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SOCO COVID 19 Forum notes
Video-teleconference 04/30/2020 7:00 pm MASK/PPE- Amazon- ordered surgical basks (box of 50) gloves, face shields had them all within a week Walmart- has been hit or miss on gloves but they have been available Ocean State Job Lot-paper products gloves, cleaning and disinfecting solutions Rochester Optical- Shields, N95 masks, ear loop extenders With ship times being longer we need to think innovatively, outside the box. - Some are making masks themselves - pupilometer with a hinged piece of plexiglass Velcro Local PPE: Masks Sanitizer Cindy’s Soap Cottage hired 14 people who are laid off to sew at home. For every mask they sell for $12 she pay’s the sewer $10 and for every mask they sell for $15 she pays them $12.00. She also makes and sells hand sanitizer. All local. We have included an article below and links to the website and Facebook. Click here for Cindy’s Soap Cottage East Windsor website. Cindy’s Soap Cottage has hand made masks and sanitizer available. Click here for Cindy’s Soap Cottage East Windsor facebook. Click here for Article of Cindy’s Soap Cottage Dispensary Status- Open limited hours, 10:00-2:00, 9:30-1:00. Curbside pick up, contact lens orders shipped. Going forward in the optical dispensary -Follow CDC guidelines -Keep the patient confident in our ability to safely care for them wash hands in front of them, alcohol everything, provide a routine. - All about communication with expectations. Let the patient know what to expect when they are setting up a time to come in. Let them know what office protocol will be to help them prepare for what will occur. BE EMPATHETIC -One office takes patient’s temperature at the door, no mask = no service, hand sanitizer then gloved and straight to exam lane. PT will not be allowed to pull frames off the board themselves. There will be a dirty tray to keep frames separate and immediately washed after. Staff cleaning knobs and high touch surfaces (deep clean) 3 x’s a day. LIMIT HAND TO HAND EXCHANGE! (money/cards) -paypal -direct invoices to phones - sandwich bag to insert card Frames Data has a virtual try on option. Can send the patient a link that is populated with your inventory and they can select from there to have us pull frames to have them waiting. Roughly $1,000 to have this set up. -A lot of frame manufacturers have released their recommended protocol to cleaning. Many have posted their recommendations on their websites. Or contact frame representative. The Vision Council (reopening guidance) https://thevisioncouncil.org/members/reopening-guidance From The Vision Council: As parts of the U.S. begin to approach a reopening stage, The Vision Council is committed to helping our members navigate this “new normal.” Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the COVID-19 pandemic is an emerging and rapidly changing situation with new information on best health practices determined daily. We advise all members to closely monitor local, state and federal guidance as well as information published by the CDC, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other leading authorities. Go to link above for full details. B LOANS- Small Businesses are still able to get PPE Money “there’s other money out there, just go look” Had more success with local banks Continuing Education CECs -Continue to take ABO and NCLE credit courses to maintain certification. -Many companies and 20/20 magazine are offering free CECs. Take advantage of time. Continue to learn. -CT suspended the continuing education requirements for opticians. Licensees with expiration dates between March 10, 2020 and February 28, 2021 are not required to complete the continuing education required for license renewal. -ABO and NCLE certifications that expire every three years still require CECs. -EyeThrive Webinars Click here for Eye Thrive, a series of great recordings for a practical roadmap for getting back to business. |
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COVID-19 Response regarding Continuing Education
Governor Lamont's Executive Order #7DD (April 22, 2020) suspending the continuing education requirements for opticians. Licensees with expiration dates between March 10, 2020 and February 28, 2021 are not required to complete the continuing education required for license renewal. Please click on link. #9 after the last Whereas specifically addresses the suspension of Continuing Education Requirements for Healthcare Providers. https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/Office-of-the-Governor/Executive-Orders/Lamont-Executive-Orders/Executive-Order-No-7DD.pdf?la=en Link to page specific to opticians: https://portal.ct.gov/DPH/Practitioner-Licensing--Investigations/Optician-Licensure/Continuing-Education |
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