Covid-19 Resources to Stay Safe and Sane

Emotions are running high and there are many different opinions on the severity and treatment.  Dentists our burdened with decisions regarding patient care, their practice and team.  It is imperative that we not go into panic paralysis.  Instead let’s focus on steps we can take right now.

The lifter in me always looks for a rainbow after the storm.  The good news is that this storm will not go on forever.  We live in a very resourceful country.  There is a national focus (government and private sector) on generating an adequate supply of personal protective equipment, respirators and ventilators.  Our leaders are deploying ships and transitioning buildings to help beef up the health care delivery system.  Scientists are working on medicine to treat and prevent Covid-19 in the future.  Our current status may seem daunting.   However, we will not only survive this pandemic we will thrive and be more equipped to handle any potential future outbreaks.

I am saddened and frustrated and even angry at times.  Maybe you feel those same emotions as well.  Those of you who know me well know that I am not one to stay in the poor me victim mentality.  Instead I prefer to be a creator and act. Therefore, I have spent the last week reading and watching videos to learn as much as I can about Covid-19 to help keep teams and patients sane and safe.

Here are suggestions and resources (ADA, OSAP, CDC and Judy Kay) that you may find helpful in staying safe and sane!

• Step away from the T.V. – limit to 15 minutes in the am and pm.
• Consult with your accountant to understand your financial options.  I recommend the following resources who specialize in dental practices.
  • Kate Willeford – https://thewillefordgroup.com/
  • Allen Schiff – https://www.schiffcpa.com/
  • Chris Mahan – https://mahanassociates.com/
• Road to Recovery: COVID-19 Info Hub  https://www.dentalpost.net/covid-19-recovery/
  • Clear Information for the Dental Industry from Trusted Sources
  • As well as great resource to hire additional team members when back up and running

Create a patient flow protocol with your team for when you are back up and running.

• Consider what will make our patients feel safe, welcome and comfortable?
  • What do they see, hear, touch, smell and taste and is it convenient?
  • Here is a FREE power point training module that will help –  https://stcart.smarttraining.com/cart/product?industryid=4
  • Scroll down and click on CoronaVirus (Covid-19)
• Intake protocol questions to ask
  • Have you traveled outside of the country in the last 14 days?
  • Have you had contact with anyone with confirmed COVID-19 in the last 14 days?
  • Have you had any of these symptoms in the last 14 days?
    • Fever greater than 100
    • Difficulty breathing
    • Cough
  • “Remember Mrs. Jones, if you’ve had the flu or a cold in the last 14 days or you’re not feeling well before your next appointment, please call and we’ll reschedule so you have time to recover.”
  • “If you have flu-like symptoms, or if you’ve been exposed to a sever cough or cold by someone you know, please call to reschedule your appointment to a later date.”
• Utilize posters, signs & floor decal communication
  • Communicate hand hygiene, respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette
  • Place a sign at the entrance to your office and strategic locations to let patients know they can reschedule if ill
  • Use personalized floor decals to create social distancing.  Create a unique positive message about your safety on each decal. https://www.stickeryou.com/products/indoor-floor-decals/689
• Emergency care of patients – if more than one doctor – create mini-teams that work separately in case of exposure.  It will prevent the need to quarantine the entire team.

Engage your patients during your down time – Try to touch base with your patients on a weekly in the following ways.

• Contact (call yes call on a real phone) all patients that have been affected by the shutdown (canceled appointments).  Reassure them that you will be there in the future to take care of their needs.  Reinforce what you are doing to keep them safe in the future.  Share the protocols and patient flow processes you are implementing.
• Share the same information in short bite-size pieces on social media and a blog on your website.  Take videos of team members utilizing standard universal precautions as well as new precautions.
• Send an email and or letter to all your patients sharing this same information

Here is a great example of a letter my client emailed to their patients.

Coronavirus Update‼️‼️

Due to the recommendations from the President and the American Dental Association, we have updated our office hours and protocols to keep our patients and community safe. Read a list of our updates below.

Effective through _______, our office hours will change to _____________ for emergency/essential treatment only. Our goal is to help keep our patients healthy, keep dental patients out of the emergency rooms so that doctors can keep their spaces open for Coronavirus cases, and minimize the potential risk to our patients and staff.

We will continue to communicate to our staff and patients regarding our plan to return to normal business hours. Appointments will be rescheduled until April and May with additional dates/hours being opened based on the need to accommodate our patients in a timely manner once we return to a normal schedule.

Our practice has always followed the strictest protocols regarding infection control in the dental practice. During this time, we have increased our disinfecting protocol for waiting rooms and patient areas. Patients will be asked to utilize a “virtual waiting room” by calling the office upon arrival. They will be taken directly to a room, and our lobby will remain empty to prevent any unnecessary contact.

We have limited staff at this time and will only see one patient at a time to minimize exposure risk. Patients will be screened via phone, and those who are experiencing symptoms will be not be seen. Upon arrival, we will take patients temperature to make sure that those that we see are not experiencing any infection. We have phone lines open to handle your dental concerns until our schedule returns to normal.

We will do our best to accommodate you and ensure that you stay healthy and pain free! For dental pain, please contact the office at _______________

We appreciate your patience as we manage this unprecedented time. Our goal is to keep our patients safe and healthy. We are in this together! We look forward to serving you again soon!

Engage your team during down time – try to touch base with the entire team on a weekly basis.

• Have weekly remote meetings (I like Zoom)– to connect and check in as well as discuss new protocols once you are back up and running.
• Create clear protocols for airborne, droplet and contact precautions for clinical and business area.  What will do in addition to Universal Precautions?
• Practice verbal skills, role playing and the physical walk-through.

• Clinical team
  • Putting on and taking off PPE
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syh5UnC6G2k
  • Room turnover and lab cases, techniques and disinfectants for Covid-19 (ADA & OSAP)
  • Room and lab case sterilization https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SiO-wLfAT0&feature=youtu.be
  • Disinfectants that work with Covid-19 – https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-registration/list-n-disinfectants-use-against-sars-cov-2
• Business team
  • • Intake experience
    • Check in experience
    • Consultation room experience
    • Check out experience

We are all in this together.  The more we stand together and support one another the quicker we will rise above this storm.