photo caption: Upstream Rehabilitation physical therapist Katie Abebe provides care to a patient using new PPE procedures the company has put in place in response to the COVID 19 pandemic. (Photo courtesy of Upstream Rehabilitation)

Upstream Rehabilitation, Birmingham, Alabama, announces that it has adopted stringent health and safety steps in each of its nearly 800 outpatient physical and occupational therapy clinics in 25 states.

The new guidelines, under the banner of “Clean, Safe & Ready,” are part of Upstream’s continued efforts to ensure patient safety in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, it notes in a media release.

“Providing a safe and clean environment in our clinics has always been an essential part of Upstream’s commitment to delivering industry-exceeding healthcare to our patients,” Dave Van Name, president and CEO of Upstream, says in the release. “In this new environment, we’re taking every precaution so that in-clinic patients can focus on their treatment with peace of mind.”

Among the guidelines, Upstream clinics are:

  • Practicing hand hygiene in accordance with U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines;
  • Cleaning and sanitizing all rooms, equipment, furniture and tools used between each patient session;
  • Screening all patients and staff each day for symptoms of COVID-19, including temporally scanning temperatures;
  • Requiring all staff members to wear a mask/face covering and encouraging patients to do the same;
  • Separating patients and staff with a clear plastic shield at check-in areas;
  • Permitting only patients in the waiting area; patient guests are asked to remain in their vehicles;
  • Practicing social-distance guidelines when not delivering hands-on care.

Additional safety measures and procedures would be adopted as required by individual states, Van Name adds.

Meanwhile, for patients who are unable or unwilling to visit a clinic, Upstream offers telehealth, which allows patients to start or continue therapy from the comfort and safety of their homes via video conference.

Upstream operates physical and occupational therapy clinics in the following states: Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Washington.

These clinics are part of its family of 22 brands, including BenchMark Physical Therapy, Drayer Physical Therapy Institute, and SERC Physical Therapy.

[Source(s): Upstream Rehabilitation, PR Newswire]