As per the "Re-Open Saskatchewan" plan being implemented by the Goverment of Saskatchewan, Physiotherapy and Chiropractic services carefully and thoughtfully resumed for Phase 1.  This began on May 4, 2020, which we are referring to as the beginning of our "new normal" .

Above all else, our goal is to be safe and healthy.

We will work diligently to protect patients, as well as be safe and comfortable ourselves.  Please note our "new normal" contains a constant state of flux.  

Currently, in clinic:

We encourage you to wear a mask, if you are able.

PHYSIOTHERAPY and CHIROPRACTIC appointments were brought back to work in a safely-staged manner.  We are near full staff, but not full hours.  You can book online, or call 306.779.1275 and our receptionist can help you schedule.  Two hours prior to your appointment, you will receive an email with a short questionnaire that must be filled out.  This helps us ensure you are feeling well through the government recommended screen for COVID-19.  If you are unwell, you can NOT come into our facility.  Period.  Please choose a virtual option until you are healthy again. 

Virtual care offerings: 

Mental health services will all continue either virtual or through the phone.  You can choose a counsellor and the option for an end-to-end encrypted video appointment, or have the practitioner call you.  Please ensure that your email and phone number are current.  We are anticipated staging the face to face return in the summer.  If you prefer in person appointments, please call the clinic to be put on a wait list. 

Exercise therapy and group fitness will continue through virtual sessions until June 2020. Mid-June we will begin phasing some in person sessions, but they will be gradually increased and according to all Phase 3 Government guidelines.  Please see our seperate tab for more information (http://www.brownstonehealth.ca/covid-19/gym-fitness-area).

Physiotherapy can also be provided through virtual video-based appointments.  This is a great option for pain management, exercise and movement analysis, home program updates, as well as self-care programming.  There is the ability to have your physiotherapy assessment done in person, and then the follow-ups can be completed either virtually or in person- your choice. 

Massage Therapy is limited hours, but is available for booking online. 

Phase 3 In clinic: 

We know the province is very excited about a specific date, but after learning from phases 1 & 2, we hope to reopen our Gym, Fitness and Yoga incrementally over the summer.  Please keep checking our booking website, or call reception 306.779.1275 to be added to a recall list. 

We are thinking that our Mental Health services may gradually return to the clinic for in person options this summer, but we are remaining cautious.  If you are comfortable with Mental Health services over video or telephone, we encourage your sessions to remain in that format.  If you want to see your practitioner in person, and attend your appointment in our clinic, please call or email us and we can add you to a list.    

Virtual Care is likely here to stay!  Physiotherapy and Mental Health Services will continue to be optional in clinic or through video or telephone.

Here are the accommodations we have made: 

Scheduling

We will have a pre-programmed time after each in-person appointment. We are doing this to minimize patient waiting, minimize the number of people in the facility at any given time, decrease overlap of interaction at the reception desk, and allow adequate time for proper cleaning of the treatment area between patients.

Patients have always been scheduled on a one-to-one ratio.  We will work harder to ensure appointments finish on time. Treating more than one patient at the same time increases risk of cross-contamination, and we will NOT take this risk.  This was something we were rarely comfortable with pre-COVID, and we defintely are not willing to do this now.  If you were used to a longer acupuncture session after your manual therapy, please note that your treatment will now finish on time and can not be extended. 

If a patient shows up with extra people, anyone not receiving treatment will be advised to wait in their vehicle.  This is no different than one designated person going grocery shopping.  Please do NOT bring your family members to your appointments. 

Pre-Appointment Screen and Education 

You will continue to receive a COVID-19 Intake Questionnaie through our software two hours before your appointment. This MUST be filled out.

We will continue advising people to:

• Cancel their appointment if experiencing ANY cold or flu-like symptoms or illness. Our practitioners have the right to refuse providing treatment to a patient if they appear to be presenting with symptoms! (There is a big sign on our doors, you can NOT enter our facility if you are ill.  Period.)
• Respectfully honour the self-quarantine timelines set out by the Government of Saskatchewan before booking an appointment if ill or in close contact with anyone that has either exhibited symptoms or tested positive for COVID-19
• Wait a minimum of 14 symptom-free days before coming for an appointment after travelling outside of Canada
• Attend appointments punctually to minimize waiting in common areas of clinics.
• Do not bring extra people to the appointment unless absolutely necessary, and ensure that anyone accompanying the patient is not at risk or exhibiting any symptoms.

Coming into the Clinic

• We kindly ask you to wear a mask if you are able.  We understand that no everyone can wear a mask, but sure appreciate those that are able to.
• Wash your hands with soap and water or alcohol-based disinfectant for 20 seconds immediately upon entering the facility.
• Do not come early. 
• Move directly to your treatment area, please do not linger in the reception area or visit with anyone (we know, we miss this part, too!).
• We may take and record the temperature of each individual entering the facility as per Government of Saskatchewan orders dated 17 April 2020, 3(e)ii for Special Care Homes. If someone comes unknowingly into our facility with a fever, our facility would be considered contaminated, and we would close immediatly, having to cancel other people's appointments.

During Appointment Guidelines for any Practitioner in contact with patients

• Your practioner will be wearing Personal Protective Equipment as per Government of Saskatchewan guidelines. 
• You will need to rewash your hands for a minimum of 20 seconds with soap and water or use an alcohol-based disinfectant at the beginning and the end of the treatment.
• You will stay in one spot for each treatment, to maintain 2-meter distance between other people and minimize the areas to be cleaned after each patient.
• If anyone coughs or sneezes during the appointment, do so into their elbow, pause the appointment and re-wash hands.  Patient education should be provided on the necessity of staying home, and follow-up appointments can be conducted via telerehabilitation

After Appointment

• To minimize contact with other staff, your practitioner will likely rebook your next appointment in the teatment area, or you may be advised  to either call or rebook online.  We are doing our best to minimize contact with our receptionists and minimize time spent in our facility outside of direct patient care.  Ideally, our reception will be busy answering phones and responding to email as payment and rebooking are taken care of by the practitioners.
• You will receive an email for our online payment as soon as your treatment ends (If you didn't prepay online).  If you must pay in person at our reception desk we recommend using the tap-function of your credit or debit card to minimize touching the merchant terminal and minimize the exchange of cash (unless absolutely required, at which time our receptionist will don gloves).
• We will be emailing all receipts, instead of printing, for you to submit to your respective insurance companies.
• If you prepaid your treatment session, please expect to receive the receipt for insurance purposes via email the business day after your session.
• The practitioner will thoroughly clean any surface area that any patient may have come in contact with using a hospital grade cleaning spray. We will remember to get the sides of the beds, too! 
• The practitioner will rewash their hands for a minimum of 20 seconds with soap and water or an alcohol-based disinfectant between each patient.

Staff Health Screening

Under no circumstance should anyone come to work if feeling unwell.  Please understand if you receive a last minute cancellation, or are shifted to another practitioner, as we will be taking absolutely no chances with anyone's health or mental well-being. 

Clinic Changes You Might Notice:

Reception area:

• Sneeze-guard is in place.  If not using it, our receptionist must wear PPE
• Avoiding having reusable products, ie magazines, dry erase intakes and FOMs.
• Cleaning any item that can not be disposed of between patients, ie pens, clipboards, terminals.
• Transitioned as many staff to home offices as possible.
• Appropriate signage for symptom awareness, ie hand-washing, COVID-19 protocols, etc.
• Increase access to alcohol-based disinfectants or hand-washing stations.
• Promote contactless or online payment, with emailed receipts. 
• Have a clearly defined COVID-19 facility protocol available to provide to any person with questions.

Increased cleaning:

• Increasing frequency of hospital-grade sanitation of all surfaces, including the front desk, doorknobs, bathrooms, as well as equipment, furniture, weights, instruments and treatment tables throughout the day.
• Electrostatic spraying of all high-touch surfaces for 'deep cleaning' when the clinic is closed.

Physio and Chiro:

• Be cognizant of maintaining scheduling and treatment timelines to minimize patient overlap.
• Treating patients in designated rooms for chiropractic care, and designated areas for physiotherapy with a minimum of 2-meter distance between people.
• We are going to implement one-way directional traffic in the clinic to maintain physical distance.  We will have physio clients move in a clockwise circle towards the blue and white chairs, straight into the curtain area for care, through the curtain area to the gym, past the vault, out the door!  Please follow the arrows taped to the floor. 

Massage therapy:

• Wearing PPE as directed by the Massage Therapy Association of Sasktchewan. 

Mental Health:

• Continue telephone or virtual until we are directed otherwise.

Gym usage:

• We are slowly re-integrating our fitness components over the summer.  Our guidelines: http://www.brownstonehealth.ca/covid-19/gym-fitness-area