While the COVID-19 pandemic is largely over, we are continuing many of our infection control upgrades. This helps to minimize not just the transmission of COVID-19, but of other infectious illnesses as well. As a healthcare facility that serves a variety of patients, including people more vulnerable to serious illness and death from common infections, it seems only right to continue to do what we can to protect them.
Staff basic practices, training & support
Our practitioners are the heart of our clinic, and are also the most likely to contract a viral illness from patients due to their extended contact in an enclosed space. Because of that we have created extensive documentation for practitioners to help guide them as they navigate our new clinical reality. We have done hands-on training, and retrain periodically.
Our entire staff has taken the basic series of COVID-19 vaccinations, and many take an annual flu shot. We encourage our practitioners to take any vaccines that are relevant to our work as healthcare providers.
Practitioners are encouraged, above all, not to come to work if even slightly ill, and to follow commonsense hand and cough hygiene practices not just at work but elsewhere as well. There are stringent protocols regarding hand hygiene, PPE and behavior when practitioners are engaged in patient care.
Sanitation & Linens
We use a disinfection product called mPerial. It has very low toxicity and is readily biodegradable. It has been shown to be broadly antiviral and is on the EPA registered list of healthcare facility disinfectants. You can read more about this product here and here.
Within Suite #308 cleaning is done frequently on all high touch surfaces, and at least twice a day anywhere people have been. Frequency will depend on patient volume and the overall situation with regards to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The treatment rooms are cleaned between every patient, and thoroughly disinfected at the end of the day. Our sanitation protocol includes a changeout of all linens (including blankets), cleaning of all surfaces, increased air filtration and flow.
We have engaged a professional laundry service, Alsco, to handle our linens. You can learn more about their services and standards here. We have also made changes to the treatment tables themselves, creating disinfectable non-porous surfaces anywhere patients may have contact.
We have additional disinfection steps for nearly everything in the clinic including:
- Glass fire cups, guasha and other Chinese medicine treatment implements
- Our personal items including phones and keys
- Anything patients contact, including cups, iPads and hand sanitizer pump handles
PPE
As of July 2023, practitioners are no longer required to wear face coverings at work. However, some continue to choose to use them, and they will always mask up if a patient arrives masked, or asks for their practitioner to be masked. We are here to ensure your comfort and safety!
Some practitioners have opted into the use of surgical scrubs or labcoats in order to minimize potential contamination of their personal clothing. These are laundered appropriately.
Filtration and airflow
We have added high quality HEPA filters to all treatment rooms & common spaces and have rearranged our treatment room layout so the majority of rooms have an opening window to allow for fresh air. We monitor and maintain our filters appropriately to ensure they are maximally effective.