Dear Valued ACHS Patient,
We know you have questions about the evolving circumstances related to COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) pandemic. ACHS is working closely with the
New Hampshire Department of Public Health
and follows CDC guidelines to be sure to keep our patients and our employees as safe as possible. The good news? Most people infected with COVID-19 will recover with mild to moderate symptoms. However, the elderly and people with chronic disease are at risk for more serious illness that may impact their health.
We are encouraging everyone to do their part in preventing the
spread of this illness. This is done by:
- Washing hands frequently (20 seconds with soap and water is recommended)
- Practicing social distancing (3-6 ft. between ppl.) and avoiding groups (10+) and events
- Staying home if ill with fever (100.4+) or a respiratory illness.
We are still OPEN and seeing patients
It is our mission to serve our patients with the best quality care. ACHS follows strict hygiene protocols today and every day, and it is safe to come to ACHS for your acute medical, emergency dental or critical behavioral health appointment.
If there are changes to your appointment, we will call you to make arrangements for how to best meet your care needs in an effective, efficient, and safe manner. This may include a visit to our health center, a phone call, or a video call.
If you are coming in for an acute medical appointment and are:
- Showing signs of a respiratory illness (fever, cough, shortness of breath)
- Have traveled to countries with high rates of COVID-19
- Have had exposure to a person who has tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 14 days
We ask you to call 603-444-2464 before you arrive so arrangements can be made to keep your exposure to a minimum. You will be asked to put on a mask prior to entering our care sites (we will provide) and may have to use a different entrance. We may assess your symptoms from your car or via tele-health. These modifications are vitally important to protect our medical team, so they can continue to provide care for patients.
Please do not come to your dental or behavioral health appointment if you are ill.
Changes in how we see you at your appointment
Things are changing day-by-day, hour-by-hour. As they evolve, we will be making additional modifications in how and where we continue to see patients. Depending on your type of appointment you may be called and asked to go to another location, see another primary care provider other than your own, or rescheduled. In addition, we are working on increasing our tele-health capacity.
Who gets tested for COVID-19?
A primary care provider will assess your symptoms and make a recommendation for testing if needed. It is important to answer questions honestly. Current testing results are not immediate and may take several days or longer. This is a rapidly changing situation which we are monitoring closely. Recommendations and protocols for testing, when to be evaluated, and when to self-quarantine are likely to change. The New Hampshire Department of Public Health is updating recommendations daily.
To stay up to date o
n the COVID-19 situation and the latest information from the CDC, please
click here.
If you have additi
onal questions related to COVID-19, please call 2-1-1.
Be Well,
Ed Shanshala, CEO
P.S. For up to date information, we encourage you to follow us on
Facebook
or visit our website:
ammonoosuc.org
