The health and safety of our patients, providers, and staff is our #1 priority!

Trust us when we say that we are as tired of the pandemic restrictions and healthcare protocol changes as you are. We miss seeing your faces and hate not being able to welcome loved ones to your appointments

However, just like schools are virtual and hospitals are restricting visitors to limit the spread of COVID-19 in our community, we must continue to do our part as well. Although our visitor/guest policy has’t changed since the start of the pandemic, we want to remind you that we must remain diligent in protecting our patients, many of whom are high risk with underlying health conditions. 

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All patients having Mohs surgery will have a rapid COVID-19 test performed in their car prior to being brought into the building. If your ride is planning on dropping you off, they must wait until we get your test results, as you will not be allowed in the building until that time.

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We are often asked, “Why can’t my family member come in with me to my appointment— especially when we live together?”
While it’s true that the risk of contracting COVID-19 is minimized when a family limits their interactions with non-family members. The risk is not completely eliminated. Studies show that at least 40 to 50% of people who test positive for COVID-19 have no symptoms at all. Our goal is to protect our patients, providers, and staff by limiting the number of people in our office. 

We’ve recently been asked “Why can’t my family come in with me to my appointment since they’ve had the COVID-19 vaccine and why do I still need to wear a mask if I’ve had the vaccine?”
While experts learn more about the protection that COVID-19 vaccines provide under real-life conditions, it will be important for everyone to continue using all the tools available to us to help stop this pandemic, like covering your mouth and nose with a mask, washing hands often, and staying at least 6 feet away from others. Together, COVID-19 vaccinations and continuing to following CDC guidelines will offer the best protection from getting and spreading COVID-19. Experts need to understand more about the protection that COVID-19 vaccines provide before deciding to change recommendations on steps everyone should take to slow the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19. Other factors, including how many people get vaccinated and how the virus is spreading in communities, will also affect this decision. It’s important to note the vaccine is not 100% effective. There are also new variants of the virus that may or may not evade the vaccine

Our COVID-19 Policy:

  »  Check-ins are done in our parking lot, over the phone. 

  »  Temperature check at the door and screening questions for COVID-19 for all staff. 

  »  Temperature check at the door and screening questions for COVID-19 for all patients. 

  »  Monitoring and cleaning after bathroom visits.

  »  Extreme and thorough cleaning of rooms between each patient. 

  »  All staff wear a mask throughout the entire day. 

  »  Patients are asked to bring their own mask to wear. If they do not have one, a mask will be provided. 

  »  Patients are allowed to have one person with them only if they need assistance and prior approval has been made, otherwise the patient is to come alone. These people will also be screened using the same screening criteria we use for the patient. 

  »  Mohs patients are told to have their driver drop them off and pick them up when their surgery is done. 

  »  Staff have separate, assigned spaces at the nurses station to stay as far away from each other as possible. Staff separate when eating lunch. 

  »  All food and coffee in the waiting room will be locked up.

  »  All patients wash their hands as soon as they enter their exam room.

  »  The nurse goes to the front desk to schedule the patient’s follow up appointment and print their discharge instructions while the patient remains in the room. Once the patient is ready to go, the nurse walks them to the front door. The nurse is to open all doors for the patient. 

We appreciate your understanding of, and adherence to, our COVID-19 policy. We hope that with the COVID-19 vaccines and the growing herd immunity we will once again be able to see your smiling faces in the not-too-distant future. 

 The Staff at Skin Surgery Center of Virginia