Tag: Coronavirus

Caronavirus Status Update

Posted on by The Eye Center of North Florida

With the current state of health in the Bay, Gulf and Washington county areas, The Eye Center of North Florida is making plans regarding the protection of our patients, staff and physicians. As we move to rescheduling most non-urgent office appointments, we will be seeing urgent/emergent care patients on a reduced basis.

At this time our Panama City Beach, Port St Joe and Chipley offices are all closed until further notice.

Our optical shops are currently closed at all locations.

Our Panama City clinic will be open on a limited basis for urgent care on an appointment basis only.

However, we are now offering telemedicine visits for our patients to determine the need for an in-office visit for urgent/emergent matters, handle routine care, medication prescription refills and provide limited clinical care. Since Federal regulations regarding telemedicine have been decreased at this time, our physicians have increased ability to use FaceTime and Google Duo to help our patients.

If you are interested in having a consultation via telemedicine, please contact us at 850-784-3937. Our staff will then schedule you with a time to speak with one of our physicians. We are doing our best to complete these telemedicine calls within 24-48 hours.

Sincerely,
The Physicians of The Eye Center of North Florida.

Coronavirus: How We’re Taking Precautions

Posted on by Eye Center of North Florida

The safety of our patients and staff is of the utmost importance to The Eye Center of North Florida; therefore, in light of the issues surrounding COVID-19, commonly referred to as Coronavirus, we wanted to let our patients know about the precautionary steps we are taking. 

Our leadership team pro-actively developed a plan to deal with COVID-19; we believe preparing our staff and providing information to patients are positive steps to avoid spreading the virus.

  • Patients are being asked to reschedule their appointments if they have a respiratory infection, fever, or if they have traveled outside the US in the previous 30 days.
  • Team members who have respiratory issues or fever are instructed to stay at home.
  • We have removed magazines in all waiting rooms, for now, to avoid having items that are shared among patients.
  • For further protection, patients are being asked to wear a mask upon arrival to our offices if they are recovering from cold symptoms.  Any patient with fever is asked not to enter the office and to call prior to the visit.

While the overall risk of COVID-19 to the general public remains low, elderly people and individuals with chronic medical conditions may have increased risk for COVID-19. The best prevention measures for any respiratory virus are:

  • Wash your hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. 
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands. 
  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick. 
  • Stay home when you are sick.
  • Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash. 
  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces. 

We encourage you to take steps to protect you and your family; if you are concerned that you have been exposed to COVID-19 or if you have symptoms, please see your physician to be tested – and be sure to follow their guidelines to avoid spreading the virus. 

If you have any questions or concerns related to COVID-19 and an upcoming appointment at our office, please call us at 850-784-3937.

Please understand that The Eye Center of North Florida is not a governing body, and we encourage our patients to use the following official resources to find current information on appropriate courses of action and to track new cases:

 

SPRING BREAK EYE SAFETY TIPS

Posted on by Eye Center of North Florida

Spring break is right around the corner, but before you check out for the week, we want to make sure you’ve packed all the essentials. We have a few last-minute reminders when it comes to eye safety that you need to remember.   

SUNGLASSES

Pack your sunglasses. They help protect your eyes from harmful UV rays.  Water often has a glare that can damage your eyes if they aren’t properly protected by polarized eyewear. Excessive UV exposure can cause severe damage and eye pain. It can even lead to macular degeneration and cataracts.

IMPORTANT CONTACT LENS TIPS

Your eyes need a break too. Take out your contact lenses before you sleep, shower, or swim. Wearing contact lenses to bed or exposing them to water increases the risk of painful eye infections.

Don’t swim or shower while wearing contact lenses because germs can be carried from the water into your eye. To be safe, remove your contact lenses and pack your goggles! It’s a sure way to protect your eyes and enjoy your vacation.

Replace your contact lenses as often as recommended by your eye care provider. 

Use only fresh contact lens solution – never water – to put lenses in your eyes and to store your lenses after each use.

PACK THE EYE CARE ESSENTIALS

As you are packing for your fun filled spring break vacation, or planning a relaxing staycation, don’t forget to pack your eyecare essentials. Be sure to have contact solution, extra contacts, your spare glasses and a lens cleaning cloth.

Again… Be prepared, have plenty of eye care supplies on hand.  Please don’t forget your sunglasses, protect your eyes from harmful UV Rays. If you don’t have a pair, come see us!  Our optical department has all the latest styles, fashion from great brands you know and love like Costa Del Mar, Ray Ban and many more!