March 31, 2020

Dear Parents and Families,

We are grateful for your trust and the opportunity to care for the children in your life; we are honored to be a part of your family. As we are all confronted by the COVID-19 pandemic, I wanted to update you on the constantly evolving situation as well as to assure you of our ongoing availability to help as we all navigate the current challenges. It is critically important to receive information from reliable sources (CDC, AAP, etc.) to avoid being influenced by misinformation.  Quality sites include www.cdc.gov and www.healthychildren.org (AAP).

The public health priorities continue to include:

  • social distancing (minimum of 6 feet), 

  • covering cough/sneeze with tissue or one’s elbow, 

  • careful handwashing (for minimum of 20 seconds with soap/water, or using alcohol-based hand sanitizer/allow to dry completely), 

  • keeping hands away from face, 

  • working/studying remotely from home.  

Undergirding all of this, enough rest, balanced nutrition, exercise, fresh air/sunshine, and being mindful of mental stress are all also important.

As has been the case, we continue to be open on each weekday as well as on Saturday mornings, along with one of our providers being available “on call” (for urgent medical issues that arise when the office is closed).  We are available to assist with illnesses/other concerns as well as to see patients for well visits (particularly those infants and young children who need important immunizations).  Depending upon the clinical situation, we can utilize telemedicine/virtual visits to advise on certain issues, but this may not alleviate the need for an in-person office visit.  

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have needed to change some of our office schedules and procedures.  It would be best to call the office (610-896-8582) before coming (for any reason).  To minimize potential exposure among patients and to our staff, we have widely separated “sick” and “well child” visit times to prevent overlap in the office.  Additionally, we have dedicated exam rooms for only sick patients and have continued to take all necessary sanitary precautions; providers and staff are wearing appropriate protective equipment as indicated for each patient situation. 

To ensure your safety and the safety of others, all parents, before coming for an office visit, will be asked the following screening questions:

  • Does your child (or any family member) have a fever, cough, or shortness of breath/difficulty breathing (beyond what you normally experience)?  

  • Have you (or any family member) been recently diagnosed with COVID-19 infection (confirmed by a positive COVID-19 test)?   

  • Have you been recommended for social isolation or quarantine because of (1) exposure to a patient with the confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19, or (2) having lived in an area where COVID-19 is particularly problematic (e.g., New York City, New Orleans, etc.)?

  • Were you recently tested for COVID-19 and are still awaiting results?  

Should the answer to any of these screening questions be “yes”, then we will ask that you remain at home and telephone the office to allow us to follow currently established guidelines to avoid potential exposure to other patients as well as the providers in our office. It would also be useful to know the nature of any illness to plan for possible office arrival. 

We are closely monitoring this constantly evolving situation and will provide additional updates, as necessary. Should you have any questions or additional concerns, please do not hesitate to contact our office.

We are all one family community.

Sincerely,

Frank H. King, Jr. M.D.