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/ Categories: WELLNESS, 2022, ED

Navigating the Renovation

A major renovation and expansion of the Emergency Department and Main Entrance has required that we reroute patient traffic to a new temporary entrance called the Canopy Entrance. Follow along with the photos and descriptions below for a guided tour of how to enter the hospital.

After having pulled onto the Hospital Campus from Dewey Street, notice the parking lot to the left. It is marked with a “P” for parking. Pull in there and park.

 

The same parking lot can also be accessed from the Monument Ave. Extension entrance to the Hospital Campus. It is on the right.

 

The parking lot includes a shelter to wait for the campus shuttle. The shuttle runs 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. Monday – Saturday. If you like, you can also walk to the Canopy Entrance.

 

To walk from the parking lot, follow the signs to the crosswalk. This is the first of two road crossings.

 

Signs continue to point the way. Note that the ambulance is for ambulance traffic only. Pedestrians must stay on pedestrian walkways.

 

 After a short distance, there is the second of two road crossings.

 

Once you have crossed the street, follow the path and fencing to the large canopy.

 

As you approach, you will see that masks are required.

 

If you took the shuttle, this is where it drops you off.

 

At the base of a ramp and once you reach inside, you will find friendly and helpful staff to guide the way or assist you with a wheel chair. 

 

Ascend the ramp on foot or with the assistance of a wheel chair and attendant.

 

Once inside, signs point the way to the service you need. Friendly staff members are available to check you in and provide assistance navigating. 

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A Note from SVMC Dentistry

Unlike many other types of health care, most dental procedures require that a patient be present in the office with their mouth uncovered and wide open. In addition, many dental procedures, produce a lot of spray or aerosolized particles that could spread infection. For these reasons, reopening dental offices while COVID-19 circulates requires many strict precautions to ensure safety for patients and staff.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Vermont Department of Health have issued the requirements necessary to reopen our office for patient care. For the next few months, the changes lessen by half the number of patients we are able to see per day and dramatically change the care experience.

Here are some of the changes we've made:

  • We are screening and testing our staff, and all staff are wearing more protective equipment than ever, including treatment gowns and gloves, head coverings, facemasks (such as surgical masks, N95 masks, or respirators), and face-shields, as required during treatment procedures.
  • Patients can use the "virtual" waiting room to lessen the number of people in our waiting room and observe social distancing. We ask that only one person accompany a patient to a dental appointment and only if the patient needs assistance.
  • We screen patients at the Medical Office Building entrance to ensure they have no symptoms and that they are wearing a facemask. Patients must wear their facemask at all times, except during the actual treatment.
  • Some preventive care and treatments carry a higher risk for producing airborne oral droplets. These procedures may be modified to ensure that care is safe.
  • Most dramatically, depending on the dental treatment, a room must remain idle for 15 minutes - 1 hour to allow droplets to settle before disinfection. This limits the number of patients that we can treat each day.

While it is very disappointing to us—after all, we became dentists and hygienists because we like to provide dental care—all existing appointments will be suspended and a new schedule will be created, based on the time it takes for a room to be disinfected. We understand that this is frustrating for patients who must wait longer than usual for an appointment, but it is also necessary to make care safe for all.

Major changes to the ventilation systems—the installation of HEPA filtration and negative-pressure in our treatment rooms—will eliminate airborne droplets more quickly and enable us to see more patients per day. This change is expected to be complete later this summer.

In the meantime, we appreciate your patience as we meet your needs as best we can. We encourage you to continue vigilant home care and reach out to us with your questions. Most of all, we look forward to returning to a more normal time when we can deliver all of the dental care our community needs safely and efficiently.

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