Like you, I am very concerned about the COVID-19 Coronavirus that we are all dealing with. We all know of people who have been infected by the virus, are sick with the virus, or have been in quarantines because of the virus. Our son is currently studying abroad and we just brought him back so we are all under one roof and we know everyone is together and safe. I hope your family is safe and healthy.
Keeping that in mind, we have decided to keep our Tanglewood Foot Specialists office open. The reason we made this decision is to makes sure you have a place to go to care for your foot and ankle issues, but most importantly to keep these problems out of the emergency department. We want to make sure that the emergency rooms and other health outlets that are on the front lines dealing with the COVID-19 virus are focused on managing the patients potentially infected by the virus. These men and women are working night and day to fight this virus and it is getting worse for them as their resources are dwindling. So to try to take the pressure off, we are keeping the office open where we have x-ray and ultrasound available to be able to treat any sort of foot or ankle injury or fracture.
What we're also offering for our patients who may not feel comfortable about leaving the house or coming into the office, is telemedicine. Telemedicine is a one-on-one visit with Dr. Schneider through a free portal called Zoom. All you need to do is to call the office and ask to have an e-visit. We will schedule a visit with both you and Dr. Schneider on computers or devices and we will very privately be able to discuss the foot or ankle problem you are dealing with and see if we can rectify it. Sometimes it is just a simple prescription that has to be written, sometime stretching or another course of therapy, but we'll be able to get to the bottom of it.
Of course, in some cases you may need to come into the office for a procedure, an injection, or for something else that has to be managed in person to get you better faster. What this will do is give you piece of mind that we are both keeping our social distance but we will still be able to get you the care you need and not have to wait for the risk of COVID-19 to diminish.
As always, you can find more information on our website or contact the office at 713-785-7881 for an immediate appointment, whether virtual or in-person. If you have any further questions about telemedicine just give us a call. It's new for you and it's new for us too, but in these circumstances we thought it was an important addition to help properly care for you in the current situation we are dealing with in this public health emergency.