NEWS! | Three Lakes Medical Clinic, Vernon 250 542 1353

COVID 19 " CORONAVIRUS"

Please consider doing the BCCDC Covid 19 survey. This survey is not only extremely helpful for the BCCDC's continued good work against this infection, but you are given the option to sign up for serology testing , when available, to determine immunity against Covid 19. Link is here

This is an on line self-assessment tool for COVID 19 from BC Ministry of Health. Please look at this first before calling the Vernon UPCC or 811. THE LINK IS HERE

We are now able to test anyone we feel may have Covid 19. Please phone to discuss with your doctor.

If you feel very unwell and you think you need assessment at the hospital, call 911 if you feel you need an ambulance BUT always remember to warn the operator why you are calling so appropriate arrangements can be made.

ALL PEOPLE WHO HAVE ANY UPPER OR LOWER RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMS EG A COLD, EAR ACHE, CHESTY- OR ANYTHING SIMILAR- YOU ARE REQUIRED TO SELF ISOLATE FOR 2 WEEKS. We need to take these infections out of the community to make COVID 19 easier to spot and also because some of these in younger people may be COVID 19!

FOR INFORMATION ABOUT HOW TO SELF ISOLATE, PLEASE READ THIS DOCUMENT HERE

FOR A LEAFLET ABOUT TESTING AND ISOLATING CLICK HERE

Everybody should now be practicing social distancing, this leaflet explains how.

Please stay at home unless absolutely necessary

The Province has created a dedicated phone service to provide British Columbians non-medical information about COVID-19. This includes the latest information on travel recommendations and social distancing, as well as access to support and resources from the provincial and federal governments.

Service representatives can be reached seven days a week, from 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., by calling 1-888-COVID19 (1-888-268-4319). Information is available in more than 110 languages.

Up to date information from Interior Health can be found here

Further information from The BC Centre for Disease Control can be found here

Information from Healthlink BC can be found here

BC has developed a support app which is very helpful, to be found here

LETTER TO PATIENTS ABOUT REOPENING THE OFFICE

Dear Patients

As you will be aware, British Columbia is beginning a phased plan to slowly open up again, with businesses and services working in new ways compared to how they worked before the arrival of COVID.

This is only possible because we have all followed the instructions of Dr. Bonnie Henry, in particular physical distancing, hand washing and staying at home as much as possible.

COVID has not gone away, but the risk of one of us catching COVID and of COVID overwhelming healthcare has reduced.

It is very important that we go through these next steps cautiously and safely, so that the risk of overwhelming healthcare and the risk of you catching COVID do not both increase dramatically. It is important that you continue to follow the measures that Dr. Henry advises; it is through all of our behaviour that we will prevent COVID cases rising again.

Over the coming weeks and months, we will start provision of a slowly increasing amount of in- person healthcare in our offices and provide some of the routine healthcare that could be safely suspended at the beginning of this pandemic, such as screening, through a stepwise plan. This plan will only progress as long as the risk of COVID to all of us remains low.

In the first instance, we will continue to see patients virtually, via video or on the telephone. Where we deem it necessary, not just for urgent conditions or conditions we couldn’t diagnose without doing a physical examination, but for some examinations needed for chronic diseases or some screening for example—face to face care will now occur in our own offices.

The reasons we will not see everyone in-person are as follows:

● We have to continue to reduce COVID risk in our offices through physical distancing, which will reduce the amount of people we can have in our office at any one time.
● The risk of COVID has not gone away—consequently, the regional Health Authorities require us to wear PPE (masks and eye protection) during all in-person encounters. PPE remains in short supply worldwide—therefore we have to be economical with its usage.
● We have to clean our exam rooms frequently and thoroughly to ensure you are not at risk of catching COVID from your visit- this will reduce the number of people we can see in our office each day.
● We know that virtual care is safe and effective in a number of conditions and welcomed by a number of our patients as more convenient.

We want to reassure you that safe care will continue to occur, and that you will be seen in- person if it is clinically necessary. This does not mean that everyone can be seen back in the office, but over time we anticipate seeing more of you in the office as long as COVID cases do not rise.

Please remember our office is open and providing care, though PLEASE DO NOT TURN UP IN-PERSON UNLESS IT IS PRE-ARRANGED. Our door will be locked in between patients. We can be contacted by phone/email in the usual way.

NEWSLETTER

COVID 19 " CORONAVIRUS"

LETTER TO PATIENTS ABOUT REOPENING THE OFFICE

Dear Patients

As you will be aware, British Columbia is beginning a phased plan to slowly open up again, with businesses and services working in new ways compared to how they worked before the arrival of COVID.

This is only possible because we have all followed the instructions of Dr. Bonnie Henry, in particular physical distancing, hand washing and staying at home as much as possible.

COVID has not gone away, but the risk of one of us catching COVID and of COVID overwhelming healthcare has reduced.

The reasons we will not see everyone in-person are as follows:

● We have to continue to reduce COVID risk in our offices through physical distancing, which will reduce the amount of people we can have in our office at any one time.

● The risk of COVID has not gone away—consequently, the regional Health Authorities require us to wear PPE (masks and eye protection) during all in-person encounters. PPE remains in short supply worldwide—therefore we have to be economical with its usage.

● We have to clean our exam rooms frequently and thoroughly to ensure you are not at risk of catching COVID from your visit- this will reduce the number of people we can see in our office each day.

● We know that virtual care is safe and effective in a number of conditions and welcomed by a number of our patients as more convenient.

We want to reassure you that safe care will continue to occur, and that you will be seen in- person if it is clinically necessary. This does not mean that everyone can be seen back in the office, but over time we anticipate seeing more of you in the office as long as COVID cases do not rise.

Please remember our office is open and providing care, though PLEASE DO NOT TURN UP IN-PERSON UNLESS IT IS PRE-ARRANGED. Our door will be locked in between patients. We can be contacted by phone/email in the usual way.

Drs Hayward, Henley, Henley, Raupach and Schuch

NEWSLETTER

COVID 19 " CORONAVIRUS"

LETTER TO PATIENTS ABOUT REOPENING THE OFFICE

Dear Patients

As you will be aware, British Columbia is beginning a phased plan to slowly open up again, with businesses and services working in new ways compared to how they worked before the arrival of COVID.

This is only possible because we have all followed the instructions of Dr. Bonnie Henry, in particular physical distancing, hand washing and staying at home as much as possible.

​

COVID has not gone away, but the risk of one of us catching COVID and of COVID overwhelming healthcare has reduced.

​

​

​

The reasons we will not see everyone in-person are as follows:

● We have to continue to reduce COVID risk in our offices through physical distancing, which will reduce the amount of people we can have in our office at any one time.

● The risk of COVID has not gone away—consequently, the regional Health Authorities require us to wear PPE (masks and eye protection) during all in-person encounters. PPE remains in short supply worldwide—therefore we have to be economical with its usage.

● We have to clean our exam rooms frequently and thoroughly to ensure you are not at risk of catching COVID from your visit- this will reduce the number of people we can see in our office each day.

● We know that virtual care is safe and effective in a number of conditions and welcomed by a number of our patients as more convenient.

​

We want to reassure you that safe care will continue to occur, and that you will be seen in- person if it is clinically necessary. This does not mean that everyone can be seen back in the office, but over time we anticipate seeing more of you in the office as long as COVID cases do not rise.

​

Please remember our office is open and providing care, though PLEASE DO NOT TURN UP IN-PERSON UNLESS IT IS PRE-ARRANGED. Our door will be locked in between patients. We can be contacted by phone/email in the usual way.

​

Drs Hayward, Henley, Henley, Raupach and Schuch