For your protection, as well as the safety of our staff and patients, we have implemented several new protocols during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Rest assured, PrimeCare is doing everything within our ability to minimize the risk of unnecessary exposure and reduce the burden to our healthcare community.

As a part of our commitment to excellence in patient care, PrimeCare has taken numerous actions to protect our patients, staff, and loved ones:

• On July 6, 2020, PrimeCare will resume in-office primary care services by appointment only at our Salem Church Road location. Patients feeling sick or unwell will be required to be seen via telemedicine.

• On May 1, 2020, PrimeCare expanded COVID-19 testing to 7 days a week. Appointments are required and screenings can be requested online by clicking here

• On April 13, 2020, PrimeCare began COVID-19 testing on a limited basis.

• All patients will require an appointment to be seen; same day appointments will be available.

• All patients permitted to be seen in the office will be provided a mask and be required to wear it. All staff are required to wear appropriate masks when seeing patients.

• We have developed an online Appointment Request form. This will allow for an efficient New Patient Registration and scheduling process with text and e-mail alerts.

• Every patient will be required to complete our COVID-19 screening prior to their arrival; patients who arrive without an appointment will be required to complete our paper questionnaire.

• We have built an online COVID-19 Self-Triage Assessment to better serve you.

• All patients with a fever or respiratory symptoms will speak with a PrimeCare provider for instruction prior to arrival; patients who walk-in will be required to return to their vehicle and call our office for phone triage or telemedicine visit.

• We will temporarily defer all non-essential patient encounters in the office when possible, such as wellness and other routine visits, and offer telemedicine visits.

• PrimeCare has implemented telemedicine, a HIPAA-compliant audio-video communication, as an alternative to in-office visits.

• PrimeCare is not routinely collecting co-payments for telemedicine services in response to several CMS waivers and private payer changes expanding telemedicine coverage.

• For patients without access to audio-video capabilities, we are able to schedule telephone appointments.

• In-office appointments will immediately be triaged to an exam room.

• We will ask anyone accompanying the patient to wait in their vehicles for the duration of the visit. If the patient is a minor or an incapacitated adult, we will allow one person to accompany the patient.

• Under certain circumstances, you may see our staff wearing protective equipment, such as N95 respirator masks, isolation gowns, protective eyewear and face shields. There is no need to be alarmed, these are necessary precautions to protect patients and staff at this time. We will take all necessary precautions.

• Employees are not permitted to work if they develop symptoms.

• Ongoing staff education, training, and strong protocol reinforcement.

• Patient education through handouts and signage posted in the clinics.

• Increased routine cleaning and disinfection procedures; medical equipment, such as blood pressure cuffs, otoscopes, are properly cleaned after each use; exam rooms including door handles are properly cleaned after each use.

• There is a reduced number of waiting room chairs for social distancing; magazines and other shared items have been removed from the waiting and exam rooms.

• PrimeCare will continue to stay informed and knowledgeable on COVID-19 updates on local, state, and national levels.

• PrimeCare is working with the local health community to ease the burden from hospitals, physician offices, and other healthcare professionals.

PrimeCare will continue to evolve and work tirelessly to meet the needs of patients, staff, and our community during this COVID-19 pandemic.

If you have any questions, please feel free to call our office at 540-786-1200 or by e-mail at info@virginiaprimecare.com

Last updated: July 30, 2020