COVID-19 Concerns
Notice:
Our Solvang location Santa Ynez Valley Eye Care & Surgery has been temporarily closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. If you have urgent eye issues, please contact our other locations Shepard Eye Center in Santa Maria at 805-925-2637 or Kendall-Shepard Eye Center in Lompoc at 805-736-2020 between the hour of 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Monday – Friday as they will remain open to address emergency eye issues and surgeries.
Dear Patient,
At our eye center the health of our patients is our top priority. We understand there are growing concerns about the coronavirus (COVID-19) so we wanted to update you on our office protocol based on the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines.
Please know that you can have confidence that we are doing our very best to ensure that your health and safety as well as the protection of our staff remains our top priority. We are following all the requirements by OSHA and the CDC. As a state-of-the-art medical facility, we have always had infectious disease control protocols, but we have increased our focus on safety even more with the recent virus outbreak with new infectious control procedures.
Per the recommendations of Governor Newsom, we are recommending that all patients 65 and older reschedule their appointments unless they have an urgent eye condition. We recommend rescheduling between 1-2 months out at this time.
What we recommend for all our patients:
- If you are feeling unwell, we ask that you stay at home and rest. Please call and reschedule your appointment at your earliest convenience.
- Upon entering our clinic prior to your appointment, please use hand sanitizer or wash your hands with soap and water. We have hand sanitizer available at all of our front desks.
- Avoid touching your face. Limiting this will keep yourself, and others, healthy.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
- Avoid shaking hands and hugging others to avoid the spread of any virus.
- Face-masks should be used by people who show symptoms of COVID-19 only. If you are healthy, you do not need a face-mask. Masks are vital for protecting healthcare providers who work with sick patients.
- Know the signs and symptoms of coronavirus infection: fever, cough, weakness, malaise, and shortness of breath. It is lower respiratory focused, not upper like the typical runny nose/sore throat/sinus congestion symptoms.
What we are doing in our practice to help protect our patients:
- We are closely monitoring the guidance of the CDC and the World Health Organization regarding the coronavirus.
- We have enhanced the cleaning of our facilities, including special attention to waiting room areas, patient exam rooms, bathrooms, door knobs. We are also cleaning our facilities more frequently with recommended sanitizing products.
- We are reducing our clinic schedules to help lessen clinic congestion and create more social distance. If you’ve been affected by COVID-19 and need to reschedule your appointment, please contact your scheduled location by phone.
- We are instructing any of our employees who feel ill to stay home. We are also instructing all our employees to be vigilant about frequent hand washing.
If you’ve been affected by COVID-19 or have been in contact with someone who has been diagnosed with coronavirus infection and need to reschedule your appointment, please contact us by phone at your scheduled location:
Santa Ynez Valley Eye Care & Surgery
2040 Viborg Rd, Ste. 240, Solvang, CA, 93463
(Location temporarily closed during COVID-19 pandemic)
(805) 688-0707
Kendall-Shepard Eye Center
425 W. Central Ave., Lompoc, CA 93436
(805) 736-2020
Shepard Eye Center
910 E. Stowell Rd., Santa Maria, CA 93454
(805) 925-2637
Your health is our highest property and we truly appreciate the trust that you place in our team here at Shepard Eye Center and our affiliate locations.
Sincerely,
Kenneth Kendall, OD
CEO, Elite Eyecare Medical Group LLC
For More Information, Please Visit The Following Links:
For More Information, Please Visit The Following Links:
U.S. Centers for Disease Control Coronavirus Page
U.S. National Library of Medicine Coronavirus Page
World Health Organization Coronavirus Page