Memorandum – COVID-19
March 16th, 2020
To Our Patients,
During these trying times, we are proud to still be there for you and your families’ dental needs. We are taking proper precautions to remain in operation. We are following updates from the CDC and responding to recommendations from the governing authorities specific to our 3 locations at Rockefeller Center, 37th & Park and SLimDental Kids on 1400 York Ave. We will remain open at reduced capacity. This means our offices are open with minimal staff, doctors and hygienists to perform necessary and emergency procedures. We will be postponing non-urgent and elective procedures.
SLimDental and SLim Dental Kids employees and patients who are considered at risk of severe reaction to potential COVID-19 exposure will not be allowed in the office. This includes those with underlying conditions, the elderly and immunocompromised. Telephone pre-screening will be conducted prior to any visits. We will postpone appointments a minimum of 14 days if patients answer YES to any of the following questions:
- Have you traveled within the last 2 weeks to any of the countries with Level III Health Notices? China; Iran; South Korea; Europe (Schengen Area): Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Monaco, San Marino, Vatican City; United Kingdom and Ireland: England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland.
- Are you experiencing fever, fatigue, dry cough or difficulty breathing?
- Have you been exposed to anyone confirmed to have the COVID-19 virus or anyone indirectly suspected of having it through contact with a positive carrier of the virus?
- Is the treatment you would like to come in for elective?
In addition we will screen body temperature immediately upon arrival and verify these questions again upon arrival as an added measure to turn away potentially exposed staff or patients from our waiting room. Finally, we have implemented the following changes inside of our offices:
- Patients will be asked to wash hands in the operatory room and rinse with 1% hydrogen peroxide solution before any treatment.
- We will clean and disinfect public areas frequently, including door handles, chairs and bathrooms.
- We will uphold and maintain our usual rigorous sterilization and disinfecting procedures.
- We have removed all reading materials and children’s toys/books from our waiting rooms.
We hope these measures will help “flatten the curve” and slow down the spread and severity of COVID-19 for our patients, staff, friends and loved ones. We hope that these measures will help our community’s front line medical and emergency responders as well as help preserve supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE). Rest assured we are doing our part to navigate through the situation moment by moment. If you or your family have any questions regarding our extra steps and techniques at this time, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Sincerely,
Stephen Lim, D.D.S.
