COVID-19 UPDATE

We are happy to announce that on Monday, July 6th, the Boucher Naturopathic Medical Clinic (BNMC) will be reopening for onsite patient care. 

We have implemented safety measures and guidelines for reopening to maintain a safe environment for patients, staff, faculty, and students at our campus clinic. New treatment guidelines and clinic protocols have been implemented for your health and safety. 

Keep checking our website for information on our External (satellite) clinics reopening.

To prepare for your appointment:

• Arrive at your appointment time as exactly as possible. Ring the bell when you arrive and wait outside the clinic, a medical screener will be there to welcome you into the clinic.
• Bring and wear a mask. (You will be provided one if you forget yours or don’t have one.)
• Come alone (Required chaperone allowed.)
• Use hand sanitizer provided upon entering and exiting the clinic
• Limit use of the washroom when possible
• Be prepared for contactless payment (Tap: credit or debit card available), receipts will be emailed
• Stay home if you are sick (We will understand if you are unable to attend your appointment.)

The following priorities inform all actions towards resuming non-emergent care at BNMC and the satellite external sites:

1. Minimize the risk of COVID-19 and other illness transmissions to patients, students, faculty, and staff
2. Provide non-emergent health care for patients of Boucher clinics
3. Provide practical educational experience for students where/when safe to do so

The overall aim of the protocols we have implemented is to reduce potential coronavirus transmission by:

• • Required ongoing assessment for signs of COVID-19 related illness in all persons entering the clinic
  • Only providing in-person treatment if deemed necessary by the Doctor
    • Recommending telemedicine for all other care
  • Following Hand Hygiene requirements
  • Wearing masks by all persons while on site
  • Appropriate use of other personal protective equipment (PPE) as required:
    • Enhanced (N95) masks when required
    • Gowns when required
    • Wearing gloves for all hands-on treatment
  • Reducing all physical, non-treatment related interactions amongst all people within the clinic environment
  • Enhanced cleaning protocols of all Boucher clinics

Patient information for In-Person Care

General Guidelines

Until further notice, everyone who enters the on-campus clinic (BNMC) or one of Boucher’s Satellite Clinics will be screened for COVID-19 symptoms prior to entry. This will include:

• Forehead Temperature assessment
  • Temperature over 37.8C will be denied entry
• BCCDC Covid Assessment tool or similar
  • Answer of YES to ANY Questions will be denied entry and sent home and directed to contact 811

Any patient with COVID-19 like symptoms should self-isolate and not attend in-person appointments. They will not be permitted in the clinic

• Patients will be rescheduled for a later date or scheduled for telemedicine
• Symptoms of COVID-19:

Symptoms are similar to other respiratory illnesses and seasonal allergies. COVID-19 Symptoms may range from mild to severe.  An appointment must be cancelled immediately if either the patient or the therapist presents with even mild symptoms that may be signs of COVID-19 including:

• Fever
• Cough
• Chills
• Shortness of breath
• Sore throat or pain with swallowing
• Stuffy or runny nose
• Loss of sense of smell
• Headache
• Fatigue
• Loss of appetite

Physical distancing will be maintained whenever possible, and all staff, faculty, students and patients will be required to wear masks or face coverings while on campus and in clinic.

• Please follow all provided signage and direction by staff/faculty/clinicians to help maintain physical distancing
• Only the patient scheduled will be allowed on site: 

• Spacing does not allow for more than 2 people in the treatment room for any length of time
  • Supervisors will enter to oversee treatment for the minimum time required

• Companions should remain outside of the facility and not accompany the patient unless they are a parent/guardian of the patient or if they are a true caregiver and need to assist the patient

• If absolutely necessary to have a person with you, they will be subject to the same screening criteria, and if they do not meet the entrance requirements, you will not be permitted into the clinic

Anyone who has attended the clinic and develops symptoms within 14 days should alert the clinic manager and the CMO immediately by calling 604 540 2873 or emailing kfairman@binm.org

There will be a reduced number of rotations in the clinic to provide in-person care:

• All patients (including new patients) must first have a telemedicine appointment
  • The Naturopathic doctor assigned to their care must deem that the benefit of in-person treatment outweighs any potential risks (including virus transmission) prior to commencing in-person care.

Visit start times will be staggered, and patients will be expected to arrive on time to be screened and will be taken directly to a treatment room upon arrival:

• There may be a queue for clinic entry in the concourse, please maintain social distancing as indicated by the floor markers
• There will be a limited time in the waiting area inside the clinic
• Patients who are late may have to be rescheduled
• Patient Follow up visits are a maximum of 45 minutes to allow for room sanitization between patients

Telemedicine visits will be encouraged whenever possible:

• Patients who do not require in-person visits and/or high-risk patients will be requested to have telemedicine visits with their care team

Appointment booking:

• Patients will be informed about their responsibilities at the time of booking
  • Patients must confirm that they have not been in contact with anyone displaying illness, or signs and symptoms of COVID-19 within 14 days prior to in-person care
  • Patients must confirm that they are not exhibiting any symptoms prior to in-person care
  • Patients with higher risk profiles and/or weakened immune systems should consider alternatives for care and postpone treatment

• Masks must be worn at all times within the clinic 
  • If the patient has a mask, they are asked to bring it with them and wear it when they arrive on campus.
  • If the patient does not have a mask, a mask will be provided and they will be asked to wear it upon entering the clinic.

• A reminder notice (call/text/email) will be done 48 hours prior to the booked appointment
  • the patient will be reminded of these guidelines and their appointment will be rescheduled or changed to Tele-medicine if they are experiencing any symptoms

• Patients who develop even mild illness or symptoms should cancel in-person appointments, even without notice
  • They will not be charged a late cancellation fee if they cancel due to illness.
  • Patients should stay home and call 811 if they are experiencing symptoms

Hand hygiene for Patients entering clinic:

• On entering the clinic
  • please use the alcohol-based hand sanitizer provided
• On leaving the examination/procedure room
  • please use the alcohol-based hand sanitizer provided
• After using the washroom:
  • Wash hands for a minimum of 20 seconds with soap and warm water
  • Use a disposable paper towel to open the door
• After using a tissue:
  • Wash hands for a minimum of 20 seconds with soap and warm water or 
  • Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer 
• After coughing or sneezing:
  • Wash hands for a minimum of 20 seconds with soap and warm water or 
  • Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer

Personal Protective Equipment:

• The clinicians and doctors will wear appropriate PPE at all times in the clinic
• Patients are required to wear a mask in the clinic and while on the Campus or in the Satellite facilities.
  •  The mask should only be removed if an examination or treatment must be done on the mouth or nose or the face impeded by the mask.
• If patients have their own fabric mask, they are requested to wear it
  • If they do not have a fabric mask, a single-use mask will be provided to them before entering the clinic

When wearing PPE:

• Avoid touching your mask or eye protection unnecessarily
• If you must touch or adjust your mask or eye protection, perform hand hygiene immediately after

Respiratory Etiquette:

• Cough or sneeze into your elbow sleeve or a tissue even when wearing a mask
• Throw away used tissues and immediately perform hand hygiene
• Refrain from touching your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands

Restroom for Patient Use:

• The restroom has the BCCDC handwashing guidelines posted
• Soap and fresh paper towels for drying will be available at all times
• A waste bin is placed next to the restroom door so that patients may use a paper towel to open the door, and then discard it before re-entering the clinic

Check out will be cashless/contactless payment with tap only*:

• Our Point of Sale system with Tap is available for card use
• The machine will be sanitized between each patient
• Receipts will be emailed, not printed whenever possible
• Dispensary items will be bagged and set on the side counter for patients to take away
• For refills, patients will need to follow current protocols:
  • Call the clinic to order the products for pick up
  • Pay over the phone*
  • Arrange a time to pick up their purchase

*If there is a reason you must use cash, please contact the clinic ahead of time by calling 604 540 2873

Informed Consent:

As a part of informed consent, patients must commit to understanding that while we’ve taken all possible measures to minimize the risk of viral transmission, the nature of our practices means that physical distancing is not always possible during treatment.  In the current environment of COVID-19 risk, informed consent requires that the patient be informed and understands that:

• Any of our treatment services involve some risk of COVID-19 transmission
• The Clinicians, Doctors, and Staff are following protocol to help reduce or mitigate risk where possible, but that risk cannot be reduced to zero
• The patient will submit a COVID-19 consent to treatment via our EMR system prior to each on-site visit
• The patient consents to the treatment despite some risk
• The Clinicians will document the patient’s consent in advance before commencing treatment at every visit

Cancellation Policy

Your appointment time is reserved just for you. Late cancellation or missed visit leaves a hole in the practitioners’ day that could have been filled by another patient. As such, we request 24 hours notice for any cancellations or changes to your appointment. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic cancellations fees are temporarily suspended for cancellations due to illness where any notice is given.

Read our detailed Clinic Safety Guidelines for COVID-19 here.