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California Skin Institute COVID-19 Update

Posted on: March 16th, 2020 by James Bass

5.27.2020

California Skin Institute’s Response to the Shelter-In-Place order for counties in California:

California Skin Institute is considered an “essential business”

(see Shelter-In-Place details below)

Effective immediately, California Skin Institute will require that all patients and visitors wear a face mask or face covering while inside our offices (including the exam rooms). Due to limited supply, California Skin Institute is unable to provide face masks.  Please note that N95 masks with plastic one-way valves and masks with vents or fenestrations are not suitable face coverings.  Patients without proper face mask or coverings will be rescheduled. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.

California Skin Institute (CSI) has been actively monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on our patient care and office protocols.  Our highest priority is to continue providing excellent dermatology care in a safe environment for our patients and staff.  We have created and implemented a strategic plan using best available practices plus “ahead of the curve” ideas to minimize the risk of person-to-person COVID-19 exposure in our practice.  Our offices will remain open for essential medical and surgical dermatology services for the foreseeable future. Our intent is to make our office one of the safest places you can visit outside of your home. In an effort to continue to meet the dermatological demands of our patients, we are now offering teledermatology appointments through EMA and Zoom.  To learn more, please call your local office.

Staff precautions:

  • We will be checking our employee temperatures to ensure no one is working with a fever or a cough. Anyone identified with an elevated temperature or illness will be sent home.
  • Vendors, family members, and other visitors have been suspended from visiting our offices.
  • More aggressive cleaning protocols, including regularly disinfecting all high-touch areas, have already been implemented in our facilities and will occur frequently throughout the day.
  • We will maintain social distancing standards of 6 feet apart, except when necessary to complete an exam or procedure.

Patient precautions:

  • All patients and visitors will be screened and examined for symptoms of illness prior to entering the office.
  • If anyone has symptoms of illness, they will be asked to go home and inform their primary care doctor. If anyone is experiencing difficulty breathing, they will be sent to the ER. We will waive any last-minute cancellation fees associated with rescheduling the appointment at that time.
  • We ask that you postpone your scheduled appointment if you or anyone in your household may have been exposed to COVID-19 through travel or attendance at large gatherings less than two weeks ago.
  • In order to reduce the number of people in the office, no visitors are allowed except for one parent for one or more minors or one visitor for patients requiring assistance for a disability. We recognize that there will be a number of exceptions to this rule and will work with you to accommodate your needs. Please call us ahead of time if you have a need to bring more than one visitor.
  • We will provide more open-spaced seating, and you will have the option to wait in the privacy of your car until your exam room is open.
  • We have removed all magazines, samples and other loose items from the waiting room and exam rooms so that efficient sterilization can be performed between each patient.

For patients seeking refills on skin care products or if you wish to learn more about CSI skin care, please visit us online https://shop.californiaskininstitute.com/shop/ to purchase and/or replenish your CSI skin care products. You may pay your CSI bill online https://web.caskin.com/billpay/ or by phone by calling: (408) 369-5620.

We look forward to seeing you soon and are committed to continuing our excellent care in a clean environment during this challenging time. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns.

Sincerely Yours,

CSI Physicians, Advanced Practitioners, Nursing Staff, Support Staff and Management

More information about the Shelter-In-Place:

The order directs all individuals living in California to shelter at their place of residence.  They may leave to provide or receive certain essential services or engage in certain essential activities and work for essential businesses and governmental services.  The order also prohibits all non-essential gatherings of any number of individuals and cessation of all non-essential travel.

For Santa Clara County residents:

Please see the frequently asked questions from Santa Clara County’s updated shelter in place for March 30, 2020, clarifying the role of the physician practice as an essential business.

I’m a medical provider – am I allowed to remain open for preventive and non-urgent care?

Yes, if you are a medical provider your office is encouraged to remain open. Under the Order, all medical services, including routine and preventive care, are considered essential. This includes, but is not limited to, mental health services, immunizations, well-woman exams,  allergy shots, eye exams, physical therapy, and surgeries. With the exception of dental services, preventive and non-urgent care should generally not be deferred (please see the following FAQ regarding dental services).  Many visits involve exams or procedures that must be done in person, but practitioners are encouraged to conduct appointments remotely via phone or telemedicine when it is appropriate and feasible to do so.

 

For more specific information on your county health department’s shelter-in-place please click below:

For the most authoritative, up-to-date and comprehensive information visit:


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