Longmont Eye Care Center

Updated 4/27/20

REVISED OFFICE PROTOCOLS

We are now seeing most patients, on a restricted schedule. This is to continue infection control via physical distancing of staff, doctors, and patients.

Front Range Optical is now open only by appointment, again to ensure physical distancing and disinfection procedures.

During this rapidly evolving COVID-19 event,

we want to assure you we are maintaining a sanitized, safe environment for our patients.
We will continue to follow all OSHA guidelines and CDC regulations.
Our office takes these guidelines seriously and practices them on a daily basis.

To ensure the health and safety of our patients and staff, we are currently taking the following measures:

Information before the visit:

We are screening patients prior to visits regarding symptoms, travel history, virus exposure.

We are confirming insurance and demographic data on the confirmation phone call.

We are asking patients to come alone if possible, and wait in their cars until we call them to enter the clinic.

We are requiring them to wear a mask to the visit, and to have their temperature taken on entry; if temp is above 100, Dr. Karbassi will decide if they can be seen that day or must reschedule.

This is mandatory procedure for companions (if necessary) as well.

Further procedures during the visit:

We are checking in patients to the left as they enter, and checking out to the right, maintaining physical distance from the front desk staff.

We are requiring patients to use hand sanitizer before entering the clinic.

We are doing our best to bring patients directly back to the exam room after entry, to avoid contact in the waiting room. Chairs in the waiting room are spaced apart for this reason as well.

We are asking patients to maintain 6’ physical distance between themselves and other patients or staff, not to touch anything non-essential (including staff), and not to speak during close examinations or optical procedures.

Staff will be adhering to these protocols as well.

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Posted: 3/30/20

REVISED OFFICE HOURS

We are now open only for urgent, emergency, and post-op appointments. We would be happy to schedule any other appointments for July 2020 – just give us a call.

Monday – Friday 9:00 – 4:00

Front Range Optical is now closed until it is safe to reopen.

During this rapidly evolving COVID-19 event, we want
to assure you we are maintaining a sanitized, safe environment for our patients.
We will continue to follow all OSHA guidelines and CDC regulations.
Our office takes these guidelines seriously and practices them on a daily basis

To ensure the health and safety of our patients and staff, we ask all of our visitors to do the following:

• Since we are limiting the number of people in our clinic, we prefer driver/family members to wait in the car. One family member can be present if assistance is needed.
• Please use the hand sanitizer upon checking in.
• Avoid touching chair arms and door handles.
• No handshaking with staff members.
• Wash hands with soap for a full 20 seconds.

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Posted: 3/23/20

TO OUR VALUED PATIENTS:

In response to the COVID-19 state of emergency declared at the federal level and in Colorado, Front Range Eye Physicians has made some changes in our usual procedures and wanted to let you know of them. Our patients’ health and safety, as well as that of our employees, are our highest concerns.

• We are screening patients for travel history and illness - when we call for appointment reminders, and when patients actually come in to the office. If there is any question about your status of risk of infection, we will ask to reschedule your appointment for a later date. Please know that we are looking out for you when we do this, and we appreciate your understanding and compliance.
• We are scheduling fewer patients so that our waiting room is not crowded, and so that the risk of exposure to all of us is lessened. Depending on the number of people in the office, we may ask you to wait in your car until it is time for your appointment.
• As eye surgeries are elective procedures, we have canceled most surgeries for now until we receive further clarification from the CDC. We may need to cancel more, depending on space available and then-current protocol at the surgery centers and hospitals. It is a wait-and-see time, and we ask for your patience.
• We are following CDC guidelines and have instituted ramped-up infection control procedures for cleaning and disinfecting all surfaces that patients come into contact with - in exam rooms, testing areas and machines, our optical shop, and our waiting room.
• We will ask you to wear a mask if you have any flu-like symptoms (cough, sneeze, etc.). We will also wear them in the exam rooms.
• We will not be shaking hands or touching patients at this time in order to maintain the social distancing recommended by the CDC. We ask that you observe the same protocol.
• We have removed refreshments and magazines from our office.
• We ask that you use hand sanitizer before entering our office space, as well as when you enter the optical department. It is readily available at the front desk and in the optical area.

Please check in with us if you have any questions or concerns at all.

This is a situation in which we have not found ourselves previously – it takes teamwork to get through it safely. We hope everyone takes our precautions seriously, looks after themselves, and stays healthy.

We look forward to seeing you soon!