COVID-19 Updates
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*** Updates***
Mask Update 5/11/22: As Bucks County continues to be at a low COVID-19 level, we have decided to drop our mask policy beginning today. With this change, we do have some office guidelines to be followed: 1. You or your child will always have the option to wear your mask and request that the clinician wear theirs during treatment. 2. Your clinician will ALWAYS wear the highest level of protection that you request and may choose to wear a mask even if your child does not. 3. If your child has a runny nose or cough, please put a mask on them. It is difficult to determine the difference between cold/allergies/and COVID. 4. It is the clinician's judgement to request/place a mask on your child if cold/cough symptoms are present (as a precautionary measure). 5. You may wait in the waiting room. However, if you, the caregiver, have cold symptoms we ask that you remain in your car or wear a mask. 6. We will still follow our rule regarding vomiting, diarrhea, and fever. Person seen for treatment must be free of all of these for 24 hours, like school, without medication to reduce symptoms. If someone in the family, ie: sibling, is vomiting, please cancel. 3/22/2022 As promised, we have been closely monitoring Bucks County’s Covid-19 community levels as well as our cancellations due to COVID-19 this past week. First, I am happy to relay that our cancellations due to COVID-19 this past week have significantly decreased. Second, Friday, Saturday, and today, Bucks County has been at the LOW level for COVID-19. With this new data, we have decided to adjust portions of our mask policy. Starting Monday, the new masking policy will be as follows: 1. All people will be required to wear a mask into the front office and their treatment room. 2. You or your child will have the option to remove your mask within the treatment room. 3. You must let the clinician know your wishes upon check in, either mask at all times or allow removal in the treatment room. 4. Your clinician will ALWAYS wear the highest level of protection that you request and may choose to wear a mask even if your child does not. 5. It is the clinician's judgement to request/place a mask on your child if cold/cough symptoms are present (as a precautionary measure). This new policy is subject to change based on changes in COVID-19 infection counts. Thank you for your patience during our navigation through this challenging health crisis. 8/12/2021 On July 27, 2021, the CDC released updated guidance on the need for urgently increasing COVID-19 vaccination coverage and the recommendation for everyone to wear a mask in public indoor places, even if they are fully vaccinated. Therefore, we will continue to require all adults and children to be masked within the office in accordance with these requirements. All of our COVID related safety procedures have and will remain in place until further notice. Our top priority is keeping everyone safe. 8/9/2020 The following insurance companies have updated their teletherapy coverage to 12/31/2020: Aetna, Cigna, and Independence Blue Cross. Most plans are specific to your individual policy/employer, therefore you still need to call to get specifics regarding your responsibility of a copay/co-insurance. With this extension of teletherapy coverage, it enables us to easily switch from week to week between in-office and teletherapy. If you have been on vacation and need to quarantine, continuity of care will not be an issue. We understand this is a very stressful time for parents with school age children who are trying to navigate which "program" to choose. Please know that we are trying our best to work with you and your schedule for the fall. Good luck, Miriam 6/14/2020 While providing virtual care has been necessary and will remain a part of how we provide many with care, there is no replacement for in-person treatment for some. That is why we want to share our process of moving forward and returning to in-person care delivery on June 22, 2020. Prior to your first appointment or first appointment back in the office, you will be sent a one time in depth online form to fill out and submit electronically. In this form, it not only asks questions, but it details the safety measures we will be taking. While these new precautions may feel less personal than before, this is out of an abundance of caution in order to keep you safe as we interact together. We will make sure to communicate as best we can with you any changes that are taking place in our practice so we can continue to provide the kind of care that you have/will come to expect from us. If there is something we can do to make you feel more comfortable, please let us know. We will try our best. -Miriam 6/7/2020 As of 6/5/2020, Bucks County has moved into the yellow phase. While many businesses have reopened, we have decided to continue with teletherapy services for the next two weeks to ensure the spread of disease remains contained to the greatest extent possible. We are excited to announce that starting on Monday June 22nd we will be gradually re-opening for in-person therapy sessions. For those of you who wish to continue with teletherapy, we are happy to do so. You may see some changes when it is time for your next appointment. We made these changes to help protect you and our therapists. For example: - You will no longer wait in our waiting room. Upon arrival, text your clinician that you have arrived and wait in your car. - Your therapist will communicate with you before each appointment to ask some screening questions. This short panel of questions is to be completed for each appointment, and will require little time on your end. - Temperature screenings will occur for all patients and family members upon arrival at your car. If you have a fever higher than 100.4, you will not be seen. - Parents and siblings are to wait in the car during the therapy session. - We have hand sanitizer in the waiting room, please use prior to entering the treatment rooms. - Everyone over the age of 2 must wear a mask into the office as restrictions remain in place. - Everyone 5 years and older must wear a face mask (clear) in the treatment room. For those under 4 years, a hat with face shield is acceptable in the treatment room. Therapists will always have a mask (clear) on. - You may see that our waiting room will no longer offer magazines, children’s toys and so forth, since those items are difficult to clean and disinfect. - Appointments will be managed to allow for social distancing between patients and therapists. - Time between patients will be allowed to effectively sanitize the treatment room. For those who have not been receiving therapy during these past few months and would like to resume, please reach out to us at 215-968-8812. We hope you are all well, and we look forward to seeing you again soon! Miriam, Amy, Kathryn, Kristen, Leah, & Sharon -------------- 5/7/2020 We hope everyone is healthy and safe, Aronson Speech will continue to offer teletherapy sessions throughout the month of May in an effort to help keep everyone safe. At that time we will re-evaluate the situation and review what Governor Wolf's recommendations are. Currently, we are creating prototypes of see through masks for the clinicians and children/adults for when it is safe to return to our new office. This will enable us to provide this best care in the safest environment possible. If you have any questions, please call us at 215-968-8812. Stay Home, Save Lives, Miriam -------------- 3/14/2020 Dear Aronson Speech Families, As the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) has spread and Bucks county has taken action, Aronson Speech will be closed for all in-person speech therapy sessions for the next two weeks starting on Monday 3/16/2020. Since there have been reports stating “...children with mild illness still can transmit the virus to others, and there also have been reports of asymptomatic transmission...” it is felt that this is the safest course of action during this unprecedented time. We are actively getting trained and setting up tele-therapy to provide you with at home speech and language therapy and hope to be up and running by mid week. Many of your insurance companies have already been contacted to assess if tele-therapy services will be covered as an in-network benefit during this time. The remaining will be contacted on Monday. We will let each of you know what your plan covers. Please check your remind application often for messages. As always, we are available to answer your questions at 215-968-8812. Stay safe and healthy. Miriam Aronson, MA, CCC-SLP Speech Language Pathologist |
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