It is hard to believe that the COVID-19 pandemic has been ongoing for nearly a year. To say that it has been life-changing and disruptive is an understatement. During the pandemic, it has been especially challenging to provide safe healthcare with “stay at home” restrictions and when information about infection transmission seemed to change by the day.
Cancers and chronic conditions like crohn’s and colitis continue despite the pandemic. In fact, there has been an increase in conditions like irritable bowel syndrome and GERD due to the stresses of the pandemic.
The physicians and staff at Gateway Gastroenterology have continued to provide excellent care despite the challenges and are constantly updating policies and procedures for safe healthcare delivery. Those policies and procedures are implemented on a daily basis both in the office and in the endoscopy suite.
In addition to safety measures such as the utilization of N95s and regular deep cleaning, the physicians and staff have been vaccinated. We understand the concerns about safety and infection transmission, but because of the vaccine, feel even more confident providing excellent care to our patients with all types of gastrointestinal conditions.
We hope that ALL patients will feel more comfortable seeking care and that those who may have deferred routine screening return to the office or endoscopy suite. COVID-19 has been deadly. Let’s not let the virus become even more deadly by deferring healthcare screenings which could have the potential to increase the morbidity and mortality from treatable gastrointestinal cancers and conditions.
Call the office to arrange your follow-up visit or screening endoscopic procedure and know that you will receive excellent care from a team that prioritizes your safety.