Here’s how we are Getting Ready for You

We hope you are all well and staying safe. We can’t wait to welcome you back soon to serve your eye health and vision needs. We await the go-ahead from Dr. Bonnie Henry, Minister Dix, and our College.

In preparation:

1. We have secured the highest level Personal Protection Equipment and disinfecting agents to ensure we are all safe.
2. We are in the process of reconfiguring our office space to reduce unnecessary contact where possible between patients and staff.
3. Your exam experience will be a bit different going forward until we are past this pandemic period. We have to consider our limited ability to connect with you verbally through an N95 and/or surgical mask along with the constrictive nature of physical distancing.  For this reason:
   • Lesley and I will conduct some of your preliminary eye exam over the phone or online prior to you coming in. This will include any adminstrative paperwork associated with your exam, a documentation of your current eye concern/s and medical history.
   • When you come in to the office for your physical exam, please expect very little non-essential verbal and physical contact with Lesley and myself, since our main focus is your safety, our safety and that of the community at large. We will, however, still continue to provide you with the highest level of diagnostic imaging, eye health and/or vision care you have come to expect from us. Please be reassured that, even though we are limited by the pandemic, we will not limit our level of care and attention to you.
   • To minimize patient in-office time/contact, I will schedule a time to phone you later that day to go over my findings and suggestions with you.
4. When you come to our office we ask that:
   • You come alone, and if you have a driver or companion, please ask them to wait outside the office building until you are done. This restriction does not apply to children or those needing support physically/mentally.
   • You bring your own properly fitting mask. If you do not have one, we will provide a mask for you and demonstrate how to correctly fit it. It’s important to understand that continous touching of your face to adjust the mask defeats the purpose of wearing one.
   • You use the hand sanitizer Lesley will dispense to you.
   • You will agree to have your temperature taken by Lesley using a non-contact thermometer. Please note that if you have a fever, you will be asked to leave the office immediately and we will contact you later to rebook your appointment.
   • Please understand that we need time to properly disinfect the office and exam rooms between patients. For this reason, once your exam is done, you will be asked to leave the office immediately.
   • If the office is running behind schedule, you will be asked to wait outside the building (rather than the hallway). We will phone you when the office is cleaned and ready for you to come in.

Meanwhile, please be aware that tele-medicine consults are availabe at no-charge if you need this service. Physical exams for urgent care only is also available in the interim. Please contact us to help determine if your case meets the “urgent” criteria as set by the Ministry of Health.

Please feel free to email info@drfriedmann.ca with other thoughts or additional suggestions you may have on how we can best serve you while keeping everyone safe at the same time. We appreciate your understanding and support as we work together to care for each other during this unprecedented time.

Best wishes in all ways,

Lesley and Bryan