IPC Update

Dec. 12, 2020 | Health, Safety & Environment Coordinator

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Dear Staff, Faculty and Students,

Due to the recent declaration of a Public Health Emergency and the province issuing new restrictions to slow the spread of COVID-19 we are changing how patients arrive for their appointments. Lets get through this last stretch of clinics in 2020 safely! 

Changes to Patient Arrival Process

*For Immediate Implementation*

In an effort to maintain physical distancing in our Oral Health Clinic (OHC) patient waiting areas, we will now be seating patients as soon as possible after their check-in with our Patient Services team. By seating our patients immediately upon their arrival in the OHC, we can prevent patients from putting themselves at risk by being too close to other people as they wait to be called into the clinic.

• Students, Staff or Faculty should seat a patient in their appointed dental operatory as soon as possible after they check-in with Patient Services.

• The assigned room must be clean, but does not need to be set up for the patient before they are seated.

• If you have not already done so, prior to seating the patient, you can run the dental unit waterlines and clean & disinfect the operatory all while the patient is in the dental chair with their mask on.

• Patients must keep their masks in place while the student/staff member sets up around them.

• Patients must have their masks on at all times when in Kaye Edmonton Clinic (KEC), including while doing medical history updates, vital signs, consents, post-op education and checkout. The only time a patient should have their mask off is when intraoral activity is actually happening. Patients must re-don their mask immediately after intraoral activity has finished. 

• Pre-operative case discussions between preceptor & student may need to occur outside of the operatory, away from the patient as required.

Have IPC Questions, Concerns or Positive Comments? Email dentIPC@ualberta.ca.

Sincerely,
Dr. Khaled Altabtbaei, IPC Officer
Ronna Richardson-Lozano, IPC Coordinator