COVID-19 Update

May 6th Re-opening

 
 

To our valued clients,

As you may be aware, the Manitoba government has extended the order under the Public Health Act for all non-critical businesses to remain closed until at least April 28th. For this reason, we will not be able to re-open our clinics on April 20th. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and announce our re-opening once we are confident of a date the order will be lifted.

We know that this is a difficult time for all, and that in-person visits are not be available for patients right now. We want to assure you that we are continuing to the find solutions for you to be able to receive the health care you need.

For those with upcoming appointments, you will be contacted over the next few days to provide you with the option to reschedule to Tele-Rehabilitation appointments.

If you are in pain or your pain is worsening and it is of great concern to you, or if your exercises are too easy, or you would like to check in with your therapist on progress, while maintaining self-isolation or social distancing protocol, Tele-Rehabilitation is an excellent alternative to in-person visits. 

 
 

Dear valued clients,

As you may be aware, the Manitoba government revealed their plan to re-open non-critical businesses in four careful phases while maintaining social distancing protocol. Phase one includes physiotherapy, athletic therapy, and massage therapy.

We are pleased to invite you back to resume your in-person physiotherapy, athletic therapy, and/or massage therapy visits starting Wednesday, May 6th.

To schedule an appointment, contact your preferred location here, or email your therapist directly at (therapist first [email protected]).

However, strict sanitization and social distancing measures will be in place. Here is what you can expect:

 
 

New Protocols In Place Upon Re-opening

To keep doing our part of the recommendation to flatten the curve in limiting the number of cases in our community is to social distance.

Social Distancing is a term developed to make changes in your everyday routine to minimize contact with others. There should be limits to the number of people congregating in a space and non-essential gatherings. One should avoid common contact greetings like handshakes, and there should be additional space given between individuals, approximately 1-2 meters.

In accordance with these guidelines, we have implemented a number of new protocols to further ensure your health and safety during your appointments upon clinic re-opening. Some of which include the following:

  1. Prior to your appointment, you will be given a reminder call. During this time, one of our team members will assist you in completing our Covid-19 screening tool. This is to determine if you are eligible for your treatment.
  2. Please wait in your car until you’ve received a call that we are ready for your appointment to begin.
  3. Once you enter our clinic, our staff will direct you to our hand washing station.
  4. Your treatment will continue with your therapist in a closed curtain room. Each of our beds are spaced at least 1.5 meters apart.
  5. Therapists and staff will be wearing masks, gloves, and protective eyewear. Patients are welcome to bring/wear their own masks to their appointment if they so choose.
  6. When your appointment is complete, you will be directed to wash your hands again.
  7. During payment, we will not be accepting cash transactions, only debit or credit. If any portion of the treatment not directly paid by insurance, we encourage you to pre-pay for your appointment by phone whether during your reminder call or while waiting in your car. Otherwise, if you have the option, please use the ‘tap’ function. We do a have a sanitization protocol that includes wipe down of the ATM keypad.
  8. In addition to maintaining strict sanitization practices, new procedure includes thorough sanitization of the entire clinic 3-4 times per day.

We sincerely appreciate everyone working together to allow for the opportunity to start re-opening Manitoba businesses again.

 
 

What is tele-rehabilitation?

Tele-rehab, often referred to as TeleHealth, is the remote delivery of physiotherapy services using virtual communication technologies (including but not restricted to video conferencing, internet or telephone).

Will I get good quality care?

Expect to receive the same safe, quality care that you would get during an in-person visit. Physiotherapists are expected to meet the same Standards of Practice regardless of how the services are delivered.

Will my insurance cover telerehabilitation physiotherapy services?

We direct bill to a number of insurance providers that are set up to cover tele-rehabilitation.

  • Manitoba Blue Cross
  • Canada Life (Great West Life)
  • Manitoba Public Insurance
  • Workers Compensation Board of Manitoba – until April 26, 2020

Other providers we do not direct bill to, but will provide a paid invoice to submit for reimbursement include:

  • Sunlife

Check with your insurance provider to see if coverage for virtual rehabilitation service is accepted.

On March 20, 2020 the Government of Manitoba declared a state of emergency due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. Part of the recommendation to flatten the curve in limiting the number of cases in our community is to social distance.

For New Assessment:

After a thorough subjective and objective examination the physiotherapist should be able to provide:

  • A working diagnosis for the injury
  • Education for the patient regarding the injury
  • Discussion regarding strategies to manage the current injury or pain, including activities they should or should not be doing
  • Home exercise program including pain management strategies, relaxation techniques, stretching, strengthening, etc., as the physiotherapist sees fit

For Follow-up:

  • The physiotherapist will ask for an update on current symptoms, function, activity level, etc.
  • The physiotherapist will look at functional movements as well as current the current exercise program
  • The physiotherapist will provide ongoing education to patients
  • The physiotherapist will progress the exercise programs as they see fit and ensure the patient understands and is comfortable with the new information and program

Here are a few frequently asked questions about telerehabilitation in physiotherapy:

What to expect in a Tele-Rehab appointment 

 
 

We do recognize some may still prefer or require further distancing measures. For this reason, our TeleRehabilitation physiotherapy service is available to support your health care needs.

Learn more about Tele-Rehab
 
 

If you have concerns or questions, please don’t hesitate to call or email us. We look forward to seeing you soon.

Wade Miller (Co-founder) and The Elite Sports Injury Team

If you have further questions regarding COVID-19, consult these reliable resources:  World Health Organization and Manitoba Health.