COVID-19 UPDATE

Amherst Pediatrics

March 27, 2020

Amherst Pediatrics continues to modify our operations in an effort to keep our families (both yours and ours) safe, while providing the best possible care to our communities. We will also continue to keep you up to date on the things we think you need to know as we navigate the uncharted waters of this pandemic. To that end, we will be sending these important updates to you via MyChart to keep you informed. We know you are inundated with emails and messages from all directions, but please check all emails that come your way from us so we can keep you up to date on important information. Please also check our website, as it is being updated frequently.

New Office Hours

Amherst Pediatrics will be open Monday-Friday 8:00 AM - 4:45 PM.

We are temporarily suspending our extended office hours (5:00 - 7:00 PM).

We are temporarily suspending our weekend office hours.

After hours, we will continue to be available as usual by phone for urgent matters and will schedule you for a virtual visit if indicated by the circumstances.

Well Care Visits

We continue to balance the importance of social isolation with the importance of maintaining health. Because your child’s well care visit is an important part of health maintenance, with their vaccines being a critical part of this, we are following the recommendations and guidance of the AAP and scheduling infant and toddler well care visits that are associated with vaccinations. Patients scheduled for well-care visits will be seen during hours designated for well care visits only, and will be roomed in a designated well-care corridor.

Sick Visits

On the advice of the CDC and the AAP we are strongly advising that people who are ill remain at home when possible, rather than being seen in person by a health care provider. We are very fortunate to be up and running with the ability to schedule Virtual Visits through our MyChart patient portal. By seeing you "virtually", we can continue to provide you with care and advice, while keeping you safe at home. Please see our Virtual Visits page for detailed information on how to prepare for your virtual visit.

We continue to see a small number of urgent care patients in our office for whom virtual visits are not appropriate. All patient seen either virtually or in our office are screend vor COVID-19 risk factors. Only patients who screen NEGATIVE will be allowed to schedule an in-office appointment, when deemd appropriate. If your child is scheduled for an in-office visit, we ask that they be accompanied by a single parent or guardian to protect the safety of our staff and the community. Patients 18 years of age and older will be required to enter alone.

Amherst Pediatrics takes your health and safety very seriously. We continue to keep our exam room spaces cleaned and disinfected between patients, and to facilitate social distancing while you are in our office.

The Importance of Social Distancing

Social distancing is a tool experts recommend to slow the spread of a disease passing from person to person. Simply put, it means that people stay far enough away from each other so that the coronavirus cannot spread from one person to another. Social distancing is the BEST WAY for each of us to do our part to contain the spread of the virus! It is vitally important for everyone to practice social distancing to the greatest extent possible.

Social Distancing Means...

• Staying home as much as possible
• Talking on the phone, texting, or video-chatting instead of meeting up in person
• Keeping 6 feet away from others
• Avoiding public transportation
• Limiting travel
• Working from home if you can
• Skipping social gatherings and crowded spaces
• Disinfecting surfaces frequently
• Not touching others, including handshakes
• Not sharing items you've touched
• Following guidelines for effective hand washing

Health Smrt Behaviors...

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
• If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer (minimum 60% alcohol)
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth
• Keep at least 6 feet away from people
• Stay home when you are sick and keep 6 feet away from others
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces
• Don’t share items such as food, drinks, utensils, vapes, or similar items
• If you your child is sick, call us and we can determine if they need to be scheduled for a Virtual Visit or be seen in our office

► Click here to view our COVID-19 UPDATE archive