Important Practice Update 3/19

Dear Patients,

Since the day Dr. Orlando opened our office in 1983, our mission has been to preserve, protect, and restore vision in a caring atmosphere that always puts our patients and staff first. With that in mind, we must make some significant but short-term changes to allow us to continue this important calling. All elective surgery in the United States is being put on hold so we can protect patients, staff, surgeons, and the greater community—while also making sure vital equipment and medical supplies are available for those on the front lines of this crisis.

Beginning Monday, March 23rd we will be making the changes outlined below. We have no firm date as to when we will be back at full operational levels, but we hope that by May 1st we will have a clear idea. Of course, we will update you on a regular basis and also try and provide some useful information to make the most of the downtime.

1. We will have limited hours at our Dublin office: 8 am – 12 pm, Monday through Thursday. On Fridays, weekends, afternoons, and evenings, there will be a doctor on call for emergencies.

2. We are temporarily closing our East Office.

3. We will be calling patients shortly to reschedule appointments and surgeries. To help us expedite this process, we ask that you please wait for our call rather than calling to reschedule yourself as we have limited phone operators available.

4. We will not be seeing annual eye exam patients but will continue to care for all post-operative patients, glaucoma patients, and emergencies. All routine exams will be rescheduled by our operators.

5. No cataract surgeries will be scheduled and those already scheduled will be moved to dates in May. Again, we will call you to handle all the rescheduling logistics.

6. For any acute problems, such as uncontrollable glaucoma that could cause further vision loss, we will still be performing surgery as those are sight-treating issues that cannot be delayed.

7. Our Optical Shoppes will remain closed. Any orders for glasses already taken will be unboxed after delivery by one of our opticians once a week and sent via FedEx to all patients who have paid in full. Once we re-open, our opticians will be available to adjust your frames.

8. As always, we will be continuing the safe hygiene practices that were already in place to ensure the safety of our patients, staff, and doctors.

We shall continue to monitor this situation closely and update you with information from the Ohio Department of Health, the CDC, and other governmental authorities—through email and the COA social media sites on Facebook and Instagram. We welcome you to join our Columbus Ophthalmology Associates community on both locations.

During this difficult time, there is a wonderful quote by the British author, Simon Sinek, that is so appropriate… “The value of our lives is not determined by what we do for ourselves. The value of our lives is determined by what we do for others.” We look around right now at how our world has changed so quickly, and what stands out are the brave people who are risking their lives to help us get through this crisis. Emergency room physicians trying to triage patients that could potentially carry this deadly virus, nurses in the Intensive Care Unit spending their 10-hour shifts making sure these same folks get through the night safely, and the members of the housekeeping staff that disinfect and sterilize those workplaces… Those are our true heroes.

As we walk through a grocery store to grab those essentials for our family, there are dozens of people re-stocking the shelves, unloading trucks almost constantly, and cleaning the surfaces with gloves to protect us. We should all make a point to thank them for showing up during this time… of course, making sure that we maintain an acceptable 6 to 8 foot distance! The human spirit is remarkable and the world is filled with good people. Perhaps now we will have a different perspective on how many unsung heroes have always been there—the ones who keep us safe and make our lives easier.

Together, we will get through this stressful time. We wish you good health and hope to see you soon.

Warmly,

The Team at COA