Robin Prober is back for a guest post. She partnered with some of her friends to bring us this comprehensive COVID-19 checklist. It is designed to keep you, your team and your patients safe while offering superb care. Review, make it your own and share with your team.
*Please note this is NOT legal advice, just a combination of a lot of research. As new guidance comes out, your should reevaluate your processes and adjust accordingly.
We also created this awesome infographic for you to send to your patients via text or email so they can (at a glance) see your new protocols before they come into the practice. Put your logo up top and send away.
COVID-19 Protocol
Employees:
- Daily temperature taken upon their arrival
- No uniform is to be worn outside of the office whether at lunch or day end.
- Employee consent reviewed and signed prior to working during COVID-19
- Sideguard safety glasses to worn and if you wear lopes, they must have side shields as well
- Disposable jackets/gowns available
- N95 masks for all employees in clinical setting are to be worn along with a level 1, 2, 3 masks
- Face Shields available
- Level 1 masks to be worn by administrative team at all times
- Closed toed shoes required for all administrative team
- Isolites will be in all treatment rooms to be used in addition to high vac. No saliva ejectors to be used until further notice.
- Hand wash before and after every patient. Handwash throughout day for all administrative team.
- No communal food to be placed on breakroom table for everyone to enjoy.
- When in the break room, if there are multiple people taking a break or lunch time, we ask that you keep the 6’ distancing rule. Highly recommend taking lunch outside the breakroom as much as possible.
- Morning huddles will be utilizing the 6’ distance between each other along with wearing face masks
- Check-In Desk closed until further notice – Coffee machine, magazines, toys, brochures, etc. to be thrown away or stored out of site.
- Treatment check outs done in the treatment room as much as possible to eliminate a lot of treatment stopping at Treatment Coordinator desk
- We will collect for today’s services when they call and let us know they are here as much as we can
- Treatment consents to be signed in treatment rooms. Pens to be wiped down after use.
- All employees oversee wiping down their respected work areas every 30-60 minutes throughout the day.
- All employees need to rotate wiping down the patient and employee bathroom door handles, faucet handles and toilet flusher. Will ask the Rover to oversee this task.
- We ask that upon arrival home for the day, you immediately shower and wash your clothes and towel before interacting with your family and/or sitting in your home. Shoes not to enter the home as well.
- COVID Antibody testing for all team members
Office/Patients
- Patients are phone screened prior to making an appointment
- Temperature taken prior to entering office
- Greet patient at door, temperature taken and if under 100.5, clinical team member escorts them to treatment room. If they have a mask, please ask them to wear to and from treatment room
- All doors are open so no need to handle doorknobs entering the building or treatment area
- Once patient is in the treatment room, they are asked to wash their hands
- Rinse for 1 minute with 1% Hydrogen Peroxide. Patient is asked to spit back into the cup and suctioned, not spit into sink
- Patient Health Histories will be sent ahead via email
- Consent forms for treatment will be done in treatment rooms. Wipe down pens after each use.
- All patients MUST wear eye protection when in the treatment room
- COVID-19 template in Dentrix to be used along with your standard notes for every patient, each time they are seen
- Chair covers to be used for each patient
- Treatment keyboards to be covered
- Overhead light handles to be covered
- Only 1 patient in the treatment room at a time with the exception for a small child
- All magazines, pamphlets in the front area removed
- All giveaway pens removed
- All suckers removed
- Toybox removed
- Listerine, cups removed from the patient bathroom
- We are avoiding seating patients in neighboring treatment rooms to the best of our ability
- Air purifiers have been purchased to remove any bacteria in the air. 1 to be placed out front, the other 2 will be placed in the back on both ends of the building.
- For all enclosed rooms, an individual air purifier with UVC has been added
Other Recourses
COVID-19 Patient Screening Questions
Supply Checklist
Patient Welcome Back Letter
ADA Return to Work Toolkit
Robin Prober has been in the dental field for over 25 years. She has provided many dental practices with her services as a dental consultant increasing productivity and strengthening the well being of many dental teams as well as dentists themselves. She is a “people person” who wholeheartedly provides her expertise and knowledge into valuable practice management and marketing strategies for your practice.
She is a native San Diegan, born and raised in La Jolla with a BA in Sociology from UCLA. Robin provides team members and dentists sound solutions that guide you towards overall success and happiness.
[email protected]
858 204 6622
