The Best Healthcare is the Safest
From the Show: Highland Medical P.C.
Summary:
Air Date: 7/16/20
Duration: 10 Minutes
Dr. Howard Feldfogel discusses why the best healthcare is the safest.
Transcription:
Prakash Chandran: During these uncertain times, it's important not to put your health on hold because of fear. At Highland Medical PC, we believe the best healthcare is also the safest. We're going to talk about it today with Dr. Howard Feldfogel, a Primary Care Physician at Highland Medical PC Clarkstown Medical Associates, and Chief of Internal Medicine and Chief of Medicine at Montefiore Nyack Hospital. This is Sound Advice, the podcast from Highland Medical PC. I'm Prakash Chandran. So first of all, Dr. Feldfogel, really great to have you here today. Let's start with what you might say to people who are concerned that it's too soon to see their primary care physician.
Dr. Howard Feldfogel: Well, first off it is not too soon to see any physician at this point when needed. What we have found was during the COVID crisis that people were advised to stay away from the emergency room and the hospitals and their physicians’ offices. Rightfully so, at the time providing it was not emergent. What we're finding now is that people stayed away longer than they should and have neglected certain medical conditions that should no longer be neglected.
Host: Can you talk a little bit about some of the safety protocols that are put into place to protect patients and caregivers?
Dr. Feldfogel: Absolutely. Well currently in this local area the number of cases of COVID is way down. And we have not seen a surge at this point and hopefully we will not. Currently, if you were to come into an office for Highland Medical, first they are sanitized completely throughout the day and in between every patient. We ask patients to stay in their cause or their vehicle before they come just walk in and come into the office. They are called on their cell phone and asked to go directly into an exam room. The exam room has been sanitized prior to the patient coming in and we actually place a sign on the front door showing that the room has been sanitized. It's a flip side. One side it's green that says this room has been sanitized. The other side says, stop. The room is dirty. Please do not enter.
All physicians and staff take their temperatures twice a day. And we are actually wearing a wristband to show that we have been screened and that we're closely monitoring ourselves for any potential infections. Once you're in the exam room, of course, every patient is asked to wear a mask. Every staff member is wearing a mask and the clinicians are all wearing a mask. We ask that the patients come into the exam rooms alone. So there is no crowding in the room. If a patient needs an advocate, that advocate is usually called on the telephone and spoken to before, during, and after the exam, to help assist in that exam. When we limit the number of staff members that come in contact with the patient at any given time, and we try to limit the amount of exposure to the office from a time standpoint. So basically we get you directly into a room and we get you directly out. In addition to that, we are offering telemedicine visits especially for patients that are high risk or patients that are fearful to come out. And we can set up a telemed visit and try to address their medical concerns that way as well.
Host: Wow. Well, first of all, it sounds like you've taken quite the thoughtful process and making sure that every step of the patient care is done in the safest way possible. So I want to definitely commend you and all of the staff for doing that. You mentioned telemedicine and beyond the high risk population doing the telemedicine visit, do you have a standard or a rule of thumb around when someone should do a telemedicine visit versus come in?
Dr. Feldfogel: Well, first off it would be based on patient comfort level. If a patient is uncomfortable coming into the environment, then we offer them the telemed visit. And if the problem could not be addressed properly via telemedicine, we figure out a way to get that problem addressed. We do try to work with telemed on patients who are potentially COVID positive or have symptoms that may be suspicious for an acute COVID infection. This way we limit the office exposure to other patients as well as to staff. So there are screening questions that we ask every patient at the time that the appointment is made. We have a list of screening questions that the staff asks the patient from fevers to recent travel to certain States in the country to previous exposure to somebody who may have had an active COVID infection. To any high risk behavior that they may have that puts them at risk for COVID. Once they pass those screening questions they're offered an appointment in the office or a telemedicine appointment if they choose to.
Host: I see, I want to ask about people with chronic conditions. Are they able to be accommodated during this time?
Dr. Feldfogel:Absolutely. It's a very safe time to seek out medical attention right now for your chronic conditions. Chronic conditions need to be followed regularly to make sure that there is no changes in them to make sure that the medications that a patient may be on are working properly. Avoiding those chronic visits can lead to losing control of underlying medical conditions, especially diabetes, hypertension, they should be watched fairly closely.
Host: I see. Yeah. You know, you mentioned up at the top of the episode that some people potentially waited a little bit too long to come in, just because we were in this world where they were being advised not to come in or they didn't feel safe. So if a person is not feeling well right now, when should they pick up the phone and make an appointment instead of trying to ride it out on their own
Dr. Feldfogel: As soon as possible. Again right now it is very safe to be in a doctor's office. We take all precautions and we have screened, like I said earlier other patients or other people that they may come in contact with. It is very important to seek out the medical attention on your regularly scheduled timeframe, if possible. Certainly if you're due for immunizations, it's important to stay on the scheduled track for your immunizations. If you do for certain radiological follow-up and testing, it's important to maintain those schedules as well. So as soon as you don't feel well, or I think you may have a problem it would be important to call the office, and arrange an appointment.
Host: So what about more common things like a physical, you know, I actually recently had a physical scheduled for two weeks ago that was canceled. It hasn't been rescheduled yet in my, in the back of my mind. I was like, well, I kind of wanted that to happen. And just the blood work just for really just peace of mind. So what would you recommend for things like that,
Dr. Feldfogel: I recommend that you stay on schedule for your complete yearly annual physicals as well. It's important to do screening tests on a regular basis to make sure that there are no issues or problems that may be going undetected or asymptomatic. So again, it's important that you maintain that schedule. So try to arrange your yearly physical if you are due for it and try not to cancel it if it's already scheduled.
Host: Okay. I'm curious about the people that require surgery, you know, I imagine, or I know that already, it's a very sterile environment and you take great care to make sure everything is clean. But the people that may require surgery in the near future, maybe talk a little bit about how they're being accommodated.
Dr. Feldfogel: Yeah. During the height of the COVID infection, elective procedures were postponed and the hospitals diverted all their attention to taking care of the sick. Recently elected procedures have reopened. The hospital is extremely safe and to set up your elective procedure. And when you enter, one you're screened as well, for question, you know, you're, you're asked if you have any potential symptoms of, of an active infection and every surgical patient is tested either the morning of, or the day before their surgery for an acute COVID infection. If you test positive, your surgery of course is canceled. And if you test negative your surgery proceeds. So the hospital environment right now is a very safe and sterile environment to have your elective procedure.
Host: So just as we close, I wanted to recognize that obviously, I think there's a lot of fear that is set in right now. So I wondered if you could leave the audience with a piece of advice or just something given everything that you know, around how Highland Medical is providing care under these circumstances
Dr. Feldfogel: First off I recommend everybody stay as safe as possible and to follow all the rules that have been put out there. And if you need medical attention here at Highland Medical, we're here for you. We're open to take care of you. You're placed into a safe environment, and we will do our best to maintain that environment throughout your care.
Host: Well, I think that's a perfect place to end, and I truly appreciate your time. That's Dr. Howard Feldfogel, a primary care physician at Highland Medical PC, Clarkstown Medical Associates, and chief of internal medicine and chief of medicine at Montefiore Nyack Hospital. Thanks for checking out this episode of Sound Advice, to learn more about Highland Medical, safe care practices, visit Montefiorenyack.org/Highland/news/safe-care. If you found this podcast helpful, please share it on your social channels and be sure to check out the entire podcast library for topics of interest to you. Thanks. And we'll talk next time.
Prakash Chandran: During these uncertain times, it's important not to put your health on hold because of fear. At Highland Medical PC, we believe the best healthcare is also the safest. We're going to talk about it today with Dr. Howard Feldfogel, a Primary Care Physician at Highland Medical PC Clarkstown Medical Associates, and Chief of Internal Medicine and Chief of Medicine at Montefiore Nyack Hospital. This is Sound Advice, the podcast from Highland Medical PC. I'm Prakash Chandran. So first of all, Dr. Feldfogel, really great to have you here today. Let's start with what you might say to people who are concerned that it's too soon to see their primary care physician.
Dr. Howard Feldfogel: Well, first off it is not too soon to see any physician at this point when needed. What we have found was during the COVID crisis that people were advised to stay away from the emergency room and the hospitals and their physicians’ offices. Rightfully so, at the time providing it was not emergent. What we're finding now is that people stayed away longer than they should and have neglected certain medical conditions that should no longer be neglected.
Host: Can you talk a little bit about some of the safety protocols that are put into place to protect patients and caregivers?
Dr. Feldfogel: Absolutely. Well currently in this local area the number of cases of COVID is way down. And we have not seen a surge at this point and hopefully we will not. Currently, if you were to come into an office for Highland Medical, first they are sanitized completely throughout the day and in between every patient. We ask patients to stay in their cause or their vehicle before they come just walk in and come into the office. They are called on their cell phone and asked to go directly into an exam room. The exam room has been sanitized prior to the patient coming in and we actually place a sign on the front door showing that the room has been sanitized. It's a flip side. One side it's green that says this room has been sanitized. The other side says, stop. The room is dirty. Please do not enter.
All physicians and staff take their temperatures twice a day. And we are actually wearing a wristband to show that we have been screened and that we're closely monitoring ourselves for any potential infections. Once you're in the exam room, of course, every patient is asked to wear a mask. Every staff member is wearing a mask and the clinicians are all wearing a mask. We ask that the patients come into the exam rooms alone. So there is no crowding in the room. If a patient needs an advocate, that advocate is usually called on the telephone and spoken to before, during, and after the exam, to help assist in that exam. When we limit the number of staff members that come in contact with the patient at any given time, and we try to limit the amount of exposure to the office from a time standpoint. So basically we get you directly into a room and we get you directly out. In addition to that, we are offering telemedicine visits especially for patients that are high risk or patients that are fearful to come out. And we can set up a telemed visit and try to address their medical concerns that way as well.
Host: Wow. Well, first of all, it sounds like you've taken quite the thoughtful process and making sure that every step of the patient care is done in the safest way possible. So I want to definitely commend you and all of the staff for doing that. You mentioned telemedicine and beyond the high risk population doing the telemedicine visit, do you have a standard or a rule of thumb around when someone should do a telemedicine visit versus come in?
Dr. Feldfogel: Well, first off it would be based on patient comfort level. If a patient is uncomfortable coming into the environment, then we offer them the telemed visit. And if the problem could not be addressed properly via telemedicine, we figure out a way to get that problem addressed. We do try to work with telemed on patients who are potentially COVID positive or have symptoms that may be suspicious for an acute COVID infection. This way we limit the office exposure to other patients as well as to staff. So there are screening questions that we ask every patient at the time that the appointment is made. We have a list of screening questions that the staff asks the patient from fevers to recent travel to certain States in the country to previous exposure to somebody who may have had an active COVID infection. To any high risk behavior that they may have that puts them at risk for COVID. Once they pass those screening questions they're offered an appointment in the office or a telemedicine appointment if they choose to.
Host: I see, I want to ask about people with chronic conditions. Are they able to be accommodated during this time?
Dr. Feldfogel:Absolutely. It's a very safe time to seek out medical attention right now for your chronic conditions. Chronic conditions need to be followed regularly to make sure that there is no changes in them to make sure that the medications that a patient may be on are working properly. Avoiding those chronic visits can lead to losing control of underlying medical conditions, especially diabetes, hypertension, they should be watched fairly closely.
Host: I see. Yeah. You know, you mentioned up at the top of the episode that some people potentially waited a little bit too long to come in, just because we were in this world where they were being advised not to come in or they didn't feel safe. So if a person is not feeling well right now, when should they pick up the phone and make an appointment instead of trying to ride it out on their own
Dr. Feldfogel: As soon as possible. Again right now it is very safe to be in a doctor's office. We take all precautions and we have screened, like I said earlier other patients or other people that they may come in contact with. It is very important to seek out the medical attention on your regularly scheduled timeframe, if possible. Certainly if you're due for immunizations, it's important to stay on the scheduled track for your immunizations. If you do for certain radiological follow-up and testing, it's important to maintain those schedules as well. So as soon as you don't feel well, or I think you may have a problem it would be important to call the office, and arrange an appointment.
Host: So what about more common things like a physical, you know, I actually recently had a physical scheduled for two weeks ago that was canceled. It hasn't been rescheduled yet in my, in the back of my mind. I was like, well, I kind of wanted that to happen. And just the blood work just for really just peace of mind. So what would you recommend for things like that,
Dr. Feldfogel: I recommend that you stay on schedule for your complete yearly annual physicals as well. It's important to do screening tests on a regular basis to make sure that there are no issues or problems that may be going undetected or asymptomatic. So again, it's important that you maintain that schedule. So try to arrange your yearly physical if you are due for it and try not to cancel it if it's already scheduled.
Host: Okay. I'm curious about the people that require surgery, you know, I imagine, or I know that already, it's a very sterile environment and you take great care to make sure everything is clean. But the people that may require surgery in the near future, maybe talk a little bit about how they're being accommodated.
Dr. Feldfogel: Yeah. During the height of the COVID infection, elective procedures were postponed and the hospitals diverted all their attention to taking care of the sick. Recently elected procedures have reopened. The hospital is extremely safe and to set up your elective procedure. And when you enter, one you're screened as well, for question, you know, you're, you're asked if you have any potential symptoms of, of an active infection and every surgical patient is tested either the morning of, or the day before their surgery for an acute COVID infection. If you test positive, your surgery of course is canceled. And if you test negative your surgery proceeds. So the hospital environment right now is a very safe and sterile environment to have your elective procedure.
Host: So just as we close, I wanted to recognize that obviously, I think there's a lot of fear that is set in right now. So I wondered if you could leave the audience with a piece of advice or just something given everything that you know, around how Highland Medical is providing care under these circumstances
Dr. Feldfogel: First off I recommend everybody stay as safe as possible and to follow all the rules that have been put out there. And if you need medical attention here at Highland Medical, we're here for you. We're open to take care of you. You're placed into a safe environment, and we will do our best to maintain that environment throughout your care.
Host: Well, I think that's a perfect place to end, and I truly appreciate your time. That's Dr. Howard Feldfogel, a primary care physician at Highland Medical PC, Clarkstown Medical Associates, and chief of internal medicine and chief of medicine at Montefiore Nyack Hospital. Thanks for checking out this episode of Sound Advice, to learn more about Highland Medical, safe care practices, visit Montefiorenyack.org/Highland/news/safe-care. If you found this podcast helpful, please share it on your social channels and be sure to check out the entire podcast library for topics of interest to you. Thanks. And we'll talk next time.
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