COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) Preparedness at Specialty Eye Institute

We are taking additional steps to protect our patients and staff. In addition to our regular cleaning and sanitizing protocols, we have implemented stricter cleaning protocols in our exam rooms, lobby and waiting areas to protect our patients and staff. Our team has also a protocol in place should anyone enter our office displaying symptoms of illness. We are requiring all patients to wear a mask during your visit. At this time we are not allowing any visitors. If you have someone accompanying you to your visit, please have them wait in the car unless you need assistance due to a disability, interpretation, or have a power of attorney.

We appreciate your understanding during this time should operations need to change.

1. Office Cleaning – We’ve had our offices deep cleaned and sanitized.
2. Hand Sanitizer – We’ve installed additional Purell dispensers so that you’ll be able to sterilize your hands after each time you have contact with a door handle.
3. Temperature Checks – We’ll be taking your temperature upon check-in.  Any patient, or patient caregiver, with a temperature of 100 degrees or higher will be asked to reschedule.  We’ll also be taking our own team’s temperature.  Each staff member and doctor will have their temperature taken upon entering the building.
4. Virtual Medical Eye Exams – We will continue to offer virtual eye exams as an alternative to in-person exams.  The exams are conducted using Zoom Video Conferencing technology.  It is user friendly, private, and insurance recognized. Patients have really enjoyed this experience.
5. Parking Lot Waiting – After you check-in at our desk, we’ll ask that you wait in your car until our team is ready to take you back. This will mean a more personalized experience in our clinic.  We have instituted a one patient per exam room protocol to minimize your exposure and maximized social distancing.
6. Fewer Surfaces – We’ve removed coffee tables and many chairs from our waiting spaces to minimize the surfaces that hands can touch.
7. Cleaning Technician – We’ve designated one staff member per office per shift whose main responsibility is to clean and disinfect surfaces.
8. Masks- We’ll be wearing masks to protect all in our presence from the aerosol spread of that can be transferred by breath, coughing, or sneezing.
9. Microscope – We have installed breath barriers on all of our exam room microscopes.  This will allow the doctor to be able to still examine the inside of your eye thoroughly while keeping you safe.
10. Gloves – Technicians, doctors, and staff will wear gloves on an as-needed basis to help keep you and our team safe
11. Limiting Occupants – We will encourage family and friends who accompany the patient to wait in the parking lot.  There will be exceptions made to this where caregivers are needed.
12. Masks – We would like you to wear a mask to cover your nose and mouth to all of your appointments.
13. Front desk shields – We have added clear shields at our front desk to act as a barrier between our staff and our patients.