A Letter to our Patients, Families and Community

Dear Patients, Families, and Community, Your health and well-being are our top priority during this pandemic.  We hope this finds you well.  We are working to help our community in the best way we can during this difficult time. As of now, we have instituted many new procedures into Oasis Family Medicine to better serve you. Why are we making these changes?

• To ensure the safety and wellbeing of our dedicated Oasis Team, you and your families.
• To care for our patients while minimizing potential exposure to the COVID-19 virus.
• To allow for your well-visits as appropriate (often via telemedicine).
• To allow us to maintain a safe, clean environment when you visit our office.
• To do our part to reduce the spread of COVID-19 by adhering to public health best practices.

Office Visits

• Please continue to call and make appointments as usual, though they may be conducted as Telemedicine appointments rather than in-person.
• When calling to schedule an appointment for yourself or someone who is sick, we will ask about your specific symptoms so that we can determine the most appropriate method of taking care of you/them. We will see sick patients either in a separate area of the office, in your car, or outside in the open air.
• Please limit the number of family members coming to each appointment in order for us to extra-carefully clean and control the environment.

Telemedicine program:

• The Los Angeles Department of Public Health has instructed us to move all appointments where possible to telemedicine appointments.
• We are instituting this Telemedicine service in order to meet our patients' on-going medical needs while minimizing the need for in-person visits.
• Virtual visits can be scheduled so we can converse and discuss your health needs just like we would in the office.
• These can be done as phone appointments or as video appointments.  Our experience thus far has been fantastic and these telemedicine visits are actually quite enjoyable 😊
• These visits will be billed as regular office appointments and per recent emergency legislation will be reimbursed at the same rate as any in-person office visit would be reimbursed.
• There is no required downloading of any specific program to do the telemedicine visit. Simply an internet connection.
• Our telemedicine software is HIPAA compliant.
• Can be done on any phone or computer.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Is Oasis Family Medicine still open?

• YES.  We will remain open as long as we can effectively serve our patients and community in a safe way during this pandemic. 

How is Oasis Family Medicine going to keep me safe?

• We phone screen for symptoms all patients who are scheduled to come for any reason.
• We keep the front door ajar or at least cracked whenever possible.
• We clean the doorknobs consistently and frequently (especially the front door).
• We mask any patient with symptoms.
• We ask for social distancing in the waiting room as well as in the IV room.
• We have signs at the front door asking about respiratory symptoms and promptly will escort anyone with symptoms to a separate room designated for anyone with symptoms.
• IV room is a ‘well-patient’ room, only for people without symptoms.
• IV room chairs are only to be occupied if 6 feet apart (unless already living together, then can sit closer).
• We use personal protective equipment whenever appropriate.
• We do any appropriate COVID-19 testing outside the building, in your car.
• We will mail your supplement orders or run any supplement orders out to your car rather than have walk-ins for supplement orders.
• Bottom line, many excellent precautions are in place to keep the office a safe, healthy place for you and your loved ones.

Do I have Coronavirus (COVID-19)?

• If you or someone in your home is sick with any symptoms or symptoms consistent with COVID-19 (a fever of 100.5 F or greater and a cough or shortness of breath), everyone in your household should remain quarantined in your home for 7 days or until 3 days after symptoms have gone away (whichever is longer, which means a minimum of 7 days, but until the last person to get sick has been completely well for 3 days). 

Can I get tested for COVID-19?

• At this time, testing resources are severely limited and hampered.  As such, ONLY patients with moderate to severe symptoms will be tested.  Hopefully soon, better and quicker testing will become available that is also more readily available.

What should I do to prevent COVID-19?

• According to the WHO and the CDC, at this time there is no known guaranteed prevention or treatment protocols.  However, optimizing your immune system is probably the best method to prevent illness and there are many supplemental ways to help achieve this.  We are big fans of science and also common sense.  Dr. Yoshi Rahm will be doing a free Zoom town hall meeting at 12:30pm on Thursday, March 26 to give his COVID-19 insights and answer any and all questions.  If interested, join here at that time: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/145176940 

Where do I stay updated for reliable information?

• The CDC (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html) and the Los Angeles County Public Health Department (http://www.ph.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/) are both available for further info.
  

A few other notes:

• Once this pandemic state has started to improve, we anticipate that we may become quite booked out which will create a backlog and slim appointment availability.  As such, you are encouraged to keep your routine blood draws and appointments at this time to avoid even further delay.
• We FINALLY have a reliable company to do blood draws again IN OUR OFFICE (no more Quest or Labcorp visits, unless desired).  Please call Oasis (818.957.6909) to schedule your blood draw.  It will be done with excellent hygiene. 😊
• This is a tough time for most people.  Please do not listen to too much news as it focuses on the negative and our brains are wired to focus on the negative.  This is a pandemic to be taken seriously, but it should not be causing nearly the amount of anxiety and PTSD that it is causing.  Please stay informed.  But once informed of any pertinent updates, please focus your energy on you, your health, and your happiness.  Laugh, play, meditate, talk to the family and friends who lift you up emotionally. 

Keeping you and your family healthy has always been our top priority and now more so than ever before.  We feel so fortunate to be able to be a part of your health care needs. Be safe and be well! Your Oasis Team

Medical Disclaimer: Information provided in this article is for informational purposes only. The information is a result of years of practice and experience by Yoshi Rahm, DO. However, this information is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or another healthcare professional, or any information contained on or in any product label or packaging.

Do not use the information provided in this article for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Always speak with your physician or another healthcare professional before taking any medication or nutritional, herbal or homeopathic supplement, or using any treatment for a health problem. If you have or suspect that you have a medical problem, contact your health care provider promptly. Do not disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking professional advice because of something you have read in this email.

Information provided in this article and the use of any products or services related to this article by you DOES NOT create a doctor-patient relationship between you and Yoshi Rahm, DO. or any other physician featured in this article. Information and statements regarding dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.