Posted 3/25/2020 Wednesday
- Mandated by our MD Department of Health, effective today, all non-urgent and elective appointments will be required to be via telehealth only and not conducted in-person. This mandate applies to preventive health visits like physicals and routine checks of stable conditions. To clarify, if a person has uncontrolled conditions that need attention such as high blood pressure, diabetes, cardiac conditions, kidney/liver abnormalities, mental health concerns, pain conditions, urinary/skin infections, and anything else that needs time-sensitive attention, we can still conduct those appointments in person. Telehealth visits are quite simple so please be open to the new technology – we will talk you through it! Please call us early in the day if you would like to be fit in for an appointment and we will be able to arrange for the appropriate visit type.
- *GOOD NEWS* – For those who are interested in becoming NEW PATIENTS of BWPC – we will begin taking names and information to conduct new patient appointments via telehealth soon. Please email: askdrbettywang@gmail.com or call 410-552-5050 ext 180, with the following details: name, date of birth, phone number, email address, insurance name/type, and your willingness to do telehealth (yes or no).
- Group classes and educational programs that were scheduled for April have been cancelled to avoid any unnecessary exposures.
- We suspect that this “altered reality” will be for weeks to months so please stay tuned for how our practice will continue to remain adaptable to be able to best meet your important health needs.
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Posted 3/24/2020 Tuesday
- Mandated by our MD Department of Health, effective 3/25/2020, all non-urgent and elective appointments will be required to be via telehealth only and not conducted in-person. This mandate applies to preventive health visits like physicals and routine checks of stable conditions. If a person has uncontrolled conditions that need attention such as high blood pressure, diabetes, cardiac conditions, kidney/liver abnormalities, mental health concerns, pain conditions, and anything else that needs time-sensitive attention, we can still conduct those appointments in person. Again, for non-urgent concerns, telehealth visits are quite simple so please be open to the new technology – we will talk you through it!
- We continue to handle all of your sick (cough/congestion, respiratory, flu-like, fever) conditions via our triage line. The Sick Flowsheet has not changed since 3/20/2020. We do not test for COVID-19 in our office.
- We have received a lot of praise and well wishes from our wonderful patients. We thank you for noticing our efforts! Please know that our office staff is currently healthy. We would like to keep it that way by taking all the necessary precautions so that we can continue to be a vital part of the solution to this major healthcare burden.
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Posted 3/23/2020 Monday
- The office remains open for non-sick (everything except respiratory symptoms and fever) visits. In keeping to this plan, and to protect all patients in the office, we will check oral temperatures of all in the waiting room and before allowing check-in. Should a person be detected as having a high temperature, he/she will be required to leave the building and will be set up for a telehealth visit. We assure you that we will address your health concerns using this technology. Thank you for your patience and cooperation with this necessary precaution.
- Our hours of operation are the same as usual except for the cancelled Saturday Urgent Clinic.
- Please continue to use the Sick Flowsheet which has not changed since last week. COVID19 testing is only being done for those who qualify for triage via the LBH Hotline.
- Today, Governor Hogan reiterated the need for us to do our part to keep to only essential activities and to keep to social distancing.
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Posted 3/20/2020 Friday
- This has been a very long week for everyone. We hope that you are hanging in there! May sure to stay informed with the right resources so that you can remain safe with accurate information. The media-overload and conflicting news out there will make anyone anxious. Go for nature walks, meditate, sleep 8 hrs/day, and exercise at home to lessen your stress, which boosts your immunity. If we all work together, we can overcome this!
- Reminder that Sat Urgent Clinic at Foundry Row is cancelled until mid-April.
- The LBH Hotline (for certain more high risk patients) will be open this weekend with Sat/Sun hours of 9am to 3pm. If you review our Sick Flowsheet and believe you qualify, please go ahead and call the number listed. Otherwise, please follow the instructions that apply to your circumstance. This Flowsheet only applies to current and active patients of BW Primary Care in Eldersburg or Owings Mills, MD. We are not managing patients from other practices at this time.
- Televideo and telephonic visits for sick patients are available and easy to conduct. Your health insurance covers these types of visits, with many fees for co-pays and deductibles waived at this time. To protect our staff and patients, our office is only conducting sick (respiratory and fever) visits via telehealth. Please do NOT walk into the office with respiratory or fever symptoms.
- Our office will re-open Monday, March 23rd at 7:30am.
- Please continue to do your part for the community at large by keeping a social-distance of 6 feet apart always and, if sick, please stay home/isolated until you are symptom free.
- Please read the FAQ and previous posts below.
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Posted 3/19/2020 Thursday
Just a few things today:
- Telehealth visits are going great! The process is very simple as many have experienced. We have plenty of daily appointments to manage any sick concerns about respiratory illness or exposure. For Medicare patients, if technologically challenged, consider having a younger family member get you set up on their portable device or a computer w/camera. As a last resort, we can conduct a telephone visit.
- Please do continue to follow the Sick Flowsheet which has not changed but reposted here for your convenience.
- For those who are suitable per the Sick Flowsheet for the LBH COVID-19 Hotline, we have been updated that tests are being done when appropriate but are still being rationed. Please only call the LBH COVID-19 Hotline number if you believe that you are high exposure risk with moderate/severe respiratory symptoms. We are extremely proud of LifeBridge Health, our parent organization, which has been remarkably innovative and efficient during this unprecedented circumstance.
- Remember that our office is still open for routine medical concerns. We will also continue to see any illnesses that are non-respiratory symptoms such as UTI, joint/back pain, injuries, skin concerns, etc. If you would like to avoid the office and would like these to be done via telehealth, we can accommodate this as well. Please do NOT come into the office if you have any respiratory symptoms or feel feverish.
- We appreciate that there have been many inquiries for new patient visits (thank you for the referrals) but at this time we are keeping a wait list so that we can manage our current patient load. We will re-assess in mid-April.
- Please continue to do your part for the community at large by keeping a social-distance of 6 feet apart and staying home/isolated until you are symptom free.
- Please read the FAQ and previous posts below.
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Posted 3/18/2020 Wednesday
BW Primary Care, in conjunction with LifeBridge Health, are actively discussing the current status of COVID-19 concerns. We have the mission to stay open for patients as long as possible with the limited resources we have to keep our patients and staff protected from potentially dangerous infection. There are many factors to think about as we run very low on the proper protective equipment and sanitation supplies. We have ramped up our telemedicine capabilties and hope that everyone is open to this new and effective technology.
Today, we have made the following difficult decisions, effective immediately:
- Sick visits will not be conducted in person. Anyone who has respiratory symptoms of any kind will be managed remotely via telehealth or phone/portal. Please know that telehealth visits are easy and covered by insurance.
- Please do refer to the Sick Flowsheet posted on 3/17/2020 – this is still in effect and has not changed.
- Please do not call our office for COVID-19 testing as we are not doing it in our offices. We will let you know if this changes. If you follow the Sick Flowsheet, you will see that only the patients who qualify for the LBH COVID Hotline may be considered as candidates right now.
- Sat Urgent Walk-in Clinic is temporarily cancelled through April 11th and until further notice.
- We regret that we must take care of our current patients and will not be accepting new patients until April 15th, 2020.
- For those with non-sick concerns, for current/active patients of the practice, we will continue to schedule in person visits. Should you want to convert to a telehealth visit, we can assist with that.
- If you have a routine visit scheduled and would like to delay it for a couple months, that is acceptable and we can assist with that as well. Please call during routine business hours.
- We will continue to update this webpage on a daily basis.
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Posted 3/17/2020 Tuesday
To our Highly Valued BW Primary Care Patients,
We have been doing our best to address the increase in calls and messages during this very strained time. Working alongside LifeBridge Health’s dedicated ER/COVID-19 triage staff, we have come up with innovative strategies to meet your health concerns amidst these very unique conditions. We need our patients to be as informed as possible to allow for the most ill to be seen quickly.
To help keep you updated on the fast changing recommendations, please read this FAQ page posted in the blog section of our website.
We plan to update you daily starting today via FaceBook and the News section of the website. You can “like” the FB page to automatically get updates in your feed. You can reference the website blog by going to our website www.bwprimarycare.com and clicking the blog article at the bottom of the page. If you would like things sent to your email address, you can go to the homepage and enter your email at the bottom banner but please note that emails only go out once a day in the afternoon so this may be delayed for you.
We thank you in advance for your patience with us as well as everyone in the healthcare industry.
In Wellness,
The BWPC Team.
What are COVID-19 symptoms?
-Fever, sore throat, cough, shortness of breath and fatigue. See Symptom Comparison Chart below.
-Symptoms begin to appear within 8 days of exposure and can get worse into the second week after exposure.
-In the elderly ages >65, those with respiratory concerns, or those who have immune deficiency, we are most concerned about developing major emergency symptoms.
-In the young and adolescent, we are not seeing major illness but they are still able to spread the infection to high risk individuals so social distancing is very important.
-Emergency symptoms to get assistance quickly include: major shortness of breath, obvious wheeze, chest pain or pressure, confusion, lethargy, bluish discoloration of the lips, quick worsening of symptoms.
How does the SARS/COVID2 spread and how can I limit the spread?
-The virus is spread mostly by droplets: either person to person or surface to person.
-The virus can stay on surfaces if not properly disinfected for up to 72 hours.
-Because respiratory droplets are passed on when an infected person coughs or sneezes, people are encouraged to remain 6 feet apart in public settings. This is the reason we have emphasized “social distancing” across all facets of life.
-Proper hand washing with soap and water means that you do not use clean hands to touch faucet knobs or door knobs. Many people continue to do this incorrectly.
-Always wash hands properly before touching face/mouth/eyes/nose and also before eating anything.
If I am sick, what do I do and should I get tested?
-Please reference the BWPC Sick Flowsheet graphic (see below) that we are currently using to triage people based on current guidelines. This can change daily and we will keep you posted. This Sick Flowsheet is meant only for patients of our practice, and in conjunction with LifeBridge Health’s hospitals/ERs.
In general:
-If you are sick, please do not come into the office without first getting some instruction per the BWPC Sick Flowsheet or from our triage teams. We need to protect our patients and our staff by knowing how high risk for infection you are.
-If we ask you to come into the office, we need you to wear a mask immediately just in case our elderly or high risk patients are in the waiting room.
-While you are awaiting instruction, please self-isolate from others so that you don’t give them whatever you have. Focus on your treatment which always includes rest, hydration, proper nourishment and sometimes, if needed, over the counter medications.
What if I have an exposure risk but don’t have ANY symptoms?
-Exposure risk is ANY traveling at this point (via airports)
-First degree exposure is being in the same room (not the same building or conference) or any other close contact with an individual who has tested positive or being investigated (PUI – person under investigation)
-Without symptoms you should self-isolate for 8 days to watch if even very mild symptoms develop. If you develop even the mildest of symptoms, then you should refer to the BWPC Sick Flowsheet for guidance.
What does self-isolation mean?
-After an exposure and in general, watch for ANY symptoms such as mild-achiness, low grade temp, scratchy throat, nasal congestion, cough, malaise/fatigue.
-The period of time after a possible exposure (travel or contact with a person) should be no less than 8 days and up to 2 weeks.
-If you develop symptoms, please follow the BWPC Sick Flowsheet graphic.
-If you are completely symptom-free 8+ days from any exposure, then you can interact with your household per usual. However, social distancing with the public should still be exercised.
If I am offered a telemedicine visit, how does telehealth work?
-You will be asked for an email or cell phone number (smart phone required) for us to send you a link.
-Using the link, you will be asked to sign a consent to treat online.
-You will need to be in a somewhat quiet and private setting.
-You can enter the meeting and wait in the virtual waiting room.
-If the provider is behind schedule, you will receive a call ahead to notify you of updated timing. We will do our best to be on time.
-Your insurance should cover this like a regular office visit.
After being sick, when can I get back to being in contact with others?
-You should be able to go back to normal activity 72 hours after your symptoms completely resolve.
Why do I need to self-quarantine for 14 days after travel per the government?
-This is a guideline that the CDC has recommended after cruise ship and high risk airport travel.
-As mentioned above, symptoms usually do begin within 8 days.
BWPC SICK FLOWSHEET (created 3/17/2020)