Mid-Valley Children’s Clinic, located in Albany, Ore., will use telemedicine tools to see non-emergent patients beginning Monday, March 23, after one staff member tested positive for the COVID-19 virus and several others began experiencing symptoms. For at least the next 10 days, those needing in-person care will be seen at a nearby clinic or urgent care.
After experiencing symptoms of the virus in recent days, staff members at the clinic were tested and have begun self-quarantine at home. Clinic staff have contacted patients and families who visited the clinic during the time when they may have been exposed to the virus.
“We talked with families about how they are feeling now and asked them to practice self-monitoring through the 14-day period after the potential exposure,” said pediatrician Edward Frothingham, MD, who works at the clinic and was among those contacting family members. “We want families to know we are here to support them, as well as our own clinic employees, through this process.”
Frothingham added that none of the individuals with whom he spoke reported feeling ill.
Frothingham said a date has not yet been set for the clinic to return to regular operation, as staff had already begun to offer virtual visits when appropriate as a way of practicing the recommended guidelines related to social distancing.
“We are fortunate that current technology provides an effective option for addressing many common pediatric conditions via virtual visits,” Frothingham said.
Patients, or their caregivers, of Mid-Valley Children’s Clinic who are in need of care, should call the clinic first to determine if they are eligible for a virtual visit or if they should go to a neighboring clinic or urgent care. The clinic’s phone number is 541-812-5111.
For the latest information about COVID-19 testing and prevention, visit samhealth.org/Coronavirus.