You’re in the “high risk” Covid category and you’re worried about coming into the clinic
Maybe you have one of these conditions:
- Cancer
- Chronic kidney disease
- COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
- Heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies
- Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) from solid organ transplant
- Obesity (body mass index [BMI] of 30 kg/m2 or higher)
- Sickle cell disease
- You are a smoker or past smoker
- Type 2 diabetes mellitus
And this puts you in the high-risk category for severe illness from Covid-19 (1).
If you are feeling vulnerable and want to avoid compounding your health problems by adding the coronavirus or the flu to the mix, know that myself and all of the providers at Heart Spring Health are committed to not just your safety and wellbeing, but also your comfort, physical and mental, during treatment.
We’re here to protect you, ourselves and continue to treat holistically
With N95 masks
Our providers will wear the more protective N95 mask to help ease your fears of coming in for treatment. The N95 masks we purchased are comfortable, high quality, and easy for our providers to wear for long periods. They are robust and hold up under the wear and tear of repeated use. We also take extra care to store them safely, and use them with other facial and protective coverings.
You may consider purchasing your own more protective N95 masks to put your mind at ease (we have a few we can sell at the clinic, but supplies are limited and you may want to look online).
Here are instructions for properly fitting/donning masks.
In the treatment room
We just purchased brand new air filters for all of our treatment rooms that are designed for twice the square footage, and we can turn them up to their highest setting if needed. We also keep our linens and other supplies in air-tight containers to keep them from getting exposed.
Staggering schedules and remote appointments
To reduce exposing you unnecessarily to more people we are staggering visits and some staff are working remotely so that you only have to interact with your provider if you choose. Read more about how we are carefully tending to disinfecting between visits and at the beginning and end of the day.
So you can feel comfortable
I know that laying down with a mask on is not comfortable and may even provoke the very stress and anxiety that treatment is meant to relieve. We want to put you at ease and feel comfortable removing your own mask knowing that you are still well protected from Covid-19.
Read more about the clinic’s pandemic policies and procedures
Trauma-informed care is more important than ever
We are all dealing with the upheaval of this pandemic, but the providers of Heart Spring Health are also keenly aware of those of you who are still working through your health traumas. The pandemic does not put your health journey on hold, and we are here to continue serving you. We don’t move through trauma by ignoring it but rather by tending to these areas VERY CAREFULLY with a lot of LOVE and RESPECT.
If you have any questions or concerns about seeking treatment, please call us at (503) 956-9396 or email [email protected].
Dr. Serron Wilkie is a naturopathic doctor and acupuncturist at Heart Spring Health, a holistic health clinic in Southeast Portland, Oregon. She provides the full spectrum of care for a wide range of health concerns, including a focus in holistic mental health and integrative cancer care. Click here to learn more about Dr. Wilkie.
