March 19, 2020
IMPORTANT – LATEST UPDATE FROM DAVIDSON FAMILY MEDICINE – YOUR MEDICAL HOME
During this time of uncertainty, the clinicians at Davidson Family Medicine will strive to be your main point of contact regarding your health concerns.
We are updated daily and in close communication with the Mecklenburg County Health Department, NC Public Health Department, and the CDC.
IF YOU OR A FAMILY MEMBER DEVELOPS RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMS:
(For example cough, runny nose, sinus symptoms, low grade fever), current guidelines are to remain home if symptoms are mild. If you are uncertain or immunocompromised, please call our office first so that we may provide guidance. We can conduct telephone visits if preferred (see below). For those who do have respiratory symptoms and need to be seen (temperature over 100.4 AND cough/shortness of breath), we have a designated separate entrance and exam area and a single provider for that day to see these patients. We will provide detailed instructions when you make your appointment.
We do have limited capability of testing for COVID-19, but also very limited supplies of personal protective equipment. Therefore, we will strictly follow the CDC guidelines for testing: Fever AND respiratory symptoms (for example cough/shortness of breath) AND a negative flu test (administered in our office). Not every individual with respiratory symptoms will be tested. We will determine that at your visit. Individuals without symptoms will NOT be tested at this time.
IF YOU HAVE A REGULARLY SCHEDULED APPOINTMENT, LAB TEST, OR DIAGNOSTIC TEST:
We are prepared to see you. Please be assured that we have an elaborate system to separate any potentially ill patients from well patients – separate lobbies, exam rooms, and check out areas that have never been exposed to a symptomatic patient. Your provider for that day will only be seeing “well visits.” There will be no wait time in the lobby as we can call you while you are in your car or enjoying the great outdoors outside of our office. We are taking every precaution to protect our staff members and our patients from illness.
IF YOU WOULD PREFER TO HAVE A TELEPHONE VISIT WITH YOUR PROVIDER:
Many of you understandably would prefer not to visit our office during this time. Perhaps you need prescriptions refilled or lab work reviewed. Perhaps you or a family member is understandably feeling depressed or anxious. For that reason, we have instituted telephone visits with the potential for Facetime (at the discretion of the provider). Most insurance companies (including BCBSNC, UHC, and Medicare) are covering most if not all of the costs of these visits. We encourage you to contact us to initiate these visits. (In the very near future we will be able to provide virtual visits through our patient portal.)
We are updating Facebook and our website daily. For any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. For general questions, feel free to email us at info@davidsonfamilymedicine.com.
During this time, please remember that we can and will get through this together! It is our honor and privilege to be involved in your healthcare.
Your Health Care Team at Davidson Family Medicine