Lehigh Valley Health Network is reopening more than 50 LVPG practices and select ExpressCARE locations across the region with new COVID-safe precautions and conveniences to ensure our patients and their family members are seen both safely and quickly.

The network is scheduling same-day appointments, virtually or in-person, and will implement expanded hours, including weekends. To help promote social distancing, patient arrival times will be staggered.

Jennifer Stephens, DO, Chief Medical Officer, LVPG says patient safety is a priority. “With COVID-19 still in our community, we are putting in place several measures to protect our patients. Among them, our care team members will have temperatures taken at the start of every shift and we are implementing even more rigorous cleaning and patient flow protocols to ensure all facilities and patient care areas are safe,” Stephens says.

Additional measures LVPG is taking to ensure patient safety include:

• Having patients wait in their vehicle instead of the waiting room. Instead, they will call the office from the parking lot to let them know they have arrived. When it’s time for their appointment, they will be called.

• Patients and an accompanying visitor must wear a face mask unless there is a medical reason for not being able to do so.

• All patients and visitors will be screened for symptoms of COVID-19 when they enter an LVPG office.

• Waiting rooms will be used sparingly. We will promote social distancing by spacing out seating in waiting areas. If a patient is brought to his or her appointment by another person, that person can accompany the patient for the visit with the provider, can wait in the waiting room if space is available, or wait in their vehicle.

• “We will continue to recommend virtual care options, like telephone visits, E-Visits and video visits for care that does not require an in-person appointment,” Stephens says. “By using our secure patient portal, called MyLVHN, patients can complete many steps that often occur at check in, such as completing questionnaires or doing eCheck-in, right from the convenience and comfort of their home.”