Eye Surgeons Associates Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Announcement

Eye Surgeons Associates COVID Safety Measures

Update May 14, 2021

Yesterday, the CDC provided an update for COVID-19 vaccinated individuals. Below is the link to the CDC guidance, please note the new recommendations are not intended for healthcare settings and as such, ESA’s mask wearing policy will remain in place, however, each patient may now have one accompanied visitor. Health care must be held to a higher standard as we care for people who are immunocompromised.

These new CDC recommendations can help you make decisions about daily activities after you are fully vaccinated. They are not however intended for healthcare settings. Check it out: When You’ve Been Fully Vaccinated.

Thank you for your patience and support as we continue to navigate our way through the COVID-19 crisis. Throughout these unprecedented times our staff and doctors rose to the challenge to safely serve our communities’ emergent and urgent vision needs.

With restrictions on elective surgeries and procedures lifted and the guidelines for healthcare facilities implemented, Eye Surgeons is back to fulfilling our mission of providing your best vision for life —while keeping everyone safe.

We are seeing patients by appointment, however, the risk of virus transmission is still with us and we must be responsible and careful—for our patients, our staff and our communities. Thus, we have implemented new processes to provide patient care in a new normal. We continue to screen everyone entering the clinic for COVID-19 symptoms and exposure.

What we’d like you to do for your appointment:

Bring a mask to wear that covers your mouth and nose. Everyone in the clinics is required to wear a mask at all times.
To minimize time and paperwork in the clinic, please create an account in our patient portal and complete your patient registration and health information prior to your visit.
We encourage you to wash your hands for 20 seconds with soap and water before and after your visit. If soap and water are not available, hand sanitizer is a good option.
Each patient may now have one visitor accompany them. (5/14/21)
If you are not feeling well or have a pending COVID test, please reschedule your appointment. If you need to be seen, consider a telemedicine visit.
Make an appointment with Optical if you’d like to order glasses, or use our new Virtual Frames Gallery to “try-on” and order glasses.
During your eye exam, your doctor may ask you to wait to speak until after the physical exam is complete. Then they will talk with you and answer questions when they can maintain a safe social distance for you both.

What we are doing for you:

Social distancing
- Rearranging waiting rooms to reduce capacity and changing patient flow to minimize crowding
- Limiting the number of people accompanying patients
- Encouraging patients to wait in cars until they receive a text message from the office
- Alternating and staggering doctor schedules
- Scheduling appointments to choose glasses and to pick-up contact lenses in optical
  - Utilizing baskets to collect “used” frames and cleaning them before being put back on the frame board
  - Shipping ordered glasses and contacts to patient’s home
Sterilization and safety
- Requiring patients to reschedule their appointment if ill or have a pending COVID test
- Requiring all staff to wear masks and they may not report to work with any COVID symptoms. Most staff and doctors have been vaccinated.
- Installing plexi-glass barrier – breath shields at check-in, check-out and on various equipment
- New filtration devices added to the buildings
- Frequently wiping down any patient area, including counters and doorknobs

ESA is proud to have served the vision needs of the Quad Cities for more than 35 years. We live, work, and play alongside you and your families. Please remember that your patronage, friendship, and continued support will help us continue to serve the eye care needs of this great community. ESA remains confident in the actions we are taking to safeguard everyone’s health and welfare and we look forward to seeing you soon!

ESA adds Telemedicine in our Continuing Efforts to Serve Patients Updated April 7

The health and safety of our patients, staff and the community is Eye Surgeons Associates top priority. In response to the pandemic, ESA scaled back clinical operations to just acute/emergent patients, post-op patients, and injection clinic only until further notice.

To expand access of care, Eye Surgeons has started offering telemedicine services. As we navigate the COVID-19 situation, ESA has implemented the safest possible measures to minimize unnecessary exposure to patients and staff.

Our telemedicine service is easy to use and can be done on your smartphone, tablet, computer or laptop. Our Doctors will evaluate your symptoms and provide recommendations and possible treatments. Doctors are available for telemedicine services during normal business hours or as scheduled:
Monday-Thursday | 8 A.M. – 5 P.M. Friday | 8 A.M. – 12 P.M.
Appointments can be made by calling 563.323.2020 or 309.793.2020.

Updated Protocol for ESA Clinic Visits, April 7

As the CDC makes new safety recommendations, ESA is updating our COVID-19 protocol to include that all patients and anyone who accompanies the patient needs to wear a face cover of some sort, either a mask, scarf or handkerchief covering both their mouth and nose when in clinic. The CDC is advising the use of simple cloth face coverings to slow the spread of the virus and help people who may have the virus and do not know it from transmitting it to others. Cloth face coverings fashioned from household items or made at home from common materials at low cost can be used as an additional public health measure.

Unfortunately, ESA is unable to supply a mask due to shortages in supply chains, but check out this video. A mask can easily be made with a piece of material and 2 rubber bands.

CDC How to Make Your Own Face Covering
Be well!

Eye Surgeons Associates Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Announcement, March 18

The health and safety of our patients, staff and the community is Eye Surgeons Associates top priority. In response to the state of emergency declared at the federal level and in multiple states, as well as the US. Surgeon General’s warning, effective Wednesday, March 18th, ESA will be scaling back clinical operations to just acute/emergent patients, post-op patients, and injection clinic only until further notice. In addition:

The Geneseo location will be closed until further notice.
Cataract and elective surgeries will be postponed and rescheduled.
Our Optical Shop will be functioning in a very limited capacity.
- For patients who have glasses or contacts ready for pick-up our optical department will be contacting you to see if you’d like them shipped to your home, or would like to wait to pick them up after the precautionary measures have been relaxed.
- You can reorder contact lenses through our patient portal or you can call the Rock Island or Bettendorf offices. Any contact lens orders that are to be dispensed with a contact lens fit/doctor visit will be postponed – our scheduler will contact you if this applies to you.
- If your glasses are broken and you have no other means, and a significant prescription, an appointment can be scheduled for you by calling our optical department. We will be screening patients on the phone, and also every person who walks through the front door.

ESA will be calling all scheduled regular eye exam and elective surgery patients to reschedule your appointment and/or surgery.

This is an unusual time for all of us. Please continue to follow the CDC (Center for Disease Control) guidance to protect your health by practicing social distancing and avoiding close contact with people who are sick. In addition, keep washing your hands often, covering your coughs and sneezes, and stay at home if you are sick.

If you have any specific questions or concerns about your appointment or eye care, please call us at 563.323.2020 or 309.793.2020.

Be well!

COVID-19 Resources:

World Health Organization
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019

https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public

CDC
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html

Members of the public with general questions about COVID-19 can call their state health department’s main daytime telephone number:

Illinois

1-800-889-3931

If you are in Chicago, call:
3-1-1 (inside city limits) or 1-312-744-5000

Iowa

1-800-362-2736