Coronavirus Clinic Procedures

We have created clinic procedures to increase safety during the COVID-19 Pandemic in direct accordance with federal CDC & OSHA guidelines. These procedures include pre-screening, social distancing within the clinic, personal protective gear (PPEs), and a new treatment space design. In addition to heightened cleaning & disinfection, the clinic now offers a touchless payment process and important new ways to communicate with our new clinic scheduling & medical records system, Jane.

Pre-screening

Patients will complete an online survey before each appointment to gather information about your condition, ensure  privacy, and limit acupuncturists’ exposures to pathogens during interview times. Patients need to complete their online survey the day before the appointment to ensure the acupuncturist has reviewed your concerns.
So how does it work? After you schedule your appointment, you’ll receive an email with a link to your check-in survey. Follow the link to your survey (your surveys will vary as your condition changes) and answer the questions.This is a new procedure for returning patients.

Patients will receive temperature screenings at their appointments. If your reading is over 100F we will not be able to give you acupuncture. Due to the risk exposures a fevered person brings, as well as the cost and effort of decontamination, patients who come to the clinic with a fever will not be reimbursed for the session.

If you have had a fever, cough, shortness of breath, vomiting, or diarrhea in the last 10 days, please do not come in for treatments.

If you have tested positive for the coronavirus or live with someone who has tested positive in the last 14 days, we ask that you schedule a telehealth session so our director can assess you further, provide you with support so you feel better as fast as possible, and are able to come in for more care in the future.

Appointment Mechanics: Payment types accepted

By Appointment only. Our new Coronavirus containing clinic procedures include no walk-in appointments. Patients mush have an appointment before arriving at the clinic. You can schedule using our online scheduling system or by calling (813) 237-8920.

Appointments are now prepaid. You will pay a deposit at the time you schedule and complete payment before your session.

Patients now will fill out an online check-in form 24 hours before your scheduled appointment.

Once you arrive at the clinic, please call (813) 237-8920 from your car or the patio and wait for the staff to provide more information and let you inside the building.

We now offer touchless payment. Patients pre-pay for their appointments through our new scheduling system before coming inside the building. No cash will be accepted at this time.

Patients wait in their car or outside the clinic building until their appointment time  No chairs are available for waiting inside our reception area. People accompanying the patient should wait in their car.

Appointment times are not a suggested arrival time. Please arrive 10-15 minutes before your scheduled appointment so you can be in your chair at your appointment time. Late arrivals may not receive care if the clinic is full or the acupuncturist is with another patient.

PPEs and Physical Proteions

COVID-19 clinic procedures require that everyone wear a mask while on clinic property. If you don’t have one already, you can purchase masks from us. We offer two kinds: regular fabric masks with filters (for $10) and hybrid fabric masks (for $25).

Staff will wear scrubs, masks, and surgical caps; the acupuncturists will additionally wear KN95 and face shields.

We also have put a plastic barrier in front of the products for sale in Reception. If you’d like to purchase a product, please ask the staff at the front desk for help. Plastic barriers like this help us with cleaning and air control.

Please keep your shoes, jackets, hats, bags, etc. on your person until you are at your chair once your arrive at the clinic. We are no longer using a coat rack in reception. All the possessions you bring with you need to fit inside the plastic bin we provide at your treatment chair.

Please be sure to wear your mask in the bathroom and wash your hands. And be sure to close the lid to the toilet before flushing! Virus particles enter the air when toilets are flushed if the lid is open.

Social Distancing & Traffic Flow

We miss seeing you!! Even though we would love to hug you, we ask that you maintain a 6′ distance between you and other people at the clinic.

We have removed chairs in the reception area to direct flow into treatments areas and lessen risks of exposure.

Floor markings and signs identify where to stand to maintain social distancing: outside bathrooms, the kitchen, and in reception.

Our chairs have always been more than 6 feet apart. We’ve re-arranged the treatment space to assure additional spacing during your acupuncture session.

The physical layout in the treatment areas has been optimized to limit the circulation of airborne pathogens.

We will treat up to 6-8 appointments each hour. Appointments are staggered 10 minutes apart.

In the past, we had 18 chairs in the clinic and offered unlimited rest time. We now have 13 chairs and are limiting rest time as needed. Having 13 chairs allows us to keep about 8-10 feet between our treatment recliners and only 1 person in the reception area at a time. You will see each chair has a plastic tray available to stow your shoes and bags during your session.

We will have one staff-only bathroom and one patient bathroom. The Red Bathroom, next to where the Zine Distro was, is the patients bathroom.

The Red Room is no longer a treatment space available to patients. All treatments will be done in the large Tile Room or the Pergo Room.

Sanitation and Hygiene: Stepped-up cleaning and disinfecting

Hand sanitizer use is required by everyone in the building. We ask that you sanitize your hands when you enter the building and after your treatment.

We use hospital-grade disinfectants and clean touch surfaces throughout the day. We don’t hide our cleaning from your — but we do strive to be quiet while we clean!

Clinic support staff wipe down surfaces in the bathroom after each person.

Cotton linens on treatment chairs are changed after each session.

Increased infection control training and poster campaigns have been put in place to encourage everyone to keep up with heightened sanitation!

High-efficiency air purifiers with UV-C are located throughout the clinic.

Clinic staff are monitored for their health and well-being and temperature checks occur before each shift.

What *You* Can Do

Do your best to optimize your immunity. Washing your hands regularly, not touching your face, cleaning your phone, staying hydrated, eating your favorite healthy foods, getting rest, and enjoying our beautiful weather are all great ways to optimize your immunity.

When we wash our hands we literally send the virus down the drain. Not touching our faces will prevent the virus from getting inside through our eyes, nose, and mouth.

What About Acupuncture?

Acupuncture does not treat the Coronavirus. But. Acupuncture is often used to treat stress, anxiety, insomnia, and tension – all things this virus might indirectly cause. Acupuncture can boost your immunity, help you sleep, and community acupuncture can give you a safe space to feel connected to others.

Now is the time to reconnect. To take care of ourselves and loved ones, and check in on our neighbors. It’s time to re-build community.