Woodlands Medical Specialists & COVID-19

COVID-19

Woodlands Medical Specialists is closely monitoring the rapidly evolving public health concern surrounding the COVID-19 virus. We strongly encourage patients who are NOT experiencing flu-like symptoms to continue with their prescribed treatment regimen and to practice good hygiene and limit social encounters to limit exposure to illness. Facemasks are not recommended for patients not experiencing flu-like symptoms.

If you are experiencing symptoms of a cough, fever or difficulty breathing, or if you fear you may have been exposed to the coronavirus, please do not come into the office before calling your Woodlands provider. Your health care provider will be able to provide you with further instructions by phone.

How To Prepare For Your Visit

Though we are still treating patients, we have implemented more stringent procedures in order to keep our patients safe and limit exposure to illness. Please prepare for your upcoming appointment by taking the following steps:

• Arrive 10 minutes earlier to your appointment and be prepared to complete our COVID-19 screening questionnaire
• Do not bring guests with you to your appointment. Nonessential guests will be invited to wait outside or in their vehicles during your appointment. Guests are not permitted into the facility to wait. In an effort to limit the amount of people gathered in our practice, we have removed the additional seating from our waiting areas.
• If at all possible, avoid bringing children or sick guests with you to your appointment.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
• If you are experiencing flu-like symptoms, such as coughing, fever and shortness of breath, call your Woodlands provider prior to your appointment: (850) 696-4000.
• If you have been previously tested for the COVID-19 virus, please bring your test results with you to your appointment. 

How Woodlands Is Responding To The Virus

The safety of our patients and employees is our number one concern. We are closely monitoring the COVID-19 virus and are staying up-to-date on the on the latest news and information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). We have emphasized an array of preventative measures to protect our patients and staff from exposure to illness. In addition to screening all guests prior to entering our facility, we have also:

• Implemented an internal COVID-19 task force that is continuously monitoring the situation.
• Implemented mandatory, regular screenings for all employees, contractors and vendors.
• Placed alcohol-based hand sanitizers throughout our practice for patient and employees to use frequently, in addition to handwashing.
• Implemented more stringent and frequent anti-viral cleaning of all surfaces within all practice locations including the removal of unnecessary modes of transmission (such as magazines in waiting areas).
• Mandated that all employees feeling unwell stay home.
• Asked that all patients experiencing symptoms of the COVID-19 virus stay home from their appointment and contact their primary care provider for additional instructions.

Symptoms Of COVID-19

Symptoms of the COVID-19 virus are similar to the flu and typically appear 2-14 days after exposure.  Some of the symptoms include:

• Fever
• Cough or Sore Throat
• Shortness of Breath
• Fatigue
• Muscle Aches or Pains
• Nasal Congestion
• Runny Nose
• Diarrhea

The CDC recommends that patients exhibiting symptoms of the COVID-19 virus isolate themselves for a period of 14 days to prevent infecting others and consult a physician.

Trusted Resources

We urge you to turn to trusted, reliable sources for information about COVID-19, to help you avoid misinformation. It is important to understand the facts to avoid unnecessary or misplaced fear. We recommend these websites:

Centers for Disease Control & Prevention: Coronavirus

World Health Organization: Coronavirus

National Cancer Institute: What People with Cancer Should Know

U.S. Food & Drug Administration: Message to Cancer Patients