Covid-19 Preparedness Plan For Rooted Family Medicine

Rooted Family Medicine is committed to providing a safe and healthy workplace for all our workers and customers. To ensure that, we have developed the following COVID-19 Preparedness Plan in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Managers and coworkers are all responsible for implementing this plan. Our goal is to mitigate the potential for transmission of COVID-19 in our workplaces and communities, and that requires full cooperation among our coworkers, management and customers. Only through this cooperative effort can we establish and maintain the safety and health of our workplaces.

Management and workers are responsible for implementing and complying with all aspects of this COVID-19 Preparedness Plan. Rooted Family Medicine managers and coworkers have our full support in enforcing the provisions of this policy.

Our workers are our most important assets. We are serious about safety and health and keeping our workers working at Rooted Family Medicine. Worker involvement is essential in developing and implementing a successful COVID-19 Preparedness Plan. We have involved our workers in this process by [Describe how worker concerns have been addressed, how worker suggestions and feedback have been requested, and how those have been integrated into developing the plan]. Our COVID-19 Preparedness Plan follows Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) guidelines, federal OSHA standards related to COVID-19 and Executive Order 20-48, and addresses:
  • hygiene and respiratory etiquette;
  • engineering and administrative controls for Physical distancing;
  • customer controls and protections for drop-off, pick-up and delivery;
  • housekeeping, including cleaning, disinfecting and decontamination;
  • prompt identification and isolation of sick persons;
  • communications and training that will be provided to managers and workers; and
  • management and supervision necessary to ensure effective implementation of the plan.
Screening and policies for employees exhibiting signs and symptoms of COVID-19 Workers have been informed of and encouraged to self-monitor for signs and symptoms of COVID-19. The following policies and procedures are being implemented to assess workers’ health status prior to entering the workplace and for workers to report when they are sick or experiencing symptoms.

Rooted Family Medicine (RFM) does not have any employees. RFM does share space with other independent contractors (IC). All ICs sharing the same space will screen themselves for temperature daily. If their temperature exceeds 99.9 they will refrain from coming to the office and report their elevated temperature to all other ICs. If IC who has been in the office in the past two weeks begins to develop symptoms of COVID-19 or tests positive for COVID-19 in the last two weeks, they will report their symptoms or test results to other ICs. Any IC who begins to feel symptoms of COVID-19 while in the office will be requested to return home immediately and the office will be cleaned thoroughly after their departure. If any IC has been exposed to a person with COVID-19 they will contact all other ICs and self-quarantine for 2 weeks.

Screening and policies for patients
In order to ensure the health and safety of our community, we will also be screening patients before they are able to have in-office visits. The following questionnaire will be given to each patient before their visit via email. If a patient answers “yes” to any of the questions, we will request that the appointment be rescheduled to at least 3 weeks out or changed to a virtual visit. 
  1. Have you or anyone you have been in close contact with tested positive for COVID-19 or had a suspected COVID-19 infection? 
  2. Have you or anyone you have been in close contact with had respiratory issues, fever, loss of taste or smell, vomiting, diarrhea, or a cough in the last 14 days.
  3. If you develop symptoms or have a known exposure at any time before your visit please contact the clinic to reschedule.

Requests of Customers
In order to ensure the safety of our workers and customers we request that all customers wear masks while present in our clinic. This is the language that will be used in our space and sent to customers via email. 

“We ask that all Rooted Family Medicine patients, please wear a mask, per CDC guidelines, while inside of the office. Wearing a cloth mask helps to prevent the spread of infection and is protection for all. We recognize that not everyone will have access to a mask, or the ability to wear one, but if you are able to please do so. If you have any questions or concerns about mask-wearing, please do not hesitate to contact us.”

Handwashing
Basic infection prevention measures are being implemented at our workplaces at all times. IC are instructed to wash their hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water frequently throughout the day, but especially at the beginning and end of their shift, prior to any mealtimes and after using the toilet. All visitors to the facility will be required to use hand sanitizer immediately upon entering the facility. Hand sanitizers is of greater than 60% alcohol.

There will be a hand sanitizing station at the front door for individuals to use upon immediate arrival as well as when leaving the facility. There will be hand sanitizer available throughout the clinic, as well as our bathrooms for additional handwashing. 

Respiratory etiquette:  Cover your cough or sneeze
Workers and visitors are being instructed to cover their mouth and nose with their sleeve or a tissue when coughing or sneezing and to avoid touching their face, in particular their mouth, nose and eyes, with their hands. They should dispose of tissues in the trash and wash or sanitize their hands immediately afterward. Respiratory etiquette will be demonstrated on posters and supported by making tissues and trash receptacles available to all workers and visitors. You will see signs reminding all patrons of RFM to cover their cough or sneeze.

Social distancing
Physical distancing is being implemented in the workplace through the following engineering and administrative controls: 
  • Increased buffers in-between patient visits to limit/prevent any overlap and minimize patrons inside our space.
  • Attempts to stagger shifts and limit patients/clients in the waiting area will be made and discussed regularly.
  • Patients will be encouraged to come in at the exact time of their visit, not earlier to avoid needing to wait in the waiting room.
  • Telemedicine and phone calls will be utilized as often as possible.
  • Signage will be available reminding all patients and workers about proper hygiene and physical distancing.
  • Physical contact will be discouraged between patients and providers unless deemed medically necessary.
  • Gloves are available to be worn by providers as well as face masks for when close contact is necessary.
  • ICs, visitors and customers are prohibited from gathering in groups.
  • Patients are asked to arrive just before their appointment time and requested to come alone to appointments. 

Housekeeping
Regular housekeeping practices are being implemented, including routine cleaning and disinfecting of work surfaces, equipment, tools and machinery, delivery vehicles and areas in the work environment, including restrooms, break rooms, lunch rooms, meeting rooms, and drop-off and pick-up locations. Frequent cleaning and disinfecting will be conducted in high-touch areas, such as phones, keyboards, touch screens, controls, door handles, elevator panels, railings, copy machines, credit card readers, delivery equipment, etc.
  • Items that are difficult to clean removed from common areas and treatment rooms.
  • Plastic clipboards and new pens have been purchased and will be cleaned between each blood draw or visit as needed.
  • Reception area will be sanitized at least 3 times a day.

Communications and training
This Preparedness Plan was communicated via email to all ICs that share space on 5/29/2020. Additional communication and training will be ongoing as needed via email and regular zoom/facebook meetings. Instructions will be communicated to customers about how to pick-up supplements and ensure proper physical.
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This COVID-19 Preparedness Plan has been certified by Rooted Family Medicine management, Ariel Barkeim,  and was posted throughout the workplace on 6/1/2020. It will be updated as necessary.