Please read for important COVID surge information, changes to office policies for winter, and changes to important office contact info updates.
Read for COVID update, office changes, and contact information changes. |
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| A few quick updates from our office as we enter a very unusual holiday season. |
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I suspect you're all aware of the fall "surge" in Covid cases in our state and nationally. We've had a significant increase in hospitalized patients here at St Vincent, as well as other large area hospitals. The governor has put in place a new "pause" with shutdowns and guidelines for community gatherings.
At the same time there has been GREAT news on the vaccine front, first from Pfizer, then Moderna, and now Johnson & Johnson. It is likely that high risk medical providers (ER, ICU, nurses on the front line, 911 responders etc.) will be given access to the first line of immunizations as early as late December, with a second wave of older and medically compromised patients and a third wave of "everyone else" starting in the spring when larger numbers of immunizations are available. It is not clear if any of these will be given out of physician offices, particularly because of the need for "deep freeze" storage. I will send more information when it is clear. |
Please understand that our goal is to keep you and our staff safe during the next few months, while staying open and able to care for chronic disorders as well as evaluate new, acute illnesses. If I put myself in exam rooms all day with patients, even masked, I put myself at significantly increased risk for infection. Then my worst nightmare would be to be asymptomatic but spreading virus to patients in rooms for several days before knowing that I've been infected. The same holds true for my staff.
Going into the months of December and early 2021, we will no longer be scheduling ROUTINE follow ups or physical exams in person. We will schedule these visits virtually with our platform DOXY. Insurers have recognized the need for this service and are covering virtual visits for all specialities.
Julia or Dr. Biemer will continue to be physically present in the office Monday through Friday, and will see patients who NEED to be seen in person for proper evaluation.
These general guidelines may change as conditions change and we will update as we know more. In the mean time please do not hesitate to reach out with all questions or concerns.
Dr. Biemer, Julia Jones and the whole office crew |
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EMAIL ALERT Our providence email addresses are temporarily UNAVAILABLE as Providence has moved to Microsoft Office 365 and may no longer allow providence email with NON-EMPLOYED physicians and their offices. If that is the case (and we should know in days) we will provide new email addresses going forward. In the mean time, please carry on contacting us via the patient portal, or by phone (503) 384-0316. If you have sent an email recently to (@providence.org) and have not received a reply please reach out! | | A few recommendations... DO consider scheduling regular follow ups and annual exams virtually. Preventive care goes a long way toward keeping you healthy and we will do our best to make the virtual experience smooth and comfortable. DO carry on following precautions, wearing a face mask, hand washing, and maintaining physical distance. These are proven methods of reducing risk to you and your loved ones. DO NOT assume that negative covid testing is a replacement for safe habits during the holidays. There are still some false negatives, and covid has a long incubation period during which an infected person might test negative.
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Never hesitate to contact us | 9135 SW Barnes Rd. Suite 863 | |
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