COVID-19 (Coronavirus)

To our family of patients and friends,

As concerns about the COVID-19 (coronavirus) continue let’s all take a deep breath!

We want to assure you all that as always, your safety and the safety of our team and all our loved ones are the primary consideration in all our decision making. While we have always strived to meet or exceed industry standards for infection control we are taking additional measures to ensure the safety of our patients and staff. At this time, we are asking that anyone scheduled for an appointment, who has traveled out of the country or is experiencing cold/flu-like symptoms to please contact us. As always, please call us at 785-843-6404 anytime you have any questions or concerns.

If you have not had any known exposures, please be assured that our office always utilizes universal precautions as outlined by the CDC. We are also up to date and are strictly compliant with all OSHA and CDC guidelines for infection control and prevention. Due to the heightened public concern of disease transmission, our offices have chosen to take additional precautions. This includes sanitizing pens, clipboards, and anything that is touched between each individual use. We have also removed all communal reading material from our office and committed to the sanitization of hard surfaces, including counters, door handles, chairs, as well as outside doors multiple times per day while also having additional hand sanitizing stations provided throughout the office for patient and staff use. We will also be asking screening questions of you and taking your temperature when you visit our office.

What we need to do now is to do everything reasonable to prevent unnecessary spread of the virus. Make no mistake, this virus like others will infect a great many people but all indications are that the vast majority will have little to very manageable symptoms. What we have to protect are those most vulnerable, specifically the elderly and medically compromised. This is a time for selfless action to protect those other loved ones among us.

We encourage everyone to take precautions to prevent the spread of the flu, COVID-19 and other viruses. Here is the list provided by the Center of Disease Control along with some of our own enhancements:

• Stay home when you are sick, except to get medical care and call before going anywhere for care.
• Cover your coughs and sneezes with your elbow or a tissue. What you are trying to do is to control or eliminate the aerosol cloud we all create.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom, before eating, and after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing or being in touch with others or objects others may have touched.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Clean frequently touched surfaces and objects daily.
• Frequently wash any clothing that may be exposed to others.
• Keep an arm’s length distance between you and others when out in public.

We are here to speak clearly and thoroughly not to alarm, but rather to reassure our family of patients and the public that we will go the extra mile to make your safety our priority. After all you are our family and you will always be treated as such.

Because we are a smaller more personalized care office it is our culture to already have fewer patients in the office following our principle of caring for one person at a time. We will continue to limit the schedule to support this professional form of social distancing. As of now, we are in a low risk area and as such our schedule and office hours will remain the same. We are also offering virtual appointments for those who we can follow up and consult with online. Please call us if this interests you.

We are here to continue to provide you with the safest, most professional care possible. We will continue to monitor the situation and update you with any changes. Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions. Thank you for trusting us with your care. With your help we will move through this period smarter, stronger and even better equipped to provide you the exceptional care you have come to expect from us.

Sincerely,

Drs Otten and Ristow, Vickie, Debbie, Tiffany, Brenda and Maggie