COVID-19 Notice
With coronavirus here to stay, we want our patients to feel comfortable and know that your safety is and always has been our top priority.
While working as a Hyperbaric Safety Director for over 10 years, I have overseen infection control in the private and hospital sectors and have implemented safety protocols at our medical centers. Please see notices below regarding our practice.
As medical professionals, we are trained to always assume a patient can be infected. Someone can appear perfectly healthy yet carry a virus like COVID-19 that can be transmitted to others. This is why all patients each and every day will be properly screened prior to entering. If you have a fever or are feeling ill, please cancel your treatment prior to arrival.
All of our team members will be screened daily prior to opening. Team members are trained to practice good hand hygiene.
With patient safety as our top priority, our team will always follow the most up-to-date CDC guidelines for recommended universal precautions when treating patients at our office.
Masks are recommended, but not required for our patients. We encourage our patients to take the precautions that make them feel most comfortable and safe. If they choose to wear a mask, they can be worn up until entering the chamber and will be provided back to the patient upon completion of the hyperbaric treatment.
Our lockers, medical equipment, gurneys, and chambers are always cleaned pre- and post-patient care. We also clean high-touch spots in the clinic after all appointments as well.
Our chamber-approved disinfectant has been deemed safe and effective by the Undersea & Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS) as well as The National Board of Diving and Medical Technology (NBDHMT).
While there are ongoing clinical trials exploring the therapeutic potential of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for the treatment of COVID-19, we do NOT currently treat people that are actively testing positive for COVID-19 at our medical centers. We have made this decision to create a safe environment for all of our patients since we treat many people with certain underlying medical conditions like cancer and diabetes that are at an increased risk for severe COVID-19 illness.
We DO treat patients suffering from long COVID or lingering COVID-19 symptoms with great results. Many of our patients have found relief with as little as five hyperbaric oxygen treatments while others needed 10 based on chronicity of their condition. If you’d like to learn more about hyperbaric oxygen therapy for long COVID and explore our patient success stories, please read our blog.
We are continuing to follow guidance from the government and leading health policy organizations on how best to protect our team and patients from becoming infected and otherwise limit potential for disease transmission.
We have implemented the following precautions:
- All patients will be properly screened for symptoms and travel or exposure history prior to entering the clinic.
- Visitors are allowed in our waiting area at this time. If the visitor feels more comfortable waiting in the car until the patient’s appointment is complete, please let us know and we can call them when the appointment is complete.
- One parent can accompany a minor into the hyperbaric room if medically necessary. Once the child is in treatment, the parent will be asked to stay in our waiting area. We will call the parent when the treatment is complete.
- Walk-ins are allowed into the reception area at this time.
- All new patient onboarding will be done via phone or virtually.
- We are scheduling appointment times that are staggered at half-hour intervals to limit patient-to-patient interaction as well as allot proper time disinfecting in between patients.
- We are practicing social distancing.
- If you have traveled within the previous 2 weeks to other countries or regions inside or outside the United States where infections with COVID-19 have been reported, you should not enter the hyperbaric facility without first informing hyperbaric staff by telephone.
- This is also necessary if you have had close contact with a person that has tested positive for COVID-19 or is in isolation due to possible exposure.
- Masks are recommended and may be worn entering and leaving the office. Masks are not allowed in the hyperbaric chamber during treatment.
- Patients will be asked to wash their hands in our front restroom prior to entering the chamber room.
- Disposable gloves may be worn to the office. Upon arrival patients will be asked to dispose of outside gloves, wash hands, and a new set will be provided if needed while in the clinic.
- During the pandemic, many patients may be using alcohol-based hand sanitizer. This must be washed off immediately prior to hyperbaric treatment due to the risks with oxygen and to chamber acrylics.
- Deliveries will be handed off at the front entrance.
We are very thankful for all the love and support we continually receive from our beautiful patients.
We hope to see you soon at Hyperbarics Orlando and Hyperbarics New Smyrna!
Sincerely,
Erika Jordan, DMS, EMT, CHT, CHS
Hyperbaric Director, Founder
Safety resources regarding our guidelines:
- Centers for Disease Control & Prevention: Reopening Guidance for Cleaning and Disinfecting Public Spaces, Workplaces, Businesses, Schools, and Homes.
- Undersea & Hyperbaric Medical Society: Guidelines for infection control, patient treatment, and staff safety considerations related to Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBO2) in monoplace and multiplace hyperbaric chambers during the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak.
- The Australian and New Zealand Hyperbaric Medicine Group (ANZHMG) & The Hyperbaric Technicians and Nurses Association (HTNA) COVID-19 Guidelines.
- European Committee For Hyperbaric Medicine: ECHM position on Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) in multiplace hyperbaric chambers during coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak.
- Addendum to the CUHMA (Canadian Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Association): Guidelines for Hyperbaric Medicine: COVID-19 pandemic (and other highly contagious high fatality respiratory tract infectious agents).