Prevail PT COVID-19 Response

As of 03/12/22, Washington State DOH

requires healthcare facilities to

maintain their mask mandate

until further notice. 

If you have tested positive for COVID, please note the following requirements before entering the clinic:

1. Minimum of 10 days from the start of COVID symptoms or positive test

2. Significantly reduced symptoms demonstrating resolving illness

All Prevail staff are vaccinated and boosted.

All staff are wearing high quality masks when working 1:1 with patients. Masks are still required for healthcare settings. As always, we continue to sanitize rooms and all equipment between patients, as well as continuing our check-in protocol of symptom screen, temperature check, and also for status of recent COVID infection.

As Prevail continues to navigate through this pandemic and provide our community with the best patient care, we rely heavily on both national and local health care guidelines to create a safe treatment environment for all our patients, clients, and staff.

It is important to note that guidelines and mandates for healthcare settings and healthcare workers are different than for the public. Since Prevail Physical Therapy is a health care setting, and to keep in compliance with Washington State Dept. of Health requirements and the CDC’s guidelines for our setting, we continue to require all people within our space to wear a mask regardless of patient and clinician vaccination status.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continues to update their guidelines and we continue to modify our policies and procedures to follow those guidelines.

Here is a link to review their latest guidelines regarding COVID19 in general, as well as specific recommendations regarding vaccines, masks, testing, exposure response, etc. And here is a link to King County Indoor Masking Directive.

As always, we continue to sanitize rooms and all equipment between patients, as well as continuing our check-in protocol of symptom screen, temperature check and now also for status of recent COVID infection.

We’re looking forward to the day when we can (safely!) treat you mask-free. Until then we will continue our diligence and compliance with the CDC and Washington State DOH and encourage all our patients to do so as well.

We appreciate those who have supported us, are honored to serve you, and welcome questions, comments, and suggestions.

Bruk Ballenger, PT, DPT, Founder

Bruk@prevailpt.com

These are the steps we’re taking to mitigate risk.

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Clinic Entry Limitations

  • We are taking the temperature of every entrant before they are granted access to the clinic.
  • Any patient or staff member who is experiencing suspect symptoms are not allowed into the clinic space until a negative test and/or symptom resolution. 
  • Those accompanying patients to their appointments are asked to wait in their cars when possible.
N

Sanitization

  • All surfaces & items that come into patient contact will be cleaned or eliminated between patients.
  • The first and/or last 5 minutes of scheduled appointment time may be dedicated to cleaning & sanitizing workstations.
  • “Unclean Zone” established to hold items used by patients & clinicians that have not been cleaned yet.
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Minimizing direct person-to-person contact

  • We continue to offer telehealth with select clinicians on a case-by-case basis.
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Social Distancing

  • We are increasing physical distance between people within the clinic when possible.

Updated Mask Policy

For the safety and security of our patients, clients, and staff, we are  requiring the use of facemask protection within our clinic. These policies are in accordance with the current state guidelines and with extra consideration for our particular clinic environment. This statement is regarding the use of masks only. Please review our other policies and protective measures above.

  • Every person entering our clinic space, including clients, patients, staff, etc., will be required to wear a protective facemask. We ask that you wear it for the duration of your visit. If you do not have one, one will be supplied to you. If unmasked for any reasons, we ask that you respectfully distance yourself from everyone else in the space, as far as possible, beyond the minimum 6 foot mandate.
  • People who are unmasked due to exemption are expected to maintain as much physical distance as possible from others within the clinic. This requires that both the patient and their clinician are aware of others in their area and make appropriate adjustments. Expect our staff to bring our policy to the attention of those that need to be either masked or increase their physical distance from other people.
  • Concerns: Given our policies, procedures and physical layout of our clinical space, there is no reason that unsafe exposure should occur. Please discuss your concerns with our staff, and especially your Prevail PT clinician to ensure a mutually safe environment and any possible accommodations that we can make so that your experience here is safe and comfortable.
  • There are exceptions to this policy:

a. In a setting such as ours, physical exercise is sometimes necessary. Patients and clients who are exerting themselves to a degree that the mask becomes a hindrance may remove their masks while they are exercising and recovering.

b. If unmasked while exercising, we expect a physical distance of at least 15 feet from other people. Note that our gym space is quite large and is of adequate size to accommodate multiple people exercising simultaneously. Also note that we also have a private exercise room to allow increased physical distancing.

c. Persons with medical conditions, mental health conditions, or disability that prevents wearing a face covering are also exempt from this policy.

d. Children under the age of two are exempt and should not wear masks. Children from the ages of 3 to 5 years old are required to wear a mask with adult supervision unless they fall under a different exemption.

We are now offering telemedicine as an alternative to in-office visits.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION & RESOURCES

Below are a few platforms that we’ve found helpful in delivering accurate & up-to-date information regarding the Coronavirus (COVID-19).

CDC: Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Washington State Department of Health Resources & Recommendations

World Health Organization

King County Public Health Recommendations 

U.S. Food & Drug Recommendations

Memorandum on Identification of Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers During COVID-19 Response

U.S. Dept. of Labor Coronavirus Resources

Benefits.gov : Coronavirus Resources

Resource Information for Workers Affected by Coronavirus (COVID-19)