Dr. Bajaj’s Office Protocols During Covid-19
COVID-19 has changed our world during the past year and will continue to do so in the foreseeable future. From mask-wearing and avid hand washing to testing patients before procedures, Bajaj Plastic Surgery is putting forth our best efforts to keep you safe and comfortable. To help do our part to beat the coronavirus, here’s what we are doing in our office.
Wearing Masks and Hand Washing
We require our patients and guests to wear a mask in the office. By making sure you wear a mask of some kind that covers your mouth and nose, we can all protect each other. The office staff will always be wearing a mask.
Hand washing, particularly in our field of work, has always been protocol. We wash our hands between patients and several times during the day. When you arrive, we’ll ask you to use hand sanitizer before signing in to prevent the spread of germs.
Screening Questions and Temperature Checks
Before we take you in for your appointment, we will ask you a series of questions to make sure you haven’t shown symptoms of COVID in the last 24 hours. We may ask if you’ve shown symptoms such as coughing, shortness of breath, muscle and joint aches, fever, etc. If you have, we’ll ask you to please reschedule your appointment accordingly.
Someone in the office at the front desk will take your temperature when you arrive inside. If you bring someone with you, we’ll take their temperature and ask them to wear a mask.
Limiting People in the Office
We’re asking all patients to call when they arrive in the parking lot, and we’ll inform you when to come in. It may be immediately, or you may have to wait a few minutes depending on if a prior patient is still in the office. If you do have to wait, a member of our friendly staff will call you back or come out to get you.
Instead of filling out paperwork in the waiting room, we’ll take you directly back into the exam room. If you need to complete paperwork, you may do so in the privacy of the exam room.
We advise coming to your appointment alone to limit the number of people in the office. If you’d like to bring someone, we’re allowing one support person with you and they must meet the same safety requirements.
Office Cleanliness and Improved Office Equipment
We’ve already had cleanliness and sanitation processes in place at our office. We’ve been adamant about sanitizing the exam rooms between seeing patients. We’ve also continued to professionally clean the office, and we’ve invested in an improved sanitation ventilation system in the operating rooms.
Virtual Visits
We have offered virtual follow-up appointments and consultations since this spring. Patient privacy and security are important to us. We use TouchMD and Doxy. me for all our virtual appointments. These are HIPAA-compliant software tools that ensure privacy and confidentiality.
The cost of online consultation for new patients is $25. This amount will be deducted from your surgery scheduling fee if you proceed to schedule your surgery with us. There is no charge for online follow-up visits. For more information, read our blog post on everything you need to know about virtual visits.
Getting Tested Before Your Procedure
The Oklahoma Department of Health requires all patients have a COVID-19 before surgery. You can take a test up to seven days before surgery, but we prefer that it is performed as close to the surgery date as possible – typically, it will take 48-72 hours for us to obtain your results. Dr. Bajaj has her patients tested through Microgen Laboratories. They provide everything to collect the sample, and you will receive instructions on how to send your sample to the laboratory.
Dr. Bajaj walks us through the testing process in this video.
Although we’re living in unprecedented times, we’re still here for you. We want you to continue to be able to take care of yourself so you can live your best life. Please reach out to our office staff to learn more about our services or to schedule an appointment.