While it appears that our combined efforts at social distancing have impacted the COVID-19 epidemic, it is still unclear when we will be able to resume our “pre-pandemic” lives. Unfortunately, our health and more specifically chronic medical conditions, cannot be put on hold. In fact, there are public health concerns regarding the potential future costs of this pandemic on individual and community health. Please know that the staff at Gateway Gastroenterology understands these concerns and have implemented strategies to safely provide care to those patients who are experiencing GI problems.
We continue to see patients in the office and via telemedicine. We can safely arrange lab monitoring, imaging, and can perform outpatient procedures in a safe environment with enhanced safety measures in order to protect our patients and staff. In many instances, an appropriate outpatient evaluation is critical in preventing worsening disease, emergency room or urgent care visits, and unnecessary hospitalizations.
We ARE performing procedures at the Gateway Endoscopy Center and look forward to increasing our ability to care for even more patients as our post-pandemic life begins to come into focus. To protect patients and staff the center has adopted enhanced infection prevention strategies based on CDC recommendations. All staff and visitors to the center are screened for symptoms and are mandated to have temperature checks. Anyone with a fever is sent home! Drivers are asked to wait in their vehicle but can enter the building (after having their temperature checked) to assist patients after procedures. Our staff is keenly aware of infection risk, sterile technique, and the importance of appropriate infection control measures. However, given the increased concerns regarding the novel coronavirus, additional measures such as disinfecting of high touch surfaces with a product specifically designed to kill the virus that causes COVID-19 have been implemented. Those surfaces are disinfected hourly. Likewise, patient bays, procedure rooms, and stretchers are disinfected with those same products. Staff members involved in direct patient care are wearing masks and eye protection to both protect themselves and our patients. Please contact the office with any questions or concerns so we can help you manage your digestive problems during this difficult time.