The team at Thrive would like to say a sincere “thank you” for your patience as we navigate through these strange times and for your continued understanding and support as we return to a new “normal” as your Whole Wellness providers. This is a long, but important message. PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO REVIEW IT IN FULL.
As many of you know there was a whirlwind of action taken by the Ontario government last week which was somewhat unexpected for us, your Health Care Practitioners (HCP’s) and for our governing colleges and associations.
Although we had some idea that we may be included in one of the upcoming Phases of Reopening, as a collective we did not know in which Phase HCP’s would be included and fully expected Phase 1 (which began May 19th) to run its full 4-6 weeks before new services would be added. However, on May 26th, the Chief Medical Officer of Health issued a revised Directive #2, rescinding the previous March 19th directive and allowing for a gradual restart of services by Health Care Providers (Regulated Health Care Professionals only). We have since been added to the Government of Ontario’s: List of Essential Workplaces, under “Health Care and Social Services”. Please note this does NOT include Osteopathic Practitioners at this time and we will advise a return to practice date when we are made aware of when that will be.
Needless to say WE ARE EXCITED to be able to begin reopening and meeting the needs of our clients, but with this new directive comes some very specific guidelines, new policies and procedures and new regulations and requirements for delivering care in the age of COVID-19.
Our governing colleges and the Ministry of Health (MOH) have given us clear guidelines to “prioritize essential care clients“ and ensure that the “anticipated benefits of providing treatment to any client, outweigh the risks” to both the client and the practitioner. Our goal to reopen June 15th will mean prioritized booking to accommodate these requirements first. Rest assured we have a thorough list of clients to contact for rebooking! We will slowly resume regular client care in due time.
The new guidelines mean many changes to our physical space and changes in how we are able to deliver care, including PPE standards and new, increased standards for cleaning and sanitizing. We want you to be prepared knowing what to expect when you are in the clinic space, what to expect from your practitioner as well as what the expectations are for you, the client.
FIRST, it is important that you know we are NOT enabling online booking at this time. We must prioritize essential care (acute/emergency clients) first, and will need the available appointment times to meet those needs first. SECOND, we need to prioritize the clients who have been cancelled over the last 13 weeks. We will be creating a wait list for all services and you can connect with either your HCP directly or email/call the clinic and we will ensure you are on our list for booking ASAP. We will notify you when our online booking resumes.
There are a number of changes for you, the client, to be aware of including: arriving and entering the space, mask requirements, COVID-19 prescreening etc. PLEASE take the time to read all of the changes/expectations for clients HERE.
Please note our updated Spring 2020, Registered Massage Therapy fee guideline HERE. Our fee increase reflects the most current 2020 guidelines as recommended by the RMTAO and will be on par with other current fee schedules in the Burlington area.
Each member of the Thrive Team, including our office staff, has reviewed and signed off on all new General Infection Prevention and Control policies and procedures as set by our governing bodies and Public Health Ontario and rest assured we have set the standards high. This means we have implemented things like:
*EnviroShield* professional disinfection throughout the clinic space;
*limited and appropriately distanced reception seating
*plexiglass shields at reception;
*masks and other appropriate PPE as regulated by Public Health Ontario and our governing bodies;
*cleaning & sanitizing logs for our common spaces, treatment rooms and bathrooms;
*daily visitor logs tracking people in and out for contact tracing purposes;
*daily COVID-19 pre-screening for the team and;
*new, enhanced equipment sanitizing and laundering procedures.
It is important to note that the additions of these new policies & procedures means we require increased time between client appointments so that we can meet these new standards for care and ensure a limited number of people in the space at any one time to limit close proximity contact.
We encourage you to use contactless payment options (no cash please) and to confirm with your insurer/benefits provider PRIOR to your appointment, that you are covered for services and (where applicable) your direct billing is in effect. We will not be responsible for contacting benefits providers to ensure your plan is in effect. Payment remains the responsibility of the client and is due at the time of the appointment.
We also encourage discussing future appointments either with your HCP at the time of your appointment or by calling/emailing your HCP or the office team afterwards to limit the number of bodies in the clinic space and to facilitate the timing of the next clients arrival/entry to the space.
Our team at Thrive is looking forward to welcoming you back into the space and continuing to meet your wellness needs! Should you have any questions, concerns or want to be put on a wait list for an appointment, please don’t hesitate to connect with us! See you soon!!
Tammy and the Thrive Team
