The Saskatchewan Government announced the plan to re-open Saskatchewan on April 24 at 11am. We are so grateful to have been included in Phase 1 and Phase 2 with the services provided at the clinic. Many of our clients and community members reached out and flooded us with calls, emails, and messages asking what the plan was. We are happy to have an initial first announcement of our re-opening plans available.
Waiting patiently for the regulations from our licensing bodies after the announcement was difficult but necessary to ensure that we are able to meet the required protocol changes at the clinic in order to re-open. We will continue to monitor the requirements, as they are continually changing as well!
We will note that at this time we are still awaiting guidelines for the Massage Services. Once we have this information we will evaluate the ability to provide services and what the time line looks like. At this time all counselling and nutrition services will remain virtual services only as well.
Slow and Steady
We have been working diligently since the announcement to procure personal protective equipment (PPE) and creating policies and procedures to ensure that we meet, 
and exceed, the standards set. The health and safety of our clients, community, and staff are of the utmost importance. We are taking this re-opening seriously, ensuring that we are moving slowly, making significant adjustments, and allowing for as much physical distancing as we can allow.
This being said, physiotherapy and massage are a hands-on in-person appointment. If you are coming into the clinic we will be unable to maintain physical distancing. Having appropriate PPE and sanitization protocols between each client is how we will be mitigating the risk of the inability to maintain social distancing. We have been providing telehealth appointments to our current client base for over a month, and we are confident in the quality of the service that can be provided remotely to our clients. With the indication that physical distancing options are still considered the best options we will continue to have a primary focus on telehealth options. Telehealth services will remain a permanent offering at the clinic and will be utilized extensively during this time of re-opening in combination with in-person appointments as needed.
Just because we are permitted to re-open doesn’t mean it will be back to business as usual for us. There are going to be some significant changes moving forward, and some of these changes may remain well into the future.
What to Expect
Prior to booking an appointment you will be asked to complete a screening tool to determine the best-fit assessment/treatment option. This will help us to determine who is going to be seen in-person and who is ideal to be seen remotely. Having strict guidelines will ensure that everyone will receive the most appropriate and safest option for booking at this time. Once you have been deemed appropriate for in-clinic care you can expect to see the following measures in place:
- Everyone will receive a COVID screening questionnaire via email prior to their appointment
- Clients will be asked to wait in their vehicle and not come into the building until after your therapist calls you; they will ask you the screening questions again prior to entering the building
- Should a client not pass the screening questionnaire they will not be permitted in the building
- It is paramount for the health and safety of our staff and community that everyone answer the questions truthfully
- Prior to entering the building please put on your face mask
- Upon entering the building the client will sanitize hands appropriately
- Your therapist will have all appropriate PPE in place and has been trained and tested on their ability to don and doff PPE
- The therapist will guide you as to what PPE is required of you prior to your appointment
- At the end of the appointment you will be able to pay online, or utilize the tap function on the machine at the clinic
- Please do not attend an appointment if you are feeling sick or unwell
- At this time the clinic will not be providing public washroom use
- We are encouraging anyone who has the option to come alone to please do so, however, we understand that there are some limitations to this
- If the client must come with additional individuals, the COVID questionnaire needs to be filled out for each person attending the facility
How we are protecting you
In addition to our usually stringent cleaning protocols, personal hygiene, and overall cleanliness, we at Warman Physio want you to know some of the additional measures we will be taking:
- The door will be locked between clients to reduce the amount of foot traffic in the clinic
- Contact us via phone (306-373-9355) or email (info@warmanphysio.com) to discuss booking an appointment
- Clinicians will be completing the COVID questionnaire prior to coming into the clinic and will be unable to work if they are unsuccessful at completing it
- Proper PPE has been procured and will be utilized appropriately throughout the appointment
- All staff and therapists will be trained and tested in their ability to don and doff PPE properly and can instruct their clients in appropriate usage as well
- The therapists are spreading out appointments to allow for physical distancing; there will be no overlap in clients in the clinic to allow for a complete sanitization of the common spaces
- This may lead to some delays despite planning in advance and providing additional time between appointments, please be patient as we figure out the best practices!
- All unnecessary items will be removed from the counter surfaces
- We are only allowing scheduling of therapists at specific times and in specific combinations to allow for physical distancing
- This may mean that until further notice that you may not be able to schedule appointments with different providers back to back as we are typically accustomed
- At this time there is a significant increase in required PPE to provide appointments for TMJ and pelvic health. As such these appointments will not be appropriate for in-clinic care at this time
Cautiously Optimistic
We cannot express enough how much providing care to our community and returning to in-person services means to us. We have been missing the connection and interaction that comes with in-clinic care. Of course we hope that the re-opening of Saskatchewan goes smoothly and we are able to maintain a controlled spread; and we understand the role that we play in making this dream a reality. Should there be indication or recommendation that we must again eliminate in-clinic care we of course will follow any and all recommendations. Knowing that our community supports us in our slow re-opening has been a huge weight lifted off our shoulders and for this we will be forever grateful.
