Hello everyone! I am very much looking forward to seeing all of you in the coming days, weeks and months
As we begin to venture out from our isolation, there are a few items I must attend to. In our new world there are new regulations that must be adhered to in order to keep us all safe and healthy. Your health, and mine, are of the utmost importance as we traverse this challenge, I ask for your understanding and cooperation. What follows are the Guidelines set forth by the Acupuncture Society of New York and are built on a variety of governmental and non profit authorities on the pandemic and reopening strategies.

Acupuncturists in NY operate “Medium Exposure Risk” environments. This is defined as employees with high-frequency contact with the general public and other coworkers. As such, Acupuncture Practices in NY must screen patients to exclude any active cases of COVID-19, but must also take additional precautions to protect worker and patient safety.

Here is what to expect at your upcoming visits in order to accomplish the requirements set forth by NYS.

1. Pre-Visit Precautions:
Each patient must be screened by telephone for COVID-19 prior to their appointment day.
Appointment confirmation calls will be made 24-48 hours prior to the scheduled appointment and will include questions about current symptoms and possible exposures to people who may have contracted COVID-19. If the patient does not pass the screening, or if the patient suspects he/she may have been exposed to or contracted COVID-19, the acupuncture appointment must be cancelled and may only be rescheduled after a Doctor has evaluated the patient and a negative COVID-19 test is received.

**the above is required by the State of NY. My office will also be requesting a two week no contact window from the time of a known exposure before rescheduling.

If a patient is unable to receive Acupuncture due to COVID-19, there will be tele-health options for herbal consults, guides to acupressure points, or other wellness suggestions.

2. Arrival Instructions:
Please come to your appointment alone, unless accompanying a child or if you are in need of assistance. Anyone entering the office will be subject to the screening process prior to admission.

A designated screening employee (me) must screen all patients upon arrival, prior to entering the office. The screening procedure will include questioning, temperature with a forehead or no contact thermometer, and a pulse oximeter reading.
Body temperature of 100.4 or higher is considered a fever.
Oxygen level below 95 is considered hypoxia.

Refusal of the screening procedure will result in cancellation of the acupuncture appointment.

After a successful screening the patient will be asked to remove their shoes and leave them in the designated area before entering, you will be asked to “wash” your hands with hand sanitizer before putting on a mask to enter the office. The mask must be worn for the duration of the visit and removed and properly disposed of after leaving the office. A container will be available outside the office.

If the screening is not successful due to temperature, oxygen levels or known contact, the patient will be referred to their medical Doctor or the local health department for evaluation and the acupuncture appointment must be cancelled.

Upon entering the office please proceed immediately to the treatment room to avoid the public waiting area.

You will be asked to sign a COVID-19 Informed consent to treatment for treatment.

You must wear your mask for the duration of the visit. Putting it on before entering the building and removing it after leaving the building.

Thank you for your cooperation as we navigate the ebb and flow, the yin and the yang of COVID-19.