Your family’s health is very important to us. Here are our Covid-policies that we have implemented to minimize transmission and do our part to decrease illness and hospitalization.
Environment
Exposure Prevention
Covid-positive Clients
Post Exposure Management
Environment
- We have installed a hands free sanitizing gel station at the entry to the office.
- We are wiping down counters, door handles, bathroom fixtures, light switches, etc., multiple times per day.
- The HVAC system installed at the clinic is medical grade and provides 9.3 air changes per hour (more than the 8 per hour required for NICU and patient care rooms).
exposure prevention
- Clients are asked not to come early to their visits and to bring the minimum number of people to the office. We request that children stay at home whenever possible.
- Clients are required to wear a mask while at the birth center.
- Children over the age of five must be masked, and “best efforts” must be made to mask children between the ages of two and five.
- Naturopathic clients are prioritized to telemedicine options whenever possible. Well Child visits, vaccines, annual exams, and health conditions requiring physical exam are still seen in office. Most acute visits can be done through telemedicine in the client’s car with the clinician providing physical exam in the care as needed.
- Midwifery client visits are being spaced using telemedicine visits roughly every other visit (as appropriate). Interviews are all telemedicine. Visits are all in-person starting at 36 wks, though much of the visit can be done telemedicine with only a brief visit in the office for vitals. First visits are scheduled telemedicine until 10wks unless there is some extenuating reason for needing an in-person visit.
- Laboring clients are Covid screened upon arrival in labor. After a negative covid results masks are optional during laboring.
- Laboring clients are limited to two Covid negative support people during labor. Exceptions can be requested if the whole team is vaccinated.
- Water birth and nitrous oxide are still available as tools during labor.
- Anyone with signs of Covid is referred for Covid testing (not done here in office) and cannot be seen until cleared from isolation/quarantine based on current CDC guidelines.
- All clinicians wear masks during all patient interactions.
- The birth center has temporarily suspended home deliveries in the interest of minimizing exposure to the clinicians. Home visits are still provided, but the families are asked to wear masks and minimize the number of people in their home environment while the midwife visiting.
Covid-positive clients
- Clients with Covid or Covid exposure are excluded from office visits until their relevant isolation and/or quarantine period (per CDC guidelines). They can be seen by telemedicine.
- Midwifery clients that are Covid positive during the last month of pregnancy will be referred to a hospital based midwifery practice for appropriate prenatal care. If they complete their isolation/quarantine before delivery they are encouraged to come back to care with us.
- Midwifery clients that are Covid positive during their delivery are welcome to return to postpartum care once their isolation/quarantine is completed.
- Babies born to Covid-positive clients require a 14 day quarantine and therefore cannot be seen my the midwifery team. They will be referred to community-based resources that can provide the appropriate safety precautions during necessary checkups within those first 14 days.
post exposure management
- Naturopathic doctors who are well but in quarantine may be able to provide telemedicine visits remotely. Physical exams and vaccines visits will be scheduled for follow up visits after the quarantine period is ended.
- Midwives who are well but in quarantine may be able to provide telemedicine visits remotely. If other midwives are available to attend in person visits, then the schedule will be altered to allow for this.
- If multiple midwives are Covid positive then the clinic may need to temporarily suspend deliveries. Midwives from other practices may be called in if possible, or families will be referred to a hospital based practice if necessary.