Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information
Updated September 9, 2020
Our primary goal at Bethesda Medical Associates is to do our best to keep you safe and healthy, in particular during the coronavirus pandemic.
We remain available both during and after office hours, as always, with some important changes detailed below. We are prepared to also serve as a source for the most up-to-date information regarding Covid-19 as we all navigate this challenging time together.
Rescheduling Pre-COVID Appointments
Due to the disruption of our normal operations, we have been contacting all of the patients whose cancelled appointments need to be rescheduled. We appreciate your cooperation as we try our best to address the accumulated appointments.
We are using telehealth visits, by which we can communicate both visually and by voice, using a computer or cell phone. During these visits, we can work together on acute issues, routine follow-up visits, chronic care disease management, medication management, review of tests or laboratory results, and lifestyle coaching. We expect to be using telehealth as another way of working with you well after the pandemic is over. When recommended by your physician, we are offering limited in-office visits as well.
As always, your physician is available after office hours and on weekends to address urgent and time-sensitive matters, and can be reached by calling your doctor’s office number, which will connect you to the answering system when the office is closed.
Office Safety
When you arrive, you will be screened at the entrance to the office by one of our staff members. We are unable to accommodate patients who may have symptoms of Covid-19, such as fever, cough, shortness of breath, or sore throat, which cannot be explained by a chronic condition. If you have any of these symptoms, please contact your physician to address them first by phone or telehealth.
To avoid unnecessary contact with other patients and visitors, we are requesting that anyone who accompanies a patient to the office either wait outside the office, or stay with the patient throughout the visit, including the examination room. The companion will also be required to be screened by our staff for COVID symptoms and fever, and to wear a facial covering when inside the office. In cases where maintaining privacy is required, another examination room will be made available for the companion.
Please click the image below to view a short video regarding our office safety procedures.
COVID-19
We are keeping abreast of the latest information regarding the current pandemic, and encourage you to access the links below for up-to-date information from public health experts, our partners at MDVIP, and other resources. We continue to monitor the same resources on a routine basis, and will update our information as it changes.
Resources
Travel
At this time the CDC recommends travelers avoid all nonessential travel to all global destinations.
Regarding travel within the United States
Domestic Abuse
Montgomery County Family Justice Center
COVID-19 Testing
Testing Information from the CDC
Testing Sites:
Private Pay Testing Sites (that our patients have reported having quick turnaround times):
LabCorp Pixel Testing (also private-pay, no physician order needed)
