COVID-19 Clinic Updates

 

JANUARY 2023 UPDATE

We are continuing to wear masks and screen patients prior to their visit for Covid-19 symptoms. We want to remind patients that if they are symptomatic to please stay home even if you have tested negative. We can offer a telemedicine visit or reschedule you to another day. Thank you.

OCTOBER 2022 UPDATE

We are continuing to screen patients for Covid-19 symptoms and we want to remind patients that if they are symptomatic to please stay home. We can offer a telemedicine visit or reschedule you to another day. Unfourtanuetly, the antigen tests are not entirely accurate and we cannot rely on a negative test if you are symptomatic. Thank you.

MARCH 23, 2022 UPDATE

Happy Vernal Equinox!

Our practice would like to announce the addition of Dr. Ameome Fresh! Please feel free to read more about her experience in the “About” section of our website.

We are now open Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. We are excited to see patients in person this spring and will continue to ask patients to wear a mask in the office. We will continue to offer telemedicine and as of this time most insurance companies are covering this service. Please note, state licensure laws require you to be physically in the state of Vermont.

For supplement sales, we do ask you to please call our office and leave a voicemail with your order or send us a detailed message in the ChARM patient portal. We are having a difficult time consistently getting supplements from our suppliers due to supply chain issues. If you call ahead, we can confirm them items are in stock.

Thank you!

January 26, 2022 Update

Happy new year!

We are open Tuesdays and Thursdays but may be working remotely due to the increase in COVID-19 cases in our community. We encourage telemedicine appointments at this time but will accomodate in person visits as usual. As of this time most insurance companies are covering telemedicine. However, state licensure laws require you to be physically in the state of Vermont.

For supplement sales, please call our office to leave a voicemail with your order or send us a detailed message in the ChARM patient portal. We will contact you to coordinate payment and pick up in the foyer on a day our staff is in. 

Be well!

November 15, 2021 UPDATE

We are open and seeing patients both in person and via telemedicine. Please call our office and indicate your preference for visit type. As of this time most insurance companies are covering telemedicine. However, state licensure laws require you to be physically in the state of Vermont during your visit. Out of state patients should call the office to learn about options for out of state consultations.

We will continue to screen patients for COVID -19 symptoms and ask you to wash or sanitize your hands upon arrival.

January 13, 2021 Update

Dear patients,

Welcome 2021. We are looking forward to resuming in person care very soon. Based on the current risk and the compromised immune status of many of our patients we will continue to conduct most of our visits by telemedicine.

If you feel you need to be seen in person please contact us to discuss those arrangements.

Please be aware that we will not be administering vaccines at our office and expect that you will receive clear direction from your primary care or oncology provider as soon as the vaccine is available.

We will be in the office on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, breaking for lunch from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm. Supplement sales will continue by phone or email with pick-up in our foyer on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

We hope to be scheduling patients for acupuncture visits on Mondays in Spring 2021 if not sooner.

We thank you for your continued support and understanding. Please always feel free to call the clinic with any questions.

It is an honor to be a part of your treatment team and we look forward to seeing you soon. Thank you, and be well.

 

Monday June 29, 2020 Update

Dear Patients,

We will remain closed to in-person visits and acupuncture visits until further notice. We are currently conducting all visits via telemedicine. If you have been previously scheduled for an in-person or acupuncture visit, you will be contacted by our office to either switch to telemedicine, reschedule, or cancel the appointment. We are still accepting new patients, but only via telemedicine visits. We thank you for your continued support and understanding. Please always feel free to call the clinic with any questions.

Thank you, and be well.

 

FRIDAY MARCH 20, 2020 UPDATE

Dear Patients,

In response to the ongoing public health concern of COVID-19, our office will remain closed to all in-person visits until April 6, 2020. We will reevaluate this policy again during the first week of April.

All previously scheduled in-person visits prior to April 6 will be transferred to a telemedicine visit. If you have an in-person visit scheduled prior to April 6, you will be contacted before your visit to make this adjustment to telemedicine. If you are not able to participate in a telemedicine visit or you need assistance connecting to telemedicine, please call our office at 802-989-7882. You can also reference our guide on connecting to telemedicine here: Telemedicine How-To

If you have an acupuncture visit scheduled prior to April 6, we will be in contact to reschedule this appointment, or discuss other options to continue supporting your health and wellness at this time.

For in-office supplement sales, please call the office to arrange payment in advance, and to set a time to arrange pickup. Currently, we cannot accommodate drop-in supplement sales without prior notice.

Thank you for your understanding and patience during this time. We will continue to reevaluate our policies and provide updated information on any changes to clinic scheduling or availability. We look forward to continuing to provide our patients with the best support and care during this difficult time. Please feel free to call our office with any questions.

Thank you, and be well.

MONDAY MARCH 16, 2020 UPDATE

To our valued patients:

We are looking to find a way to support you and the needs of our loved ones during this time. This unfortunately requires some compromises that we hope you will understand.


REDUCED RECEPTION HOURS -  Given the school closures, we will need to reduce available reception hours. We ask you to please leave a voicemail and be patient with these circumstances.  We hope to be able to return your call within 72 hours. If you have an acute or immediate need please call your primary care provider. Please do not leave urgent messages on our voicemail - We will not be equipped to support you in this way. There is more information below about supplement refill requests. 

TELEMEDICINE and PHONE CONSULTS - As of 3/16/2020, and for at least the next 3 weeks, we will only be offering telemedicine or phone consults to our patients.  In the interest of everyone's best health, we are closed for all in-office visits including acupuncture. If you are new to telemedicine, we will help you. Please let us know if you will need extra support. In the meantime, you can find the telemedicine instructions on our website  http://www.vermontwellnessmedicine.com/current-patients.

It is our experience that patients tend to be less prepared for telemedicine visits than for those that happen in person. To be sure we can help you please be prepared with goals for your visit, an updated medication list and a timeline of recent medical events.

SUPPLEMENT SALES - Please be sure to call ahead to place your supplement order to ensure we have the products you need and that we are open. When you call we can arrange the best option for pick-up.

We will be re-evaluating these decisions and updating our website as we have more information to share.

Thank you, and be well.

Friday March 13, 2020 Update

Dear Valued Patient,

We wanted to take the opportunity to let you know we are closely watching the evolution of current public health concerns associated with COVID-19. You can trust that we are actively monitoring how the current concerns affect our patients locally and those farther away. We are reaching out to you today to show our support and offer guidance as it relates to your health and our practice.

TELEMEDICINE: We have the option to offer telemedicine to many of our patients and insurance companies may cover these visits. If you have an appointment or need an appointment this may be a good option for you. Please call our office if you will prefer to have an appointment via telemedicine or phone. 

SUPPLEMENTS: As naturopaths we consistently consider immunity as a component of every visit we have with our patients. For many of you, your existing treatment plans already incorporate proactive immune support. If you would like to review current treatment plans or consider additional immune support formulas please make an appointment with us to discuss. Dr Hill is currently offering same day (phone or telemedicine) visits on Tuesdays and Thursdays to review current prevention strategies for those who wish to have a personalized approach. 

FEVER or COUGH: Stay home when you are sick and reduce exposure to large groups when possible. Please do not think you are the exception. If you are symptomatic, protect those around you and stay home. If you develop a concerning fever or cough call your primary care provider. We welcome the opportunity to support you in addition to primary care providers but not instead of those experts. Additional information may be found here www.healthvermont.gov.  

In the meantime, here are recommendations you may consider to support physical and mental health during this time of uncertainty.
 

  • Handwashing with soap and water is the best prevention strategy. Use a paper towel to turn off faucets and to open bathroom doors. Wash when you arrive for your doctors appointments and wash as you leave appointments. Wash when you get home. Wash, wash, wash for at least 20 seconds. 

  • Avoid touching your face- we can all do better with this. Clean and sanitize objects you regularly touch including your cell phone, keys, laptop, etc. 

  • Hydrate well- sip a cup of tea and breathe deeply. The steam from a cup of tea or bowl of soup functions as a mini humidifier, maintaining moisture of respiratory passages. Flushing nasal passages with Simply Saline or a neti pot and gargling with salt water are useful proactive hydration strategies.

  • Nourish yourself- brightly colored fruits and vegetables for vitamin C and A, fermented foods for probiotics (yogurt, kimchi, kefir, kombucha, sauerkraut), occasional shellfish for zinc and brazil nuts for selenium. 

  • Manage stress and support immunity- go for a walk, take a nap, drink a cup of tea, chat with a loved one, watch a funny movie. Exercise, sleep, hydration, meditation and LAUGHTER all have evidence for improved resilience. Call us if you need movie suggestions!

Let us know if there are topics you would like us to address in future emails. Additionally, we plan to offer webinars on relevant self care in the coming weeks. Stay tuned!

We appreciate your dedication to health and welcome your questions,

Dr Amy Littlefield and Dr Jacob Hill