COVID-19 in Kansas City: A Message to PA Families
May 17, 2020 - 11 am
To the Patients and Families of Pediatric Associates,
In response to the COVID-19 global pandemic, we are taking swift action from a position of preparedness, not panic. COVID-19 is in our community and will be for the upcoming future. PA’s Board of Directors has been keenly listening to public health leaders, local health departments, and international experts. We have consulted with other pediatric groups from all areas of the country. We have done our best effort to adapt what we have learned into actionable steps to prioritize the safety of our staff, our patient families, and our Kansas City community.
Our immediate goal is to keep our offices open to take care of your family. Even in the face of COVID-19, strep throat and ear infections will still need to be treated. Asthma and allergy season here. Young children will continue to need check ups, babies will continue to need their vaccines and teenagers will need sports physicals. We know you depend on us for this reliable and needed care.
Effective immediately and at all three PA locations:
Children and parents will be properly assessed for COVID-19 risk (via phone and/or in person) prior to being allowed into any clinical care areas. If deemed to be at risk, patients will not be allowed into clinical areas. Families will also see additional screeners at the entrance of the Broadway and Advent medical buildings.
To comply with social distancing, the waiting rooms will no longer be used at any PA location. Please follow posted signage and staff instructions on where to arrive and check in for your child’s visit.
Well children will only be seen in designated wellness space which is clearly separated from the sick care area.
Telemedicine and Car-side Care are now available at all locations.
Calling the office FIRST remains best practice. As you are able, calling for advice and to arrange scheduled visits allows us to best care for your specific child’s needs.
To accomplish this, you may notice the following changes:
You are going to be asked more questions.
We are verbally screening every well and sick visit prior to entry into our clinical areas. In addition, the medical buildings have dedicated nurses who will be asking additional questions and taking parent temperatures prior to entry. This is for everyone’s safety. Please be patient. We ask that you reply honestly, so we can offer you the care you need. If there is any worry of exposure, you will be asked to go back to your car and a physician will contact you directly to coordinate next steps.
The waiting room is off limits.
One of the best ways to decrease the immediate impact and flatten the curve is to practice social distancing. In our pediatric office, social distancing means the waiting room space cannot be used. We are direct rooming patients at all three locations. This means after being verbally screened by our front desk staff, you will be directed immediately to an exam room. It will be from the exam room that we will update your information, complete any business details, and see our patients. This may take.a few minutes longer, but we think it’s worth it.
We may ask you to wait in your car.
We only have so many exam rooms, especially when we are reserving rooms for children with special care needs. As a result of the waiting room being off limits, you may be asked to return to your car to wait until an exam room is available. Don’t worry, we will call or text when we are ready to bring you in the office. We apologize for the extra walk back to the parking lot, but a few extra steps are good for everyone.
Well care will continue in exclusively well spaces.
We are sectoring each office to create distinct well care areas with separate entrance/exit paths. To the best of our ability, we want every family to know that coming to see us for routine care and needed vaccinations is still part of the plan. Now, more than ever, we want to address any questions and make sure you are comfortable with the health and wellness of your child.
Care of sick children will continue in dedicated areas.
We are available to care for the common childhood issues that will continue to exist over the next few weeks. The entrance/exit paths may be not what you are used to, but this will allow our clinicians to limit the risk of exposure. After completing the screening process, our staff will move you to a dedicated exam room.
Options have been added.
Physicians at all three PA locations are able to do virtual appointments with families via telehealth. In addition, Car-side Care is available for sick visits. Special note: ALL sick visits at the South Overland Park locations will be Car-side Care until further notice. Please CALL FIRST to set up telehealth or Car-side Care.
Our cleaning procedures are heightened.
We have stocked up on EPA-approved cleaning agents and increasing the cleaning protocols in our offices. Both sick and well areas will be cleaned multiple times per day, in addition to the routine cleaning we have always provided. You might even see some of our clinicians in scrubs or masks. This makes our own cleaning habits a bit easier at home.
No one will come to work sick.
This has always been the policy at PA, so that’s not new. But, we are preparing for a larger number of staff being gone at once. This may result in appointment cancellations with painfully short-notice or a change in location for your scheduled visit. We ask you that you listen to messages carefully and be prepared for last-minute changes. We promise that as this situation settles, everyone will get the visit times they need to stay on track should cancellations occur.
We are protecting those at greatest risk.
At this time, we are asking that our families make their best effort to limit each visit to only the scheduled patient and one care provider. We know that child care is challenging, but if we can work together to keep siblings at home, we can best focus on you and your child. Additional partners and caregivers join any visit on FaceTime or speaker phone — especially grandparents! We are sensitive to the generation at greatest risk, and prefer all people over the age of 60 stay home.
Our phone lines are busy.
Be patient. Be kind. Our nurses are working as fast as they are able, and under the stress of knowing that things may rapidly change. We are communicating to our staff regularly and their primary job is to deliver pro-active and helpful messages directly from us to you. In turn, we ask that you respect their advice. Those who are verbally abusive, belligerent, or offer false information will be subject to dismissal from our practice. But, I know none of you would ever be like that.
We are responding to our own mental health needs.
If you see us walking around the block or enjoying a quick coffee on our own, know that we are trying to manage our mental health as well. Stepping away from the office for some time outside or for a quick chat with a loved one is protective, important, and increases our ability to effectively care for all of you. We hope you are modeling healthy coping mechanisms for your children at home, too.
Please stay tuned to our social channels and our website for up-to-date changes. We all know this is a rapidly evolving situation, and our efforts to provide you the safest and most effective care will not stop. I am confident that we will be able to work through these next weeks together as a caring community.
Stay calm. Stay safe. And, go wash your hands.
Yours in Health,
Dr. Natasha Burgert, on behalf of the PA Board of Directors
