Aloha,
At Punzal Vision, the health and safety of our patients and staff members are at the forefront of our operations. We want to assure you that we are closely monitoring the COVID-19 situation to stay well-informed, and we have also implemented updated procedures within our office to maintain a clean environment and comply with social distancing recommendations. We are doing everything we can to promote a safe and secure office environment.
The American Optometric Association recognizes the critical importance of ensuring access to essential health care, including urgent and emergent care provided by Doctors of Optometry, which can alleviate burdens on urgent care and emergency departments. Daily, we aid patients with eye emergencies and treatment of vision threatening diseases. For this reason, Punzal Vision continues to be operational. We have put in practice additional precautions for the safety of our patients and staff members.
If you are feeling ill or have traveled outside of Kaua’i within the past 14 days, please call our office at 808-278-8383. We will assess whether we can push your appointment out to a later date or provide you with telehealth services. Please refrain from visiting Punzal Vision until we have determined what is best for you and the safety of our office.
We have always been attentive to hygiene and cleanliness. Professional cleaners thoroughly clean the entire office nightly, and our staff members sanitize areas throughout the office routinely. We have increased the frequency and thoroughness of these practices. We have a strict no food and drink policy in order to prevent spills, insects, and rodents. Prohibiting food and drink is important because touching the mouth or nose increases the potential for spreading illness. Animals other than certified Service Animals are also not allowed. Here are some of the other ways that we are maintaining a healthy and comfortable environment at Punzal Vision:
-Daily wellness checks on our employees to ensure that each Punzal Vision staff member is healthy and free of any symptoms indicating illness.
-All door handles, pens, ipads, and other commonly touched surfaces throughout Punzal Vision are wiped down with Clorox prior to opening and regularly throughout the clinic day.
-Between each patient visit, exam chairs, instruments, and anything that comes into patient contact are cleaned.
-Frames on display are sanitized after patient contact prior to returning to the optical boards and trays.
-All patients will have access to sanitizing gel upon entering and leaving Punzal Vision.
-Employees are counseled weekly to ensure that each individual is up to date and compliant with proper hand washing techniques and other universal precautions necessary in the medical field.
-Patient screening for recent out of state travel and current symptoms of illness.
Currently, the recommendation is to avoid large crowds and heavily trafficked areas. Punzal Vision is spacious and less trafficked than other medical offices, and we are adjusting scheduling to limit the number of people who come through the office. Patients who obtain their glasses from retail stores or larger offices may want to reconsider during these uncertain times in order to avoid large crowds and to minimize contact with frequently tried on frames that are not sanitized in between shoppers.
Dr. Barbara Horn, the president of the American Optometric Association, recently sent out an official memo recommending that people wear glasses instead of contacts in order to reduce face touching and therefore decrease the chance of coronavirus infection. We do realize that some patients rely on contact lenses due to lifestyle demands and for therapeutic purposes, so we do carry daily disposable lenses that can be purchased in the office. Daily disposable lenses significantly reduce the chance for infection or the spread of disease.
For the next few weeks, we will be reducing our operations to only our days of clinic. In addition to our regular schedule of being closed on Sundays, we will also be closed on:
Saturday, March 21
Wednesday, March 25
Wednesday, April 1
Friday, April 10 (Good Friday Holiday)
Saturday, April 11
Although we are closed on these days, patients may text message or email, and we will respond as necessary outside of operating hours, or address non urgent matters on the next business day.
Finally, it is our sincere hope and prayer that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic does not affect you or your loved ones. Your safety is our highest priority and we truly appreciate the trust that you place in Punzal Vision. We look forward to continuing to provide excellent patient care to all of you. Please contact us with any questions or concerns.
Mahalo and take care,
The Punzal Vision ‘Ohana
