GDP UPDATE: How GDP is Keeping You & Your Kiddos Safe & Healthy During the Pandemic
COVID-19 Pandemic: What your GDP family is doing for you and your family.
Our crew at Great Destinations has been working hard to keep up with all the latest research with COVID-19, present that research to you, and adjust how we do things to keep everyone safe.
Here’s what’s going on at our office:
- Everyone at GDP is wearing a face mask and PPE, practicing excellent hand washing, and disinfecting each patient room after every visit.
- Everyone 2 years old and older are required to wear a face mask before entering our office (this includes the parents).
- Only one parent is allowed at each visit and only the child/teen who needs to be seen is allowed at the visit (the exception is the newborn, two-week, and 2 month old visit where both parents are welcome to come). Another exception is parents who have no one else to watch their other children or parents who have multiple kids under 5 years old who all need their vaccines-we all our parents and understand the joys and challenges of raising a family!
- Parents coming for a visit no longer need to call from the parking lot UNLESS you or your child have COVID-19 infection OR have been exposed to someone who has COVID-19 infection. If you have COVID-19 or have been exposed please call us from your car and we will see your child in your car. Anyone 2 years old and up will need to wear a face mask please.
- If you or your child does not have COVID-19 infection and no exposure to COVID-19, you may come in through the front door and notify our staff that you are here. We use separate well and sick waiting rooms and clean them constantly throughout the day.
- We will escort any parent or child who has an immune disorder, extreme prematurity, on medicine that lowers the immune system, or has any condition that would result in severe illness if infected with COVID, directly to an exam room OR offer telehealth (but our providers prefer to see your child in person.)
- We offer telehealth for very simple things at the doctor’s discretion, but we really prefer seeing your kids so we can do a proper physical exam, weight, and vitals, and arrive at an accurate diagnosis. Doing in person visits also will limit the amount of x-rays and tests we need to do and hopefully limit the amount of antibiotics we prescribe.
We urge you to continue to come in for your children’s well check-ups and continue vaccinating your child/teen. Vaccination rates have dropped markedly in the U.S. and physicians are concerned that we may see vaccine preventable illnesses such as measles and meningitis in the next year leaving the young and immunocompromised at great risk.
Thank you for your patience as we adjust our schedule and our practice to meet your families’ needs.
Written by Dr. Prentice
Updated 4/10/21
Home-Isolation-Guidelines
Quarantine Guidance for Household and Close Contacts
COVID Testing Sites Link
We urge you to continue to come for your children’s well check-ups and continue vaccinating your child/teen. Vaccination rates have dropped markedly in the U.S. and physicians are concerned that we may see vaccine preventable illnesses such as measles and meningitis in the next year leaving the young and immunocompromised at great risk.
Thank you for your patience as we adjust our schedule and our practice to meet your families’ needs.
WHY WE WEAR A MASK ALL DAY & NEED YOU TO WEAR YOURS TOO!
It’s not about me and it’s not about you. Wearing a mask is for your grandma and grandpa. For the newborn in the other room. For the child or mom going through chemotherapy with a bad immune system.
We wear the mask so we don’t spread anything to them, and so we don’t catch anything, and then pass it along to someone who may die if they get COVID.
“But I’m not sick and don’t have a fever, so why do I have to wear the mask?” you say. Well, at least 30-40% of people who are infected with COVID have NO symptoms or haven’t gotten symptoms yet. In the case of chickenpox and many other viruses, you are extremely contagious before you get obvious symptoms. So maybe at this moment you feel fine and that’s good, but you could still spread it.
So please, please, please keep the mask on while we you are in our office. Wear it properly over your nose and mouth. Do not pull it down to talk to us. You will be protecting us, yourself, the babies and children we care for, your family, and your neighbors.
Thank you,
Your Great Destinations Pediatrics Family
Written by Dr. Karen Prentice 6-9-2020
For the latest information about 2019 Novel Coronavirus, visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
Public Hotline Number: 602-747-7099
COVID VIDEO LINKS FROM DR. PRENTICE
Why we continue to wear masks
https://www.facebook.com/GDPeds/videos/339900600339314/
Update on Increase in COVID cases
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=597163740932383
COVID Video #8 Are your kids driving your crazy?
https://www.facebook.com/GDPeds/videos/258893181940262/
COVID #7 Anxiety
https://www.facebook.com/GDPeds/videos/229002981749601/
COVID Video #6 How to Wear a Mask Safely and Staying Healthy
https://www.facebook.com/GDPeds/videos/222708002412712/
COVID Video # 5 Encouraging Words and New Information about COVID
https://www.facebook.com/GDPeds/videos/263062764696985/
COVID Video #4Tips on Boosting your Immune System
https://www.facebook.com/GDPeds/videos/510226413196834/
Covid Video #3 How to Protect Your Family and Stay Healthy
https://www.facebook.com/GDPeds/videos/580907725849896/
COVID Video #2 Be a Hero for Parents
https://www.facebook.com/GDPeds/videos/909483896174515/
COVID Video #1 Be a Hero for Kids
https://www.facebook.com/GDPeds/videos/240493853746416/?t=66
