You may see some changes when it is time for your appointment. We have made these changes to help protect our patients and staff. We also want to tell you about the infection control procedures (new and revised) we follow at NVOMS to keep patients and staff safe:

• Per the governor of MA and the MA Department of Public Health, we request that you wear a face covering into the office. If you do not have one, instructions for simple, cloth facemasks can be found on the CDC website. Please alert our staff if you need assistance with making a mask as we have a limited supply.
• Our office will communicate with you beforehand to ask some screening questions. You’ll be asked those same questions again when you are in the office.
• Appointments will be offered to allow for social distancing between patients. This protocol may result in fewer options for scheduling your appointment.
• Please alert our staff if you are a senior citizen or have health issues that make you a high-risk patient. This will allow us to schedule you appropriately and thereby avoid any unnecessary contact with other patients.
• For your convenience, all necessary pre-appointment paperwork can be accessed on our website (www.neponsetvalleyoms.com), filled out online ahead of time and submitted securely. This will eliminate the need to fill out paperwork at the office and save you time.
• You may be asked to sign forms at your visit and you will be given your own pen to take with you.
• If you are uncomfortable coming into the office at this time, we may be able to schedule certain visits (some consults and follow ups) virtually using Zoom or Facetime.
• We are asking patients to check their temperatures at home prior to their visit. If a temperature above 100 degrees is noted, we request that you reschedule for at least 2 weeks and contact your physician about COVID-19 testing.
• We will do our best to allow greater time between patients to reduce waiting times and to reduce the number of patients in the reception area at any one time.
• We have hand sanitizer for you to use as you enter the office. You will also find some in the reception area and other places within the office for your use.
• You may see that our waiting room no longer offers magazines, children’s toys and other objects. These items are difficult to clean and disinfect.
• Our waiting area seating will be more limited and we will have you wait in your vehicle until you are called in via cell phone for your appointment.
• We ask that you come into the office for your appointment alone unless you need special assistance or are a minor. Family and friends accompanying you should plan to wait in the car.
• You will have your temperature checked prior to your appointment along with your regular vital signs.
• For IV anesthesia cases, escorts will be asked to wait in their vehicles during the treatment session.
• Although our friendly staff will be smiling while giving you loving care, you will no longer be able to see our actual smiles due to new requirements to wear masks at all times. We will be wearing nametags so that you know who we are.
• All office supply deliveries for the last several weeks have been “contactless” and we will continue this into the foreseeable future.
• Our PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) will now consist of surgical gowns, a face shield, surgical caps, and 2 masks in addition to our normal surgical scrubs and gloves.
• Each operatory will undergo rigorous, “top-to-bottom” cleaning between each patient event. Adequate time and staffing has been allowed for this activity.
• We will continue to use the same pre-COVID bactericidal and viricidal cleaning products to wipe down surfaces and floors that patients may contact. These are the same products used in hospitals.
• More surfaces will now be covered with disposable coverings and not just disinfected to ensure your safety.
• We have always and will continue to follow strict monitoring of our sterilizer machines and surgical instruments.
• We will have surgical patients recover and receive post-operative instructions in their treatment rooms.
• All staff members have been symptom-free and we are monitoring this daily along with temperature checks for all.