COVID-19 admin & safety policies

Community events / By / November 20, 2020
Table Of Contents

UPDATE: Masks in B.C. health-care facilities

As per the Public Health Order issued by BC’s Ministry of Health, MEDICAL MASKS are the preferred form of face covering, but not necessary for the time being.

All staff and clients entering Heart & Hands will still be required to wear a face covering, such as a medical mask, 2+ layer cloth mask or face shield when entering our facility to limit the spread of respiratory droplets.

We will have medical masks for sale for $2 for individuals who arrive for their appointment without a face covering, however, due to pending shortages of PPE and to mitigate further costs of operating, we strongly encourage clients to remember to bring their own.

For more information about the Ministry of Health’s public health order, READ HERE.

The policies listed below adhere to standards of the College of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists of BC as well as WorkSafeBC. And we thank you in advance for your patience, these policies are subject to change and will continue to evolve based on public health advisories.

Stay tuned for updates, and for the latest guidance, please see the health information from the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control and the latest news from the government of British Columbia.

What you can do?

First and foremost, if you feel any of the common symptoms of COVID-19 (including fever, sore throat, cough, or difficulty breathing), STAY HOME so that your condition does not worsen as well as preventing further transmission. Use the BCCDC COVID-19 Self-Assessment Tool or call the nurses hotline at 8-1-1 if you require further medical advice.

Do things to optimize your immunity such as regular hand washing, avoid touching your face, cleaning your phone, staying hydrated + eating well and getting plenty of rest. 

For more information, please follow the guidelines from HealthLinkBC.

Adjustments to our sliding scale

It is necessary at this time for us to change our sliding scale to $35-55 per treatment.
This hopefully is a temporary measure to compensate for decreased number of sessions per shift in order to maintain adequate physical distancing. It also allows us to recoup lost revenues during our closure as well as the cost of PPE and disinfecting supplies required for us to operate.

For more information, READ HERE.

Adjustments to Direct MSP Billing

For clients who are eligible for MSP Premium Assistance, you will have coverage for $23 per acupuncture session for a maximum of 10 sessions per calendar year.

We will bill MSP directly for $23 per session and you will be responsible for paying the remaining $12-32 per session to fall within our $35-55 sliding scale. This out of pocket portion of the treatment fee can be paid with debit, credit, cash & cheque.

For more information, READ HERE.

Adjustments to our schedule, booking & payment

These are the steps we are taking to ensure we can operate safely, allot enough time for sanitizing and reducing traffic through our space to maintain social distancing. These policies may be subject to change as things evolve.

  • The season is changing, please dress WARMLY: we encourage you to bring your own blankets, heating pads and hot water bottles from home. For more suggestions about how to stay warm and comfy during your sessions over the fall and winter, READ HERE.
  • We are keeping our front door locked and letting clients in and out of the lobby ONE AT A TIME in order to maintain social distancing.
    In an effort to avoid unnecessary contact, there won’t be a volunteer at the front desk, so your patience is appreciated. 
  • At this time, sessions will be up to 50 minutes to allow for social distancing and maintaining our occupancy limit.
  • Are currently appointment-only, so please BOOK ONLINE . We will only be checking our phone at the beginning and end of shift.
  • Use the ‘NOTES’ section to notify us of the reason for your visit when booking online. This will reduce the need for talking and the amount of time we are closer than 2 meters of each other.
  • We now have a waitlist in our online booking system. We will call you if anything becomes available. NOTE: that the waitlist is attached to the practitioner. It’s easy to do when you are logged into our booking system.
  • Our practitioner schedule may be subject to change. Similarly to asking our clients staying home if they are feeling ill, we will be implementing the same policy if one of our acupunks is unwell. 
  • Please use debit and if you must, credit is OK too.
    Bring the correct amount if paying cash, we cannot provide change.
  • Suspending the sale of Acupuncture Seat Sales
    Due to many variables and unknowns operating during COVID-19, we will no longer be selling Acupuncture Seat Sales for the foreseeable future.
    For punchcards valid from March 18th, 2020 on, the expiry date will be extended till December 31st, 2020. We ENCOURAGE you to add an extra $5-10 when redeeming your sessions, so it is closer to our $35-55 adjusted sliding scale.

Adjustments to cancellation policies

We are accepting cancellations up to 12 HOURS BEFORE your appointment.
Any scheduling changes within 12 hours of your appointment will be subject to a $35 cancellation fee

We are no longer offering rescheduling free of charge.

Exceptions granted to the following unforeseen and/or emergency situations:
> Illness or accident
> Personal/family emergencies
> Childcare conflicts
> If you have been exposed to COVID-19

Please provide advanced notice, so there is adequate time for another client to fill your timeslot.
Up to 12 HOURS BEFORE, you may cancel your appointment via:
> Online through heartandhands.janeapp.com (preferred)
> Email, heartandhands.acu@gmail.com
> Phone, 250-590-3185 – at this time, our capacity to answer the phone will be limited

Our JaneApp system sends email appointment reminders 36 hours before. If you do not use or regularly check your email, please put systems in place to remind yourself of the appointment you have booked.

Please be accountable for the timeslot you have booked, as our scheduling is limited.
Help us help you get the acupuncture you need.

Safety & disinfection

These are the procedures we are using for disinfecting our space and ensuring both practitioners and clients are reducing the risk of viral transmission. These policies may be subject to change as things evolve.

  • We cannot allow you to enter if you are SICK (ie. fever, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, loss of smell, etc.) AND/OR if you have traveled outside the country in the last 14 days.
    Our online booking sends a COVID-19 symptom screening survey, please complete this prior to your visit or we will screen you verbally at the door.
  • Please maintain the adequate 2 meters for social distancing whenever possible while moving through the clinic.
  • There will be hand sanitizer and Cavicide wipes available at the Invisible Receptionist so you can disinfect your hands and wipe down the POS machine + pen after your use.
  • Maintain good hygiene habits including coughing or sneezing into your elbow.
    We will remind you to wash your hands in the bathroom prior to sitting down in your chair.
  • Please bring your own water. We have removed our water dispenser and covered up our retail items in the lobby to reduce surfaces for transmission.
  • Take ALL of your belongings with you, so we can minimize traffic around the coat hooks/benches.
  • We will keep the clinic room toasty, as we cannot use our heating pads. Bring extra layers if you tend to get chilled during your session.
  • We will be disinfecting high touch surfaces hourly and the bathroom after every use.

COVID Creature-Comfort Acu-Nap Contingencies

Here are a few suggestions that may help you stay warm and enhance your level of comfort and relaxation:

  • DRESS WARMLY, sweaters, vests, scarves are all ways to keep your core toasty
  • Bring your own CLEAN blankets and/or heating pads, hot water bottles (yes, we have a kettle) from home
  • Toques are an option if you want to skip your head points
  • If you are prone to extra chilly feet, we can modify your point combo so you can leave your socks on
  • Headphones or ear plugs to block noise, as all the extra handwashing and talking to one another through our masks does create more background noise
  • Please do not arrive more than a few minutes before your appointment to minimize the time spent waiting outside as the weather starts cooling off and the days gradually get shorter. To maintain social distancing, it is not possible to let people wait in the lobby.

If you have additional suggestions, feel free to send them to us via our contact form 

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