CORONAVIRUS HEALTH PROTOCOLS FOR PATIENTS & STAFF
Florida Oral Surgery is dedicated to protecting the health and well-being of our patients and our staff. We have always followed the highest order of sterilizing and disinfecting in our office, as well as strict adherence to personal protective equipment to provide a safe and healthful environment for our patients and staff. In order to accomplish this most effectively during the Coronavirus epidemic, we are closely monitoring the recommendations from the CDC and following the protocols detailed below.
PATIENT APPOINTMENTS
We will be screening patients as they enter our facility. If patients show any signs of respiratory distress (fever, cough, difficult breathing), they will be sent home immediately and instructed to call their Primary Care Physicians. Any patients who call our office to question if they should come in for their appointment or surgery due to illness will be told that they need to reschedule until they are free of symptoms and fever greater than 99.1 Fahrenheit for greater than 24 hours.
USE OF PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE)
Our team is well trained in the effective use of PPE and hand washing techniques recommended by OSHA and the CDC. Our doctors and clinical staff wear masks and gloves when treating all patients. All members of our team will continue to follow these protective guidelines to prevent cross contamination, as they have always done.
Our team cleanses their hands often and in between all patients with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60-95% alcohol and/or washes their hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
STERILIZATION AND DISINFECTION
Our office has requirements for sterilization of our instruments and equipment as well disinfection of our treatment rooms and all patient areas. We clean all frequently touched surfaces in the workplace, such as workstations, countertops, and doorknobs with a medical grade cleaning agent, following the directions on the label.
Disposable wipes are provided to our team so that surfaces can immediately be wiped down if contaminated by someone who is showing symptoms of illness.
SICK EMPLOYEES
Employees who have symptoms of acute respiratory illness will be told to stay home and not come to work until they are free of fever (99.1°F or greater using an oral thermometer), signs of a fever, and any other symptoms for at least 24 hours, without the use of fever-reducing or other symptom-altering medicines (e.g. cough suppressants).
If an employee comes to work with acute respiratory symptoms or develops those symptoms while at work, he or she will be required to see his or her primary care physician for screening. A note from the employee’s physician will be required in order to return to work.
Any and all areas that the sick employee had worked in will be immediately disinfected with a medical grade cleaning agent.