Community Chat

[Katcat1]

At my PCP's office chairs are always lined up in rows horizontally in the middle of the room and also along 2 walls.  Everything has changed.  First of all you are greeted outside the office for a temperature check and handed a piece of paper with your temperature on it to give to the person that calls your name.  All the chairs were removed in the middle of the room and it was completely empty.  Chairs along 2 walls were turned to face the wall and every 3rd chair was faced out so you could sit.  The receptionist took your name but you were standing 6 feet away.  There were markers on the floor so you knew where to stand.  Everyone wore a mask.  The receptionists did not schedule any returning appts. and you were asked to call.  There was only one other patient waiting in the room.   I can say one thing -- they really took precautions to keep their staff and you safe.

[haddon9]

That's good to hear...honestly I would hate to work in a doctor's office now.

[San Antonio Gal]

@Katcat1  - That's good to hear that precautions are being met.  When I went to my PCP,  the nurse practitioner came out to my car and stood 6 feet away while we talked.  I appreciated the drive through service and not having to enter the doctor's office.

[Shelbelle]

Some offices really going the extra mile to be compliant, i found even my nail salon followed very similar rules quite strictly, even had to sign a paper in there too. 

[Krimpette]

I called the office when I arrived for my appointment.  Sat in my car until I texted that it was OK to come up.  

[RetRN]

All of the clinics around here are following those guidelines.  They have been for a long time. 

Dentist, pharmacy, and salon have also been doing it. It is what I expect. Those workers want to stay healthy too.

[Annabellethecat66]

Well as many of you know (I've bored you enough) I broke my back during the height of the virus.....so...I've experienced going to a lot of medical offices (i.e. x-rays, MRI, and on and on).

This Thursday I went to my regular (every 3 weeks) back Dr.  Of course my daughter and I had to get our temps taken before we sat down.  We ended up sitting and waiting to see the Dr for 3 hours.  We were a little early but when we got there we were told we did not have an appointment.  We sure did, it was verified 2 times and it was supposed to be a follow up regarding my broken back.

Then they decided said, "Well, we will 'fit' you in".  Hence the long wait.

I was asked my pain level and I said between 9 or 10.  I had to ask him to write out a prescription so I could go get another x-ray to make sure my vertebra is healing and that the cement didn't leak.

But the reason I'm posting here (I won't go into all the weird stuff I had to go through just to find out my back was broken).

Where was I?  OK, so when I went to get the x-ray, the door was locked.  But the sign said "OPEN".  We waited maybe 15 minutes and someone showed up and said, "They're inside.  We lock the door so we can control how many are in the waiting room.  This room he's talking about is very, very large.  Spacing people I'd say you could easily put 6 maybe 7 people.  But they have their rules.

But the problem is no one 'mans' the door.  The person who lets people in is the same person who admits you and walks you down the hall, waits until you change, then escorts you to the x-ray room.

Meanwhile, people are waiting to sign up for their x-ray.  I'm sure some people leave; thinking the place is closed and the sign just wasn't changed.

I won't bore you with my experience while I was trying to find out what was causing this unbelievable pain............

I realize everyone is doing their best to adapt to the 'new normal', but when you're in the middle of it....

[golding76]

KatCat1,

That certainly was the safest configuration that they designed.  Brilliant!  Lucky you.  I hope my primary's office is as thoughtfully arranged. 

[VanSleepy]

I went for a physical two weeks ago. The doctor's office is in an office building, and thankfully the businesses must have been closed because I didn't run into anyone in the halls or elevator. The waiting room is big enough and there were only two other people in there, so that was fine.   They even told someone that her appointment wasn't for a half hour and she couldn't sit there that long.  She had to leave and come back later.

I was in pretty small rooms and in close contact with the nurse taking weight and blood pressure, then the doctor, then getting an EKG.  

The lab was the worst.  There were about five of us in that dinky waiting room, and even though I'm sure we were six feet apart, I was very uncomfortable in there.  And they had a fan blowing which surprised me.

The whole physical took an hour, and I couldn't wait to get out of that building.  But it's been two weeks now so I guess I made it! 

[pitdakota]

I had a doctor's appointment a couple of weeks ago.  I received a call the day before the appointment asking the standard questions about whether I had been exposed to anyone with covid, etc. and told that I had to have a mask to enter.   I was to call a certain number when I arrived in the parking lot.  Just a few minutes after I called, they called back and said they were ready.  The waiting room is totally closed. 

As soon as I entered the door they did a temp scan then taken  immediately  to the exam room.  The doc came in within a few minutes which was great. I was in and out of the office in under 25 minutes.  

Not only did I feel it was very safe, I could get spoiled with not spending time waiting to see a doctor.  Driving home I thought about all the times I sat in the waiting room for some time before being called back only to wait another 10-15 minutes in the exam room for the provider to enter.  It was nice to breeze in and out!  Sadly, it won't stay that way.  But I am going to enjoy it while I can!