Updated May 6, 2020
We can’t wait to see you again!!
The safety of our patients and our employees is very important to us. In order to start bringing more patients back into the office, we are required to follow guidelines from our state and local authorities. Before you arrive at our office, please take note of this important information:
- To comply with social distancing guidelines from our local and state authorities, our schedules will be adjusted to limit the number of patients in our waiting rooms. *We are contacting patients as needed to reschedule appointments. Please be patient with us during this challenging time. Your health is important to us and we will make every possible accommodation to take care of you.
- Only the patient will be allowed in the clinic. We ask that any guests accompanying the patient wait outside in their vehicle, unless the patient is a small child or requires special assistance. Please keep this in mind before you arrive for your appointment.
- If you are not feeling well, or have been exposed to anyone with respiratory symptoms or fever in the last 2 weeks, we ask that you please reschedule your appointment.
- We are still offering telemedicine visits for some appointment types. ***Please see below for more information about telemedicine visits.
- Starting on Monday, March 30, we will be closing the office at 4pm daily. Our scheduling department will still be taking calls until 4:30 every day.
- We are slowly beginning to see cosmetic patients again. Starting on May 11th, we will begin offering limited cosmetic services. Appointments are limited so please call soon for best available times.
- To purchase skin care products, we are offering the option for you to call ahead and place your order. We can take your credit card payment over the phone. This is not required but will allow for speedy checkout service when you come in to pick up your products. If you prefer not to enter the building at all, you have the option of calling us when you arrive in the parking lot and one of our staff members will bring your product order to your car. The number for our cosmetic department is 865.251.9965.
- We are offering patients the option to check in and wait in their vehicle until time to see the doctor. Please call 865.367.0478. If you are a new patient or have any changes to personal information or insurance, one of our staff members will meet you at your car to collect that information.
- What to expect when you arrive for your appointment. You will be asked the following series of questions: Have you traveled outside of East Tennessee in the last two weeks? We will need to alert the provider you are seeing to make them aware before taking you to the room.
- Are you currently having any symptoms of a respiratory illness (cough, congestion, sore throat, fever or difficulty breathing), or have you been exposed to anyone with those symptoms within the last two weeks? If you answer yes, we will take your temperature to check for a fever before you enter the clinic.
- If you have knowingly been exposed to anyone with COVID-19 within the last 2 weeks, we ask that you please reschedule your appointment before coming to our office.
- We are asking that only the patient enters the clinic. However, we realize there are cases where the patient requires assistance and minor children require a parent or legal guardian to be with them in the room. Exceptions will be made as appropriate.
- We are taking extra steps to sanitize rooms after every patient and sanitize all commonly touched surfaces such as counter tops, light switches, door handles, etc.
- Face coverings: any of our staff members who have close contact with patients, such as front office staff, nurses and providers, will wear a face covering.
We respectfully ask any patient who is not feeling well, experiencing a fever or exhibiting flu-like symptoms to contact the office to reschedule their upcoming appointment before coming in. There will be no penalties for cancelling appointments on short notice.
***We are now offering telemedicine appointments. This is not appropriate in all instances, but may work well for others. If you are thinking about cancelling your appointment, please consider asking scheduling about a telemedicine appointment.
Insurance copayments still apply based on your insurance plan. Not all insurances cover telemedicine. We will verify with your insurance provider before your telemedicine visit. Please be aware, though, that if a provider feels like a biopsy is necessary or if additional testing is required, your insurance may require an additional copay for an in office visit.
The following are good examples of appointment reasons that are appropriate for telemedicine:
- Routine medication refills that don’t require monthly bloodwork, a urine sample or an in-office TB skin test.
- Eczema
- Acne
- Rosacea
- Acute rashes
- 1 spot of concern
We are continuing to monitor the situation closely and will follow all recommendations from local and state authorities. We encourage you to contact our office if you have any questions or concerns.
For the latest information about COVID-19 we encourage you to visit the links listed below.
https://www.cdc.com/coronavirus/2019
https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/myth-busters
Thank you for your understanding and stay healthy!