CLINIC UPDATE INCLUDING NEW ELECTRONIC RECORDS AND ONLINE BOOKING!

After a seemingly endless period of scary news, we’re finally starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.  Public health officials and government leaders are beginning to show signs of cautious optimism regarding the novel coronavirus pandemic.  Here in Ontario, Premier Ford recently revealed the government’s plan for a return to normal activity.  It appears likely that allied health professionals will be among the first businesses allowed to return to regular operations, mostly because effective infection control procedures are already in place.  With that in mind, we are preparing to welcome our patients back in the coming weeks.  While we don’t have an official re-opening date yet, here are some things you can expect when you do visit us.

1. When you call to book your appointment, you will be asked a series of screening questions about whether or not you have any COVID-type symptoms or whether you’ve had any contact with persons at risk for COVID-19.
2. When you arrive for your visit, you will notice that we have installed a protective glass at the front desk.  This will act as an added safety measure for both our staff and our patients.  There will be hand sanitizer available at the front as well as each treatment room.
3. There will be fewer chairs in the reception area in order to maintain physical distance. We will also be staggering appointment times initially to further limit the number of people in the office at any given time.
4. Unfortunately, we will likely have to remove our coffee machine for the time being.  We know that many of you look forward to a hot beverage when you visit us, and normally, we are happy to see our patients enjoying their cup of coffee.  But we are doing our best to limit any surfaces that may encourage contact by multiple people.  We’ll get it back as soon as we can!
5. Dr. Chris and I will be wearing masks.  We would also encourage our patients to consider wearing some type of protective facial covering any time in public. In addition, the doctors may take your temperature upon arrival with a touchless forehead thermometer.
6. As we have since we first opened our doors, we will continue to disinfect our treatment tables between patient visits.  We’re also happy to say that we are using the handiwork of Dillon’s Distillers, a Niagara based business that has been able to shift their production of fine spirits to powerful sanitizers and disinfectants.

One other significant change that you will notice is one that has been a long time in the making, well before any issues related to pandemics!  We are finally moving to an electronic record keeping system.  No more paper! When you come in, Dr. Chris and I will be recording all the important information about your visit on a computer.  Your personal information will be stored on a cloud-based platform with exceptional security measures.  This process will take some getting used to, especially on the part of the providers.  So please be patient with us as we get accustomed to the new software.  Once we get comfortable with the record-keeping part of the program, we will expand it to include a variety of other features.  We will be able to instantly generate account statements, share exercise routines via email and send you appointment reminders if you choose.  We are really excited about introducing another great feature of the program to our patients: Online booking.  A number of you have asked about being able to book online for some time now.  And we are happy to say that we’re only a few months away from finally being able to offer this service.  Getting in to see us will be easier than ever!

In the meantime, please remember that if you feel the need for urgent care, we are still available to see you.  Call the office at 905 318 007 or email us at hamiltonspinedoc@gmail.com.    We will be sure to get back to you as soon as we can.  As we wait for the green light to return to full services, I would like to extend our sincere thanks to our patients and staff.  Thank you for your understanding during what has been an exceptionally difficult time for many of us.  We look forward to seeing everyone back at Eastmount Chiropractic and Wellness Centre soon!