Updated: 3.23.20
Appointments
In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the CDC is encouraging medical practices to provide Telehealth visits instead of in-person visits whenever possible. As a result we have limited our office visits and greatly expanded our Telehealth capacity. Furthermore, a vast majority of insurance plans (including Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois) have announced they have extended coverage for Telehealth visits with Primary Care Providers (PCP’s). If you are experiencing a fever, cough, sore throat or difficulty breathing or if you have had close contact with someone who is suspected of having COVID-19; please do not schedule a traditional office visit. Instead, please schedule a Telehealth visit to help minimize exposure to our staff and other patients.
Office Visits
There are some types of appointments for which Telehealth is not practical. For patients that do need be seen in-office, we are taking the following steps to reduce exposure to other patients:
If you drive to the appointment, we ask that you wait in your car until we have an exam room ready for you.
Please text us at 773-832-8700 when you arrive. Please include your name and appointment time.
When an exam room is ready we will send you a text message asking you to come in and directing you strait to an exam room thereby avoiding the need to wait in the lobby.
If you rely on other means of transportation and don’t have a car to wait in, we have a limited amount of chairs spaced apart in our waiting area. Please try to plan your travel so that you arrive on time but not excessively early.
communication
During this pandemic we are committed to doing everything possible to ensure our patients receive the care, medication, and information they need. In order to help us accomplish this, we ask that you help minimize the influx of phone calls by using the patient portal whenever possible. Doing so ensures your message bypasses the front desk and is communicated directly to a member of our clinical team. Remember, you can use the patient portal to request refills, check the status of a prescription or referral, and view your test results. Please note:
We will make every effort to respond to portal messages by the end of the day (for messages that are received by 3:00 pm).
If you are having difficulty accessing the patient portal, call our front desk for assistance at 773-832-8700 Ext 0. If possible, please try to be in front of a computer when you call.
Testing
Given how new COVID-19 is, government approved test kits are in very short supply. In fact, as of this writing in Illinois they can only be administered in select healthcare facilities (mostly hospitals) and only once the facility has obtained an individual authorization number from Department of Public Health. Generally speaking, they will only be granted an authorization number to administer the test if the patient is:
Experiencing a fever, cough, sore throat or difficulty breathing
and
Recently (within the past 14 days) traveled to country or region designated as high risk (China, Italy, Japan, or South Korea as of this writing).
Or have had close contact with someone who has traveled one of these countries/regions and was sick.
Or have had close contact with someone who has been identified the the Department of Public Health as being suspected of having COVID-19.
One such facility that we are affiliated with is AMITA - St. Joseph Hospital (2900 N Lake Shore Drive). If you meet this criteria, please call them in advance so they may advice you of any additional protocols they may have implemented. The direct number to their Emergency Rooms nursing station is 773-665-3086.
Lastly, while very few people currently meet the criteria to be tested for COVID-19, it’s not uncommon for people who fear they may have COVID-19 to actually have the flu. As a result, testing positive for the flu can explain the symptoms and alleviate the need for Coronavirus testing. In most cases, we can accommodate flu testing in our office.