Physical Therapy Specialists Response to COVID-19

Our top priority is the protection of the health and wellness of our patients and staff.

In the current environment, and for the foreseeable future, we will be diligently following all safety precautions related to COVID19 including recommendations of The Center of Disease Control (CDC), American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), and the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) as well as any following all local directives.

Outpatient physical therapy is one of the essential healthcare services that has been advised to continue to operate to keep patients in the community and frontline workers ambulatory, and out of emergency rooms.

We will remain open to accommodate patients who are in need of in-clinic physical therapy.

In efforts to prevent infection spread, we are working hard to maintain a safe environment for your safety, and the safety of our staff. We already maintain a clean environment and we have increased our cleaning frequency to take extra precautions. We will be sanitizing equipment and treatment tables before and after each patient. We will be using cleaning chemicals, approved by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to be effective against SARS-CoV-2 viruses.

Prompt identification and isolation of potentially infectious individuals is a critical step in protecting our staff and patients.
We will be doing an electronic safety check-ins/health screening at the time of appointment until no longer advised.

Any patient who schedules will be asked the following screening questions:

  1. If they have any symptoms of cold, or flu including sore throat, slight fever, cough, shortness of breath, or reduced sense of smell or taste.
  2. If they have had close contact with a person confirmed to have the COVID-19 coronavirus.

If yes, to any of these questions, our staff will help them reschedule their appointment to a more appropriate time.

We require our patients:

  • To bring their own face coverings (masks or scarves) and gloves until no longer advised.
  • Please do not bring ANY guests to the office, unless essential caregivers.
  • To wash hands or sanitize gloves immediately when entering office before checking in.
  • To notify us one business day prior to cancellation/rescheduling, however if any symptoms start on the same day as appointment, to call us immediately to cancel­.
  • New Patients fill in “Patient Portal Invitation” before appointment to reduce time in waiting area. Email will be sent with instructions on how to access the patient portal immediately after scheduling.

Check in stations are 6 feet apart. If both check in stations are occupied, we will ask you to wait in a safety area to limit the number of patients in our waiting area at any time. We will also be maintaining 6 feet apart in gym exercise area from other patients.

After check in, therapist will come out to take you directly to a private room.

ADMINISTRATIVE CONTROLS

Physical Therapy Specialists will be providing our employees with personal protective equipment (PPE) needed to keep you and them safe while performing their jobs.

  • Consistently and properly worn when required.
  • Regularly inspected, maintained and replaced as necessary.
  • Properly removed, cleaned and stored or disposed of, as applicable, to avoid contamination of self, others, or the environment.

The Physical Therapy Specialists staff will be following social distancing guidelines by keeping all patients 6 feet away from other staff members or patients as much as possible.

Treating staff currently will be wearing the following PPE (masks, gloves) during all treatments until deemed safe to remove by regulatory agencies or detrimental to providing optimal treatment. In addition, all staff will be washing hands or sanitizing many times a day, before and after each patient, and have access to alcohol-based hand rubs containing at least 60% alcohol.

Any employee is required to stay at home if they are sick.

We also want to take this opportunity to share a way that you can have physical therapy at your home through a secure Telehealth option. Visit our Telehealth page to learn more or call 310-273-7800 or email physicaltherapyofbh@gmail.com to schedule your appointment.