In the midst of the unprecedented complexity of COVID19 and it’s public health implications, we at Brooklyn Minds realize the crucial role interventional psychiatry plays in the lives of our patients. We also understand it needs to be as safe as possible.
Most importantly, we continue to be as accessible, including by text, phone, and Telemental Health video. If you have questions for your clinician, please feel free to reach out as always, and administrative concerns can be addressed to our “front desk” staff even though they are not literally at the front desk!
Whenever possible, sessions have shifted to Telemental health video. This is obviously not possible for TMS and Spravato sessions. Thus, we will be taking the following measures to ensure the safety of our patients and team for clients receiving spravato and/or dTMS or other medically necessary in person care:
- Most importantly, if you suspect you are unwell, and have a fever, cough, shortness of breath, pain when breathing, muscle aches, fatigue, headache, sore throat, runny nose or diarrhea, please alert Brooklyn Minds and stay home until your symptoms are better and follow all CDC guidelines regarding quarantine periods!
- All of our staff will have temperature checks twice daily, and any staff exhibiting fever (temperature 100.0 degrees F or higher) will immediately leave the premises or be asked to stay home in keeping with CDC guidelines.
- Similarly, we will obtain temperature measurements of all patients, staff and visitors as they enter the facility, and ask any patient, staff or visitor exhibiting signs or symptoms of illness or fever (temperature of 100.0 degrees F or higher) to follow health department guidelines around self quarantine, testing and reporting.
- Patients and staff will be asked to wash their hands prior to entering the TMS room or office rooms.
- Our technicians will be wearing masks and gloves, and disinfecting our dTMS machines, chairs, as well as changing gloves and washing hands between each patient.
- In addition to daily professional cleaning, the office undergoes an additional special deep cleaning in accordance with CDC recommendations on a weekly basis.
- We will be offering reduced fee private pay courses of accelerated dTMS, utilizing the SAINT protocol for those who wish to utilize this option, which completes the entire course of TMS treatment in only five days, thus reducing the amount of travel and increasing social distance on average for our patients.
- Please contact our finance department to learn about generous financial hardship accommodations for accelerated treatment.
- Given most of the care we provide will be by telemedicine, patients receiving accelerated TMS will, to the extent possible, stay in private rooms throughout the course of the day-long treatment when they are not being given the TMS treatment itself. Treatments will be scheduled to stagger patients so they do not incur additional exposure risk.
- We will not be using shared iPads for rating scales and ask that patients use their own devices for any rating scales or electronic forms. We will not be using paper forms.
- Patients are asked to refrain from bringing visitors with them to the office and if necessary, only 1 visitor per patient is permitted.
- Patients should minimize time sitting in common waiting areas and if arriving early, ask about waiting in a private room until the session time.
We are taking a number of other steps internally to ensure appropriate sanitation, recordkeeping, and infection control procedures, while not forgetting that your mental health care is just as important to your health and the health of your family members.
