COVID worries are no excuse for avoiding that doctor visit, expert says
Social distancing and other COVID-19 safety measures have been implemented at all St. Tammany Health System facilities. (Photo by Mike Scott / STHS)
By Mike Scott, mscott@stph.org
Ever since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak in St. Tammany Parish back in March, the golden rule for many people has been simply to stay away – stay away from the grocery, stay away from restaurants, stay away from other people, period.
But one place they shouldn’t stay away from any longer is their doctor’s office, according to St. Tammany Health System’s Dionne Williams, who oversees the St. Tammany Physicians Network and its multiple clinics.
“A lot of the procedures, due to some of the health mandates that came down, were put on hold for anything that was not (an emergency),” Williams said Thursday (May 28) during a guest spot on The Lake 94.7 FM. “So your elective procedures were basically put on hold. Those orders have been lifted and so … we’re actually encouraging patients to not put off their healthcare any longer, specifically around elective procedures.”
For some patients, that means they should begin rescheduling any missed checkups, if they haven’t already. For others, it might mean that a procedure that’s technically not an emergency – but which is still problematic for them – can now be addressed properly.
“Think about patients that potentially have hip or knee issues and are looking for hip or knee replacement,” Williams said. “A lot of times, those are elective procedures unless you’ve had a fall, specifically on the hip. So, for patients who are having constant pain, having that elective procedure put on hold prohibits them from having the procedure and eliminating some of the pain they probably had for the past six or eight weeks.”
To give patients peace of mind when they show up to a St. Tammany Health System facility – whether at the main hospital campus or any of its satellite clinics -- a number of COVID-era safety procedures have been put in place, Williams said. For example, social distancing practices have been implemented at all STHS facilities. Additionally, staff and visitors alike are required to wear masks or other face coverings.
All employees and visitors are also screened for COVID symptoms upon entering all STHS clinics, which have seen further bolstering of the health system’s already rigorous cleaning procedures.
On that subject, Williams touted the hospital’s recent “A” grade for hospital safety from the Leapfrog Group. Leapfrog hands out its grades twice a year, and with the most recent “A,” STHS has received straight A’s for nine consecutive grading periods dating to 2016.
“So we have been safe prior to COVID and even safer during COVID from that perspective,” Williams said.
Patients can also opt for a video visit when preferable, meaning they don’t even have to leave home to consult with a healthcare provider. (Find details on video visits at STPH.org.) Additionally, all STHS clinics offer mobile check-in and curbside arrival to give patients the option of waiting for their appointment in their car if they prefer.
Long story short: You no longer have an excuse to put off that long-delayed visit to your doctor.
“We are ready for them to come back out into our clinics and see us,” Williams said. “They can make an appointment at any time. We have expanded our hours, (we have) video visits on Saturdays, and if they call 898-4001, that is the number where they can get to our clinics to schedule any kind of appointment.”
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Visit STPH.org/COVID-19 for the latest information on coronavirus in St. Tammany Parish.