Learn Why You Should Not Delay Regular Care

Cases of COVID-19 are surging in Vermont and in our nearby towns in New York and Massachusetts. The Vermont Department of Health has advised strongly against traveling anywhere for non-essential reasons or seeing people other than those you live with.

I am writing to remind you that travel to medical appointments is not only “considered” essential; It is absolutely essential. And a visit with your doctor or healthcare provider doesn’t count as socializing. In fact, the hospital and its practices are among the safest public places you can be during a pandemic. Here’s why:

We have made it easy to stay distanced from others. Ask your medical provider’s office if you can have your appointment remotely via telemedicine. You can meet over the phone or with any Internet-enabled device without having to leave home. If you must see your provider in person, you can skip the waiting room. Call the number you see posted on the signs in the parking lot. You can wait in your car and get a text message when the provider is ready to see you. 

We are stopping everyone at the door. We make sure that everyone has a mask and is wearing it properly, that they answer questions about their exposure to COVID in ways that limit others’ risk, and that they do not have a fever.

We’ve made a lot of important changes to help keep all of our patients safe.  We’ve evaluated air-handling systems and made upgrades where necessary, including installing negative-pressure systems in the Emergency Room, ExpressCare, SVMC Pediatrics, Twin Rivers Medical, and SVMC Dentistry. In other cases, we’ve changed processes to improve safety, like directing patients with respiratory symptoms to a separate wait area.  

Especially if your provider helps you manage a chronic condition, you should be seeing him or her as often as recommended. When they deviate from their normal care, those with heart and lung issues and those with diabetes can develop more serious conditions and need hospitalization. And regular screenings, like mammograms and colonoscopies, truly save lives. In both these cases, getting to your normal medical appointment is way safer than skipping it. In fact, SVMC’s inpatient units are very busy right now, not with those who have COVID, but with those who have other conditions. We suspect that some of these hospitalizations could have been avoided if patients had been getting their regular care.

It’s time to reschedule the appointments you have missed and make plans to go to those you have scheduled. If you do need to postpone an appointment, please give 48 hours notice. When you arrive, we will assure you’re safe from COVID-19, and you will get care that will help you avoid needing treatment for a more serious condition later.

Dr. Bob Schwartz is a family physician at SVMC Northshire Campus and the associate medical director of the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Putnam Physicians. For questions about who should attend medical appointments or emergency visits with the patient, please see the visitor guidelines at svhealthcare.org.