COVID-19 Information

**Please note that we do not provide vaccinations of any kind at our office. We suggest that patients wishing to receive the COVID19 vaccine call their Primary Care provider to inquire about the vaccine.

Ridgewood Orthopedics Office Visit Changes due to COVID-19

Here at Ridgewood Orthopedic Group we are scheduling elective surgeries and are open for more office hours for in-office visits with our physicians. We will continue to follow all Department of Health guidelines to assure a safe visit to our office. You can expect a pre-visit screening, to be required to wear a mask and that we will limit the number of patients in the office. For patients who are at high risk, that reside at nursing homes, have difficulty with transportation, or prefer to consult with one of our providers on-line, we will continue to provided telemedicine visits. Please call our office to schedule an appointment.

Telemedicine now available!

In an effort to better serve our patients during this difficult time, we are now scheduling telemedicine appointments for new and existing patients at the discretion of our providers. If you have a smart phone with a camera, or a computer with webcam capabilities, you can now have a visit with one of our providers without having to leave your house. These visits are covered by insurance. Please be aware that only patients are allowed to enter for in-person visits at this time and masks are required at all times. Call our office at 201-445-2830 to schedule your appointment!

COVID-19 Office Guidelines

As we move towards returning to full office operations, we have devised the following guidelines to prevent further virus spread and to optimize hygiene and distancing practices. Protocols have been adapted from the OSHA Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19. Guidelines will be updated and adapted as the current situation evolves, in line with CDC and OSHA recommendations.

Patient and Employee Screening Measures

  • All patients and employees will be asked to fill out a COVID-19 screening questionnaire before entering the office. Patient Questionnaires will be retained in the medical record. If the patient has had one or both doses of any COVID19 vaccine, we ask that they please bring the vaccination card to the appointment as proof so that we can note vaccination status in the patient record.
  • Patients or employees who have any symptoms of COVID-19 (fever, cough, chills, shortness of breath, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pains, headache, sore throat, diarrhea, new loss of sense of taste or smell) should not come to the office. Employees who develop symptoms while at work should immediately notify management and go home.
  • Patients and employees with family members who have symptoms of COVID-19 should not come to the office until the patient or employee has had a negative swab or has remained asymptomatic for a minimum of 2 weeks.
  • If a patient's or employee's family member has tested positive, they should not come in to the office until the patient or employee has had a negative swab or has remained asymptomatic for a minimum of 2 weeks.

Social Distancing Measures

  • Patients are not allowed to bring a family member into the exam room unless the patient is under age 18.
  • Patients will be asked to wait in their car in the parking lot instead of the waiting room and will be called or texted as their preference when we are ready to see them.
  • The number of providers seeing patients in the office at the same time has been reduced to minimize overlap and to avoid crowding.
  • Contact between employees should be limited; maintain six feet of distance whenever possible.
  • Employees who work in the back office and do not normally have contact with patients should avoid the clinical areas.

Basic Hygiene Measures

  • Patients will need to wear a mask or face covering at all times within the office.
  • Sneeze guards will be installed to protect employees working at Reception and Checkout.
  • As always, thorough hand washing for 20 seconds with soap and water between each patient, or use of alcohol-based hand sanitizer when hand washing is not possible.
  • All employees must use masks. Any employee interacting with patients will wear gloves. Employees providing direct patient care are asked to wear N95 masks when available.
  • All exam room surfaces will be wiped down between each patient with disinfectant wipes or spray.
  • All common surfaces (work areas, keyboards, desks, telephones) will be wiped down several times per day.
  • Employees should avoid sharing work areas/phones/computers.

**Important information for our joint replacement patients.

Please visit the following American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons (AAHKS) website for important information relating to pre- and post-operative joint care during COVID-19: Joint Care at Home During COVID-19 **