Practice Reopening What are some of the initial business operational steps we should take prior to reopening? Identify a practice operations manager if you don’t have one. This will be the go-to person for anything related to operations at the practice. Confirm that all essential business accounts are up-to-date (billing and operational): Lease/loan payments on building and equipment Supplier contracts (be aware of any changes due to pandemic) Vendor contracts (be aware of any changes due to pandemic) Hazardous waste disposal contracts General liability policy premiums (notify carriers if changes have occurred) Medical malpractice premiums (notify carriers if changes have occurred) Other insurance premiums Identify a contingency plan for backup vendor services Identify partners in the community upon whom you will be dependent and/or need to refer, and their capabilities; maintain contact information for all Continue to take advantage of SBA loans & Pandemic Financial Relief under the CARES ACT on a go forward basis Determine how you will continue using telehealth, if at all; everyone needs to understand how this will be handled when patients request it; notify your Curi underwriter or agent if you plan to continue telehealth sessions Identify which services will be functional/non-functional at reopening time and triggers for returning to all functional services Establish new office hours (i.e. extended or revised hours) if needed Identify the most appropriate methods of educating your patients and communicating changes in operating hours and services Develop training/education for staff Assign a COVID-19 planning committee to address the following over the next several months responsible for: Creating/revising office’s pandemic plan Monitoring public health advisories Monitoring and reporting suspected or confirmed influenza cases to your local public health department Participating in CDC’s Clinician Outreach Communication Activity (COCA) conference calls Fit test staff who use N95 respirators and maintain records of all fit testing (please also refer to Infection Prevention) Reviewing your community’s situational status on a routine or daily basis Assigning responsibility for monitoring supply inventory and reordering Identifying triggers for returning to normal operations as well as going back to pandemic plan if needed again Planning for possibility of COVID-19 resurgence Develop a written contingency plan that addresses: Managing exposures Notifying patients and staff of potential exposures Staff shortage Assuring appropriate inventory of PPE Acquiring information regarding community’s vaccine and antiviral distribution plans Develop strategies for addressing staff and provider concerns including well-being Please also refer to Communicating New Policies to Staff and Communicating Practice Reopening to Staff Resources CDC Guide for Medical Office Preparedness (provides explanation of some of the above suggestions) Curi Well-Being Resources Fit Testing Procedures What You Should Know About COVID-19 & The ADA, The Rehabilitation Act & Other EEO Laws AMA Recommendations for Reopening HHS Launches COVID-19 Uninsured Program Portal News & Knowledge All Curi recommendations are based on current CDC criteria at the time of publication. CDC guidance for SARS-CoV-2 infection may, or may not, be adopted by state and local health departments to respond to rapidly changing local circumstances. Providers should always check with their local health department to see if the CDC’s guidance on any given topic has been modified (particularly if more restrictive) from the CDC’s recommended guidelines. Follow this link https://www.cdc.gov/publichealthgateway/healthdirectories/index.html for contact information to your state/local health department. If local recommendations vary from those of the CDC, and you are unsure what recommendations to follow, then it is safer to follow the more restrictive guidelines/recommendations.