COVID-19 Protocol

San Diego Ear, Nose & Throat Specialists has been actively monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on our patient care and office protocols.  Our highest priority is to continue providing excellent care in a safe environment for our patients and staff.  We have created and implemented a strategic plan using the best available practices such as CDC-recommended air filtration and UV-light-treated air conditioning systems plus “ahead of the curve” ideas to minimize the risk of person-to-person COVID-19 exposure in our practice. We will remain open and fully-operational providing the full range of services as long as it is safe to do so. Our intent is to make our office one of the safest places you can visit outside of your home.

In an effort to facilitate social distancing recommendations we are currently offering a telemedicine program. These are audio/visual appointments conducted via Doxy.me with one of our providers. If this is of interest to you, please click on the Telehealth Portal located at the top of our website and follow the instructions. Some medical conditions certainly are best suited to an in-person visit with a physical examination. However, the telemedicine service will be an adjunct to our practice for those not suitable for an in-office visit, or others with less complex medical complaints wishing to avoid an office visit. Please call our office with any questions you might have 760-334-5466.

Staff precautions:

• We will be checking our employee temperatures to ensure no one is working with a fever or a cough. Anyone identified with elevated temperature or illness will be sent home.
• Vendors, family members, and other visitors have been suspended from visiting our office.
• Continued use of high-level disinfectant and sanitation protocol has already been implemented in our facility and will occur frequently throughout the day.

Patient precautions:

• All patients and visitors will be screened and examined for symptoms of illness prior to entering the office.
• If anyone has symptoms of illness, they will be asked to go home and inform their primary care doctor. We will waive any last-minute cancellation fees associated with rescheduling the appointment for these screened patients.
• We ask that you postpone your scheduled appointment if you or anyone in your household may have been exposed to COVID-19 through travel or attendance at large gatherings less than two weeks ago.
• In order to reduce the number of people in the office, no visitors are allowed except for one parent for one or more minors or one visitor for patients requiring assistance for a disability. We recognize that there will be a number of exceptions to this rule and will work with you to accommodate your needs. Please call us ahead of time if you have a need to bring more than one visitor.
• You will have the option to wait in the privacy of your car until your exam room is open.
• We will be removing all magazines, samples, and other loose items from the waiting room and exam rooms so that efficient sterilization can be performed between each patient.

We look forward to seeing you soon and are committed to continuing our excellent care in a clean environment during this challenging time. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns.

Sincerely Yours,
San Diego Ear, Nose & Throat Specialists