Dear Mill Creek Veterinary Hospital Family,
As always and in this difficult time, the safety and health of both our patients and clients is our primary concern. In response to the social distancing efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19, we are requesting that clients comply with a few changes in examination appointments. Thank you for your understanding during this stressful time.
If you or a family member is sick or showing signs of illness, please let us know ahead of your appointment so that we may limit the number of people to which you may be exposed. If you are scheduling a routine or wellness appointment, we will ask you to schedule your appointment for a later date to protect our other clients and staff. If your pet is ill or injured, we will schedule your appointment and ask that you stay in your car upon arrival. Please call us from the parking lot when you are ready for your appointment. We will come to your car and bring your pet inside for an exam and call you after the exam with all findings and recommendations. Payments can be made via phone or via the hospital attendant accompanying your pet.
For clients in the hospital, please limit the number of attendants with your pet in the hospital to one person. While our lobby is spacious, it becomes difficult to maintain the recommended distance between people if more than one person is with the pet. If possible, please stay in the lobby while your pet is being examined and treated to limit the number of people in close contact in the remainder of the hospital. If it is not possible to do this, we can follow the same protocol as stated above for sick humans.
If you are dropping off your pet for surgery or other procedures, please let us know when you arrive in the parking lot. We will send an assistant out to your vehicle to get your information and bring your pet into the building. If our lobby is clear, we will let you know that it is alright to come inside with your pet(s).
If your pet requires a refill of medications or food, please call ahead. We will gladly have the prescription(s) ready, bring them to your vehicle, and take payment over the phone either during the initial call or at delivery of the medication (s).
We will schedule appointments every 30 minutes. This is usually enough time to complete a thorough physical exam on a healthy patient. If the case is more complicated (sick, itchy, injured, etc), this may take longer to get a full history and perform diagnostics. We will attempt to stay on schedule to avoid overlapping appointments and avoid human interaction in our lobby. If you find that you must wait for an appointment, we will have seating appropriate for the social distancing recommendations. Our lobby is also outfitted with hand sanitizer, and there is access to two bathrooms from the lobby in which hand-washing should occur.
If you find that you will arrive either early or late for an appointment, please contact our office for instructions to maintain public health safety.
We always clean exam rooms and lobby areas as a part of routine hospital sanitary protocol on a daily basis. We will be stepping up these practices during this time. All door handles, surfaces, seating, and common use areas will be sanitized multiple times a day to ensure the safety of our clients, their pets, and our staff.
If you are in a high risk group (over 60 year of age, immuno-compromised, or have other disease processes that will increase your risk of contracting an illness) please let us know. We can postpone routine or wellness appointments for your pet. If your pet is ill or injured and postponing care isn’t possible, please let us know your circumstances. We will make arrangements to bring your pet in as a drop off appointment and call you with findings. You will not even have to get out of your car – we will bring your pet into the hospital for you. We don’t want ANYONE to become sick because they care enough to provide care for their pets. We will do whatever it takes to help.
If you have any questions, please call our office. We are here to help during this difficult time. Thank you all for your patience and understanding. Stay safe and healthy.
Sincerely,
Dr. Emily Underwood and the Mill Creek Veterinary Hospital Staff