05/14/2020
COVID-19 Office Update
To Our Patients:
We hope this correspondence finds you and your family in good health. Our community has been through a lot over the last few months, and all of us are looking forward to resuming our normal habits and routines.
While many things have changed due to the COVID-19 outbreak, one thing has remained the same: our commitment to your safety.
Infection control has always been a top priority for our practice and you may have seen this during your visits to our office. Our infection control processes are made so that when you receive care, it’s both safe and comfortable. We want to tell you about the infection control procedures we follow in our practice to keep patients and staff safe.
Our office follows infection control recommendations made by the American Dental Association (ADA), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). We follow the activities of these agencies so that we are up-to-date on any new rulings or guidance that may be issued.
You may see some changes when it is time for your next appointment. We made these changes to help protect our patients and staff. For example:
• All of our staff has received extensive training on the new guidelines and protocols that have been implemented by the CDC and Iowa Dental Board to ensure patient safety as we return to patient care.
• All staff are screened daily and have daily temperature checks performed to ensure their health prior to beginning patient care.
• Our office will communicate with you when confirming your appointment to ask some screening questions. You’ll be asked those same questions again when you are in the office.
• You will receive a pre-appointment temperature screening before entering the office for both your safety and the safety of our staff.
• We have hand sanitizer that we will ask you to use when you enter the office. You will also find some in the reception area and other places in the office for you to use as needed.
• You may see that our waiting room will no longer offer magazines, children’s toys and so forth, since those items are difficult to clean and disinfect.
• Appointments will be managed to allow for social distancing between patients. That might mean that you’re offered fewer options for scheduling your appointment.
We look forward to seeing you again and are happy to answer any questions you may have about the steps we take to keep you, and every patient, safe in our practice. To make an appointment, please call our office at (563) 556-0234
Thank you for being our patient. We value your trust and loyalty and look forward to welcoming back our patients, neighbors and friends.
Sincerely,
Dr. Joe, Dr. Mark, and the Staff of Wertz and Schemmel Dental Associates
