03/23/2020
To our patients and their families,
We wanted to take the time to reach out and update you on what our office is doing to keep everyone safe during this difficult time.
COVID-19 is a new virus and unfortunately, we do not have all of the answers we would like. We do know the symptoms are very much like the flu and that it is more common in adults than in children. We also know that COVID-19 is more contagious than the flu and causes more respiratory symptoms.
My number one goal at this time is to protect my patients and their families. In order to do this, we need to work together and communicate regularly.
Our office is following the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC) continually changing guidelines, as well as all government guidelines. We remain available for you 24/7 and you can call 410-442-4011 for guidance to address your specific situation.
Here are some steps our office is taking in response to COVID-19:
📌 In compliance with AAP guidelines, we will continue seeing our newborns and infants for well exams and immunizations. Well exams for patients (newborn to 2 years old) will take place in MORNING hours only
📌 We are triaging all phone calls for sick appointments and seeing all sick patients during AFTERNOON hours only. If you have symptoms compatible with COVID-19, we may ask you to monitor your symptoms at home, unless your symptoms require emergency attention in a hospital setting
📌 We are asking ALL patients to call from their cars when they arrive for appointments. We will come out and get you when we are ready to take you directly to an exam room
📌 To minimize the time each patient spends in our office, we will check patients in/out, schedule follow up appointments and handle copays over the phone
📌 We also urge patients to come in with only ONE parent/caretaker when possible, leaving other family members at home
📌 Staff members who directly interact with patients are using personal protective equipment (PPE) during both sick and well visits. This includes N-95 masks, goggles and face shields in order to protect both the patient and themselves
📌 We are monitoring any symptoms of fever, cough, sore throat and difficulty breathing in our staff daily
📌 Our staff members are cleaning all examining room surfaces after each patient visit and our environmental services at conducting a deeper clean at the end of the day. We have also removed all toys, books and magazines from our office
We plan to continue for the health and well being of your loved ones during these difficult times. We are ready to use telemedicine services, email and the phone to treat patients when appropriate. We will also be using this page to announce updates or changes in our office schedule (PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SHARE THIS PAGE TO SPREAD THE WORD TO OTHERS)
It’s important to remember that children, adolescents and young adults do extremely well with COVID-19. They often show mild symptoms for a few days and recover without any complications. However, it is absolutely crucial to understand that this virus is EXTREMELY contagious and we all need to do our part to protect the vulnerable populations like this with pre-existing medical conditions and the elderly, which is why social distancing is so important.
Please follow all CDC recommendations and help make sure your children are washing their hands, coughing and sneezing into a tissue or arms/elbows and not their hands and avoiding touching their faces. Take advantage of this unexpected time at home with your loved ones.
Please do not hesitate to contact our office with any questions, concerns or general feedback.
All the best,
Dr. Ramos
