Endo clinic update
by Ryan Brown, Endodontic Practice Manager
2020 has been quite the year so far! We here in the Graduate Endodontic Practice have endured many changes and adversity due to the pandemic but have come out on the other side stronger than ever.
The clinic was closed from March 16 to June 11. During that time we stayed in constant communication with each other and worked remotely to make sure we stayed informed about the ever-changing world. We met weekly over Zoom to discuss reopening plans to keep patients and staff safe. During this time the residents took emergency calls, which they tracked so that we could schedule treatment when we returned.
A safe return
To return safely, all staff and residents were fitted for N95 masks. Glass safety barriers were installed at the front desk and HEPA filters were installed in the operatories to help filtering in the clinic. Each staff, faculty and resident took training courses to return to work under the CDC guidelines to ensure we remained safe and kept our patients safe. We did a soft opening in the beginning with staggered patients and appointment times. The 2nd year residents saw mainly stage 2 appointments and the 1st year residents saw any emergency patients and patients who called during the shut down. Once the governor approved moving into Phase 3 of Virginia’s reopening, we were able to see more patients and we hit the ground running. Pulling from multiple lists, we have been extremely busy which is a very good thing when trying to get back on our feet.
Staffing challenges
During all we have been very understaffed. We lost an assistant and the patient coordinator at start up so I have been at the front desk and we had two assistants working hard to maintain four to eight residents at once. We had a goal and we all have worked very hard to keep up with that goal.
In August we hired another assistant. Vivian Kong joined the team and has been a great addition. By the time you read this, hopefully our patient coordinator will be back and we’ll be working fully staffed again.
Categories Endodontics