Today’s Well Visit Experience
Well visits look different today than they have in the past. They also have a new name: staged well visits. What this really means is that your visit will be done in two parts.
Stage 1 – Virtual (from your home)
Given our current predicament, all visits now start as a video visit. Starting visits virtually helps us:
- Carefully screen clinic visitors to maintain the safety of our clinic environments
- Comply with Oregon’s physical distancing orders to help slow the spread of this virus
We know it’s hard to wrap your mind around how your pediatrician can evaluate your child by video. We completely get it! Adjusting to this new way of providing care feels strange to us, too.
Consider the virtual portion of your visit observation and talking time.
Your pediatrician can see and hear your child. They can observe behavior, motor skills, language, and much more! Parents and caregivers can also share their observations and ask about any developmental concerns. We can take the time to talk through issues and problem-solve together. We don’t need to be in the same room to do this, which is great because it helps us limit the number of people in our clinics at any given time and reduces the amount of time families spend in our clinics overall—physical distancing, check and check!
Stage 2 – In Person (at the clinic)
Of course, there are things we cannot do by video. Technology has its limits! Your child will need to come into the office to complete the visit by getting:
- Vitals (like an accurate weight and blood pressure)
- Provider Exam
- Immunizations
- Screening Labs
Our goal is to complete both stages of your visit on the same day. We will do our best to ensure that you have the same provider for both the virtual and in-person parts of your visit. There will be times when this is not doable, and your teledoc will pass the torch to another provider. When this happens, we will update your assuming provider on anything they need to know to finish your visit as if they were present for the virtual part.
Separate Clinics for Well Care vs. Response Care
Our clinics are operating under a new structure today. As of 3/25/20, we have divided the care we provide into different locations for in-person services. Most clinics are dedicated to well care and non-contagious concerns, while our Bridgeport and Happy Valley-Sunnyside locations are looking after patients with cold and flu-like symptoms. We anticipate that these clinic divisions will stay in place for the next 8-12 weeks, at minimum, as we work together to fight COVID-19!
Well Care Clinics for check-ups and routine health maintenance needs
- Beaverton
- Gresham
- Happy Valley – Johnson Creek
- NW Portland
Response Care Clinics for children who are not feeling well or who have respiratory symptoms
- Bridgeport
- Happy Valley – Sunnyside
IMPORTANT: Unless your child is experiencing a life-threatening emergency, do not go to the emergency room, call your Medical Home—Metropolitan Pediatrics.
Remember, this is a new way of operating for us, too. We’re trying to be optimistic and find the silver linings in this uncertain time. Who knows—maybe some of the things we try in response to COVID-19 will be the new way after this is over. We know for sure that video visits are here to stay!
Like us, we hope you find small pleasures in things outside your control right now. Thank you for rolling with all these changes with us. We are RESILIENT and will get through this together!
