COVID-19 Update

Firstly, we want to say we sincerely hope you; your friends and family are healthy during these potentially stressful times.

We want to reassure you that we are doing everything we can to avoid reducing office hours as the COVID-19 coronavirus impacts our community. We will remain open unless otherwise instructed by federal, state or local public officials.

The changes we will be implementing to our office procedures and patient encounters are based on current recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) and have been strategically developed as part of an extensive and ongoing discussion with our team. We recognize that some of these precautions may cause some temporary inconveniences and potential delays in your treatment. However, please be assured that your health, as well as the health and safety of all members of our community, is our number one priority.

Changes implemented to our office will be effective immediately and will continue until further notice. Should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to call or text our office at (423) 239-5491. Please note that no exceptions to these precautions will be made, as this is for the safety of our entire community.

NEW OFFICE HOURS

In an effort to still continue to serve our patients and follow recent CDC guidelines, our office is limiting the number of people present in our office at any given time. As such, we will be implementing revised office hours effective Monday, March 23, 2020. During such time, we will only have one doctor present each day with reduced staff and will be extending the time between scheduled appointments to maintain proper social distancing.

Monday – Friday: 7:30 AM – 5:00 PM

Saturday: 7:30 AM – 12:00 PM

Please note our revised hours will begin Monday, March 23, 2020 and are subject to change. We will continue to monitor the CDC, WHO and AOA updates pertaining to COVID-19 and make the appropriate changes.

WHAT WE ARE ALREADY DOING:

We are in constant communication with our entire team to reinforce our sanitization procedures in both patient-facing and employee-only areas.

Hand sanitizers and soap are located throughout our office. These will be refilled and checked regularly.
High traffic surfaces such as the front desk and reception areas are wiped regularly throughout the day with an EPA recommended disinfectant.
In addition to our instrument sterilization, disinfection, and clinical cleanliness, we are also committed to disinfecting anything regularly affected by human touch (this includes but is not limited to door handles, light switches, seating areas, trash cans, credit card processors, telephones and every commonly-touched surface is disinfected throughout the day).
Every team member has his/her body temperature checked when they arrive at work and are instructed to remain at home if they are feeling ill.

WHAT WE ARE IMPLEMENTING IMMEDIATELY:

In an effort to promote social distancing, we will essentially be closing our reception areas and limiting the amount of people present in our office at any one time. We ask that only patients (and if necessary, for younger patients or patients requiring additional assistance) one accompanying adult enter our offices. Siblings, grandparents, friends, etc. should remain home or outside in their vehicles.
Patients will be asked to present to their appointments at their regularly scheduled time, not early. If a patient arrives early or late, please call us from the parking lot. We ask our patients to enter the office to more than 5 minutes before their appointment time to minimize waiting in our reception area.
Before your appointment a member of our staff will ask you if you have been sick with any respiratory symptoms (cough, fever, shortness of breath, red eyes) or recently traveled to an infected area. Additionally, this team member, will check the temperature of the patient using a thermometer.
We have removed all magazines, brochures, and books from our reception areas.
We are asking all patients to complete forms online, if possible, prior to coming into the office for your appointment.

We are asking that patients consider the following alternative ordering and scheduling options relating to contact lens orders, optical pick-ups, and emergency office visits.

Contact Lens Orders – For all existing patients; please call our office at (423) 239-5491 or visit our website in order to order contact lenses. We can ship these directly to you at no additional cost.
Eyeglass Order Pick-ups: Following recent CDC guidelines, our office is attempting to limit the number of patients present within each area of the office. For patients needing to pick up recent optical orders, please call our office at (423) 239-5491 ahead of time in order to schedule a time with our optical department.
Emergency Office Visits: We are asking patients not to arrive at our office without an appointment. Please call our office at (423) 239-5491 to determine whether the emergency requires an office visit, and when an appropriate appointment time can be scheduled.

We will continue to make your experience at our office fun and enjoyable!

SCHEDULING CONSIDERATIONS

When scheduling appointments for routine medical care (annual exams), please call our office ahead of time and discuss the need to reschedule your appointment to a later date if you develop symptoms of a respiratory infection (cough, sore throat, fever) within 14 days of your scheduled appointment.
If you are scheduling an emergency office visit, please let our office know beforehand if you have symptoms of a respiratory infection (cough, sore throat, fever), so our staff can take the appropriate preventive actions.
It is recommended that patients who fall into a high-risk group according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO), consider rescheduling their appointment until May. This group includes;
- Patients who are immunocompromised.
- Patients who have heart disease, lung disease, or diabetes.
- Patients with any other serious medical condition.

IMPORTANT: If you are infected with COVID-19 or think you may have been infected, please contact us in advance before coming in. This way we can instruct you on where to go and how to proceed for the safety of all.

Please contact us at (423) 239-5491 or vision@drmcmillin.com with any questions. We are here for you.

McMillin Eyecare