Denver Fertility COVID -19 Health Update

To Our Valued Patients,

At Denver Fertility Albrecht Women’s Care your health and safety has always been our #1 priority.

The COVID-19 virus is having a significant impact on Denver and all communities around the country and the world. We have been closely monitoring the situation including the recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) as well as the directives from the Colorado Governor’s office.

We remain open to serve you. We will plan to remain open during our normal hours of operation unless or until changes need to be made based upon health authority recommendations. Our standard cleaning procedures have always used EPA-certified cleansers and disinfectants to maintain the cleanliness of our office and equipment; however, in this new situation, we have implemented incremental cleaning protocols to increase the frequency of cleaning. Consultation offices and treatment rooms are sanitized between every patient and common areas are sanitized multiple times a day. The Denver Fertility staff is also required to wear face masks PPE and social distancing measures have been implemented within our clinic. Although hands sanitizer is readily available in the office, studies showed that copious hand washing with soap and water is more effective.

We ask that you to please assist us in caring for you by complying with the following:

We ask that you not bring nonessential persons with you to the office visit. Husbands are welcome; other family members are not. If you have children, please make other arrangements for them rather than bringing them to the office.
If you are feeling ill and have a cough, fever, difficulty breathing, sore throat or rash, please reschedule your appointment for another time. If your situation is an emergent problem, we will make accommodations for you.
If you have been in immediate contact in the last month with anyone who has been diagnosed with coronavirus or have traveled from an area that has had multiple coronavirus cases, please inform us so that we can determine how best to care for you.
For new patient and regroup consultations, we are going to begin utilizing telemedicine. We expect that if your insurance would normally pay for an office consultation, they will pay for a telemedicine consultation. If you are a self-pay patient, please ask the front desk for costs.
Per update on 4/3/2020 wear a face mask at our office. We are asking all patients to wear some type of protection over their nose and mouth while in our office. Please feel free to wear your own mask from home, a home-made mask, scarf, or balaclava. Be creative! If you want to make your own mask, here is a link to a YouTube video to make an easy mask, and provides a pocket if you want to insert a moisture barrier:

Thank you for your trust in us during these challenging times. We are finding that the recommendations are changing daily if not more often. We will send updates as the situation evolves.

Thank you and please stay safe.

Bruce H. Albrecht, M.D. Dana R. Ambler, D.O.

Face Mask Policy Implementation For Patients

4/3/20

For all patients-

As we continue to navigate through this COVID-19 pandemic, there are daily changes to policies and regulations that we are asking all patients to adhere to. We appreciate your understanding and compassion in these difficult times.

Effective immediately, we are asking all patients to wear some type of protection over their nose and mouth while in our office. Please feel free to wear your own mask from home, a home-made mask, scarf, or balaclava. Be creative! If you want to make your own mask, here is a link to a YouTube video to make an easy mask, and provides a pocket if you want to insert a moisture barrier:

https://youtu.be/zPpa4TSxALc

Please understand that we do not have a large supply of masks and cannot provide masks for every patient in our office.

These are necessary measures and we appreciate your compliance. These measures will hopefully ensure that we are keeping everyone, including our patients and staff, safe and minimizing the chance for transmitting an infection.

Please let us know if you have any questions.

COVID 19 - Please Read Before Your Next Appointment March 13, 2020

The COVID-19 virus, also known as the Coronavirus, is upon us.

This is a respiratory disease caused by a novel (new) coronavirus that was first detected in China and which has now been detected in more than 100 locations internationally, including in the United States. The complete clinical picture with regards to COVID-19 is not fully known. Reported illnesses have ranged from very mild cold symptoms (including some with no reported symptoms) to severe, including illness resulting in death.

We want to make sure our top priority is your health.  We have taken extra precautions around the office to try and reduce the risk of the Coronavirus pandemic.

We are actively monitoring the situation daily through several national health agencies. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) will continue to be our guideline to reduce the spread of infection and give updates on the virus as needed.

For the foreseeable future, our office plans to remain open to serve your fertility needs. We will post any changes to our office as soon as possible.

General Advice:

Avoid close contact with people who are sick, especially with a cough and/or fever.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.

Stay home when you are sick.
Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.

-www.cdc.gov/coronavirus

Wash Your Hands Frequently:

-Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.

-If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.

Before Patient Arrival:

-When scheduling appointments at Denver Fertility, please use discretion. If you have symptoms of any respiratory infection (e.g., cough, runny nose, fever) then we will ask you to please reschedule your appointment after your symptoms have disappeared.

Upon Patient Arrival and During the Visit :

If you have arrived to the office with symptoms of any respiratory infection (e.g., cough, runny nose, fever) you will be required to wear a mask for the duration of your appointment or we may ask for you to reschedule your appointment.
Signs are posted at the entrance and in strategic places to provide patients with instructions about hand hygiene, respiratory hygiene, and cough etiquette.
Supplies for respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette are provided, including 60%-95% alcohol-based hand sanitizer, tissues, no touch receptacles for disposal, and facemasks at the patient check-in.
You may be asked to wait in a personal vehicle or outside the facility where you will be contacted by mobile phone when it is your turn to be evaluated. This will help us reduce the spread of the virus.

As always, please ask any questions that you may have about the Coronavirus to one of our healthcare professionals.

We thank you in advance for your understanding and support as we protect you, our other patients, and the community through these careful preventative measures.

Drs Bruce Albrecht and Dana Ambler

Remember you are not alone. We are all in this together. Denver Fertility is committed to your journey in becoming a parent. To have fertility plans delayed is devastating. Our team understands the importance of mental health and values therapy resources. Here are a few online resources we have found helpful for finding a professional therapist from the comfort of your home:

e-psychiatry TalkSpace

We also can recommend a list of local certified fertility therapists here in the Denver area who may be offering teletherapy appointments. For a complete list contact us and request our "fertility counseling list".

Finally, American Society of Reproductive Medicine ( ASRM) is a resource for coping during COVID -19 with mental health tips to help you make it through this unprecedented time.

ASRM Coping Tips