Opening Your Office Checklist

Staff Considerations
  • Require all staff to wear masks.1
  • Be watchful of medication shortages, as there is the potential of compromised supply chains. Consider alternative medications and set expectations with patients if medications become unavailable. 2
  • Divide staff schedules into shifts into different teams. If one team is exposed to the virus, it will not expose members of other teams. 1
  • Consider staffing adjustments that may include bringing back staff in phases as patient loads increase.3
  • Consider safety options for staff with pre-existing conditions and/or staff at-risk.3
  • Provide refresher training for staff on triage, infection control, use of PPE, and patient communication.3
  • Screen healthcare personnel daily for symptoms, travel, contacts relevant to COVID-19. Monitor and assess any unprotected occupational exposure by staff members. Review the CDC’s guidance for potential exposure to COVID-19 for health care professionals at work.3
  • Follow return to work guidelines for health care workers with confirmed or suspected COVID-19. Establish a quarantine policy and a policy for workers who have contracted COVID-19.3
  • Establish or update confidentiality, privacy and data security protocols. Results of any screenings of employees should be kept in employment records only (but separate from the personnel file). HIPAA authorizations are necessary for sharing information about patients for employment purposes.4
  • Coworkers and patients can be informed that they came into contact with an employee who tested positive for COVID-19, but the identity of the employee and details about an employee’s symptoms cannot be shared with patients or co-workers without consent.4

Office Operations
  • Make sure you have implemented thorough sanitation procedures. 1
  • Designate separate areas of the office and portions of the day for non-COVID-19 care delivery.1
  • Limit the surfaces everyone must touch (prop doors open, ask that a patient keeps the pen they used).1
  • Clearly communicate with patients about the office’s safety protocols. Many practices will implement new protocols outside of a patient’s usual routines. Informing a patient upfront about any practice changes will help to alleviate their concerns and make sure they are properly prepared.2
  • Post signage about your COVID-19 protocols and procedures on your front door.3
  • Use your telephone system to deliver messages to incoming callers about how and when to seek medical and emergency care.3
  • Avoid patient-to-patient contact by considering separate entrance and exit doors and asking patients to wait in their car and allowing only one patient visit at a time.3
  • Prepare social distancing throughout your office, including in waiting rooms, break rooms, and testing areas.3

Financial Considerations
  • Consider your need for startup capital. Identify your financing needs and review sources.3
  • Address your accounts payable. Organize your accounts payable and develop a repayment plan for deferred payments including rent, utilities, loans, or health plan advanced payments.3
  • Maintain an open line of communication with vendors, especially for payments that you may need to defer. Talk to your vendors about what they could offer you to help restart your practice.3
  • Tackle your accounts receivables slowly. Restart collection activities and implement a process to follow up on outstanding claims. Carefully review your financial reports and revenue streams. Make it your objective to be sure that every claim has been followed up appropriately.3
  • Review contractual obligations. Be sure to meet timely filing limits for claims and appeals and submissions for encounters and/or quality data.3

Patient Scheduling
  • Require all patients to wear masks.1
  • Implement new screening protocols for scheduled patients with staff through phone or video ahead of the appointment.1
  • Check the temperature of all staff and patients upon arrival. Consider greeting patients outside for their temperature checks.1
  • Recommend that patients come to their appointment alone to limit the amount of people in your office at a time. If that is not possible, however, limit the number of people who can accompany a visitor to only one person to ensure social distancing. Also screen the chaperone for fever before entering the office.3
  • Review patient charts who delayed preventative care during COVID-19. Schedule these patients and needed test within 90 to 120 days of reopening your practice to allow time for these visits to be completed by year-end.3
  • Follow-up with patients who have delayed elective surgeries and discuss rescheduling. Consider delaying elective procedures depending on demand, operating suite availability, and adequate PPEs.3

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1  https://www.aafp.org/dam/AAFP/documents/practice_management/COVID-19/resuming-care.pdf
 2  https://www.cmadocs.org/Portals/CMA/files/public/CMA%20COVID-19%20Best%20Practices%20for%20Reopening.pdf
 3  Riverside County Medical Association “COVID-19: Reopening Your Practice Checklist”
4   https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/public-health/covid-19-physician-practice-guide-reopening


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