OUR UPDATED COVID-19 RESPONSE
For Patients and Referring Providers:
On March 17, Culmore Clinic moved to Telemedicine appointments only. Current patients needing routine care and/or who are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms should call 703 860 2413 to schedule an appointment .
Culmore Clinic provides COVID-19 testing on Mondays and Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. in partnership with Neighborhood Health to enrolled patients. Residents of the Culmore-Bailey’s neighborhood who wish to enroll with Culmore Clinic in order to be tested should contact 703 260 8413.
Para Pacientes y Proveedores de Referencias:
Desde el 17 de marzo, la Clínica Culmore solamente se dedica a las citas de telemedicina. Los pacientes actuales que necesiten atención de rutina y/o que experimenten síntomas de COVID-19 deben llamar al 703 860 2413 para programar una cita.
La Clínica Culmore ofrece pruebas de COVID-19 los lunes y miércoles de 9 a 11 a.m. en asociación con Neighborhood Health para los pacientes inscritos. Los residentes del vecindario de Culmore-Bailey que deseen inscribirse en la Clínica Culmore para hacerse la prueba deben llamar al 703 260 8413.
For Community-at-Large:
Dear Community,
I hope this finds you safe and well.
The last few weeks have been difficult for us all, and too many of us can now speak to knowing someone who has suffered from exposure to the COVID-19 virus.
We are also seeing this alarming trend at Culmore Clinic, where we continue to serve our patient population through over 45 telehealth appointments a week, while at the same time responding rapidly to suspected and confirmed positives and ensuring wrap around care for the patient and others in their household so they can isolate as much as possible with the resources they need to do so.
Here are the ways we are helping:
Our Nurse Practitioner and Volunteer Providers triage patients who need monitoring for their COVID-19 symptoms and our nursing staff follow-up daily with each patient to monitor symptoms and make sure they have what they need to stay as isolated as possible.
Our team, together with partner, Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center, offer both pick-up and delivery of food and supplies of masks and gloves to housebound patients, as well as medicines they might need to alleviate symptoms and manage other illnesses. See photos from our first day of set-up.
The team also purchases (with funds from our Breaking Barriers Fund) and delivers not only prescriptions, but medical supplies such as thermometers and blood pressure cuffs, so our nursing staff can monitor patient well-being more effectively.
To date, we have sent 24 patients with suspected COVID-19 symptoms for testing and over 50 percent of them have tested positive. One patient tested negative, but was admitted to hospital this weekend, bringing the total of patients admitted to the ER to five. Most of our positive cases live within the same two or three blocks.
With testing resources being limited and not in easy reach for our patients, many of whom do not have their own transportation, we have partnered with Neighborhood Health to establish a pop-up site at Culmore Clinic starting this week. By responding to the need for testing, we have eliminated the barriers, like distance and cost, that discourage patients from getting tested. See photos from our first day of testing.
Because we know that many in our patient population may not want to reach out if they become sick - hoping to ride out the storm and not end up in hospital with a bill they cannot pay - our enrollment team has been calling patients we haven’t seen in recent weeks. These case management calls aim to ensure patients are okay, encourage them to maintain CDC guidelines for stopping the spread of the virus, and share information about local resources, particularly food, that might help them.
In addition, having learned that many patients presenting with COVID-19 symptoms live in multi-family settings, the nursing team ensures that other household members know of Culmore Clinic’s resources to assist them should they also get sick. In the meantime, when deliveries are made to the patient, additional supplies are given to other household members.
Our partner, NOVA ScriptsCentral continues to offer essential medications to patients at no-cost. These medications can be picked up (with limited social contact) at Culmore Clinic every Friday afternoon (or be delivered if the patient is housebound). See photos from our first day of set-up.
So, you can see we have been terribly busy and we anticipate being busier still until “the curve” starts to flatten in our community.
May I take this opportunity to say that in the few weeks I have served as Culmore Clinic’s Executive Director, during an unprecedented time of fear and uncertainty, I have been as moved by the need in this community as I have by the outpouring of love and solidarity from staff, volunteers, donors, and partners who have stepped up to ask what they can do – and then done it! - to alleviate the suffering of their neighbors. Thank you, one and all!
Please be sure to check our blog often, follow us on Facebook and Twitter, and sign up for our e-newsletter if you have not yet. We’ll be sure to keep you informed and inspired during this trying time.
Please take care of yourselves and stay healthy.
Sincerely,
Anne-Lise Quinn
Executive Director
Culmore Clinic
anneliseq@culmoreclinic.org