STARKVILLE, Miss. (WTVA) - All clinics at OCH Regional Medical Center will re-open for in-person services on June 1.
Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, doctors have relied on telemedicine to see their patients. Now patients have the option to see their doctors in-person.
However, things will look a little different beginning on June 1.
“All of our workers and patients wear masks," Dr. Chip Wall said. "We don’t allow family members in the clinic.”
He said patients at the Breast Health and Imaging Center will notice its waiting room has changed.
“Rearranged our waiting room so we can accommodate about four patients at a time and distance so they’re not close.”
Dana Brooks, who is a nurse practitioner at the Center, said they also screen patients at the door.
“We're screening patients outside the clinic, taking temperatures and asking questions," she said. "We have minimized the contact in our clinic by asking the patients to wait in their car until it’s time for their appointment.”
Dr. Cameron Huxford, who is a pulmonary critical care physician, said his clinic is implementing the same procedures.
“Before the coronavirus thing, we were probably averaging 35 patients a day; during the initial onslaught and fear from it, we were seeing maybe two or three and some days none," Huxford said.
But now that the clinic is reopened for a full day for in-person appointments, Huxford said about 20 patients come in.
And for patients who are apprehensive about seeing their doctor face-to-face, Brooks said getting a check-up can help save your life.
“We don’t want them to put that off. Early detection is the key with the screening mammogram and then also the breast exam," she said. "We can catch these cancers earlier, so we want our patients to come in and have those done.”
