limit close contact with others, and take all necessary precautions to limit the spread of the coronavirus.

In this blog, Murrita Bolinger, Chief Medical Officer for Coplin Health Systems, discusses ways Coplin is preparing for reopening and what changes patients can expect when visiting one of our offices.

Coplin has implemented extra measures in its workflow to provide safe medical care for patients. In preparation to enhance protection of patient(s), families and staff, here’s what you can expect:
• Your primary care provider and nurse will review their appointment schedules to determine the best visit type to meet the healthcare needs and take into consideration your level of comfort in returning to our offices.
• Telemedicine will continue to be offered, as well as scheduled routine visits, home visits for specific patient populations and needs, and office acute care.

Here’s what we expect of patients when visiting any of our health facilities:
• Please wear a face mask when you come for an appointment of any type — even if you do not have any symptoms.
• Please do not bring extra visitors or family members to your appointment. A few exceptions to apply, a minor may bring one parent or guardian or guest, an adult who has special needs or needs assistance with their care may have one guest.
• If you are experiencing cough, fever, or treated a fever, shortness of breath, loss of taste, or other signs and symptoms of respiratory illness, please let our staff know prior to your visit and entering our buildings.

Here’s what you can expect upon arrival:

• Before arriving for a scheduled visit, a receptionist will call to confirm your appointment and ask some pre-screening questions related to signs and symptoms of COVID-19.
• Once you arrive in our parking lot, we ask that the patient call our facility, front desk personnel will answer, and before entering our building will give you instructions on whether to wait in the car or to come into our buildings. If you do not have a cell phone, please come to the front door. A staff member will greet and assist you. Staff members are located at the front door and will ask screening questions and take your temperature.

Before entering the building, you may notice:
• Coplin staff wearing personal protective equipment, such as gloves, masks, goggles, face shields, and gowns. Those items will be based on their job expectation and time-based exposure to the public who enter our buildings.
Note: Coplin staff are required to be screened daily to be monitored for illness. Employees are required to notify their supervisor immediately if symptoms of illness or symptoms of COVID-19 develop during the workday.

• Cleaning and disinfecting our exam rooms and our lobbies is extremely important to us. Therefore, we will be closed 12-1 each day for particular cleaning. Also, please be assured that in between each and every patient, our exam rooms are cleaned and disinfected as well.
• Our lobbies will have limited seating. Chairs will be spaced six feet apart and that’s based on CDC guidelines of social distancing. Therefore our staff will be monitoring and limiting the number of people who may be seated in our lobbies, and also making sure our exam rooms are empty so that we can move you into our buildings and out of our buildings seamlessly as possible.

It may seem a bit different the next time you arrive for a face-to-face appointment at a Coplin facility. But, just know, these changes are in the best interest of you, the community, our patients, and our staff. We want to continue offering the best quality healthcare while following COVID-19 guidelines and keeping our patients safe.

Please do not hesitate to call one of our locations if you have questions about visiting our clinics.