April 27, 2022
Good news! We will be starting the first stage of opening up the hospital next week starting on the 15th! Our goal is to slowly return to normal over the next few months, and we wanted to give everyone a heads up on the new protocols. For this first stage, we will only be opening for appointments with the doctors. Technician appointments, medicine/food pickups, and discharges will still be done curbside for the immediate future.
The ground rules – we will be utilizing standard COVID restrictions for entry. Upon arrival, you will undergo both a verbal screen confirming you are not having COVID-related symptoms and have not been in contact with any COVID positive individuals, and have your temperature taken. Only one person per family will be allowed in the hospital at a time during this first phase. Please plan accordingly; if children are brought we will be happy to provide curbside appointments as we have been for the last year. As we have a small lobby, no more than 4 people will be allowed in the lobby at one time, and social distancing will be used with marked locations.
When you arrive, please call to let us know you are here. We will either let you know which assistant will be coming out to your parking spot, or (if it will be a few minutes) text you to let you know the assistant will be coming out to bring in your pet. At that point, the assistant will bring your pet into the hospital, and send you to the front entrance to be checked in. For now, we will continue to do the exams in the hospital treatment area, but the doctors will meet and discuss things with you in the exam rooms. The purpose of this is to limit exposure time for both you and our staff.
One final note – we will be requiring masks be worn by all individuals at all times while within the hospital. Not everyone is vaccinated, and we do not want to be put in the position of determining who is or is not let into the building based on vaccination status. If masks are removed, or are not worn properly (fully covering both nose and mouth), you will be politely asked to go back to your car, and we will happily provide you with curbside service. In addition, if you are uncomfortable coming into the hospital at this point, we will be more than happy to continue providing you with curbside service.
As our policies are updated, we will continue to update you, our BCVH family through email and social media postings. Thank you all for your patience these past 15 months and we very much look forward to seeing you in person soon!