5/5/20

Dear CMG families,

We hope this letter finds you and your loved ones doing well.  We know most of you are experiencing quarantine fatigue and facing mixed feelings about our country opening back up.  We are diligently monitoring advice from various public health experts to help guide us as we try to move forward.  We understand there is fear about the right way to proceed and the unknown can be very polarizing.

Reopening

We would encourage mindful baby steps as opposed to jumping fully back in. Diligent handwashing, not touching your face, and social distancing are still incredibly important.  We will see an increase in cases as we gradually reopen. Fortunately, our healthcare system is more prepared to deal with this now than it was seven weeks ago. 

A little insight medically into what the quarantining/social distancing/masking to date has accomplished. It was not meant to stop the virus.  That really would be impossible.  It was meant to slow the rate of infection so the medical infrastructure could respond appropriately and not be overwhelmed.

This has provided time to acquire needed personal protective equipment, ventilators, hospital bed preparation, testing options, and quarantine locations.  This time has also allowed science to advance in terms of looking at possible medications, the use of convalescent plasma and various approaches like proning patients to aid in care for the critically ill.

Returning to Daycare

Many parents ask us if they can send their child back to daycare. We realize blanket statements about what to do next really will not suit the various needs and circumstances of our diverse families. This must be a personal decision.

One key question: Is your child in close contact with anyone in the household who is medically vulnerable?  This includes anyone with moderate to severe asthma, chronic lung disease, congenital cardiac issues, diabetes, hypertension, autoimmune diseases, obesity and other chronic conditions.  We strongly encourage these families to continue quarantining. 

Office Policies

Our office policies have not changed.  We will continue to serve our families in the safest way possible.  We will continue our screening procedures to keep our office as safe as possible and follow public health recommendations.  Our staff will continue to wear masks, and we ask that all parents and children over 2 years of age wear a mask or face covering.  We are providing telehealth when needed and appropriate. 

Well Checks and Annual Exams

We will continue to have appointments for well checks needing vaccines in the morning and older children in the early afternoon.  Please give us a call 512-451-5161 if you think your child might be due for their appointment.  If you have an afternoon appointment already scheduled, our office will be calling you to reschedule.   

What age does my child get vaccines?

We are really trying to keep all vaccination appointments on track. We give routine immunizations at 1 month, 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 9 months, 12 months, 15 months, 2 years, 4 years, 11 years, 12 years (second HPV if applicable), 16 years, and 17 years. We do additional developmental screenings at 18 months and 3 years old. For more information about the individual vaccines given at each visit, we recommended viewing the CDC website.

Before going off to college, we need to make sure our patients have had their second meningitis B vaccine (this is in addition to two menactra vaccinations) and a Tdap (if not done since the 11 year well check).

Parenting

We continue to get calls about the impact this stressful time has had on your children.  There are a lot of children experiencing separation anxiety, new sleep issues, headaches, new urine and stool accidents, and many more.  Positive Parenting Portal (triple P) has some free online resources on how to parent your children during this challenging time.  Austin Child Guidance Center also has some great resources and weekly webinars with a variety of parenting topics.  

Please feel free to contact us with any concerns or questions.  We are honored to be part of this journey with you.  We are sending virtual hugs to all our precious CMG patients. 

Take care of yourselves,

Children’s Medical Group