Important Notices Regarding COVID-19
Update # 11 - May 1st, 2023
Beginning Monday May 1st, we will no longer require that patients mask while in the clinic. Our staff will continue to mask in an effort to minimize risk and in an effort to stay healthy so that we are able to work without interruption from illness.
We still encourage patients to mask as the proximity of our contact over the extended duration of your appointment is a higher risk for transmission than most other medical and professional settings.
*Please note, should there be a time when we have a patient that is immunocompromised in the clinic during your appointment, we reserve the right to request that you wear a mask at your appointment for their protection. Thank you for your assistance in this regard.
Update # 10 - September 19th, 2022
With boosters and vaccines available to all, we no longer require proof of vaccination for patients. Things that we are continuing to do at this time.
Masks in the clinic are still required. We understand that this is not the case in all businesses, but as this is a healthcare facility, we will continue to follow best practices to prevent transmission and protect our patients with underlying health issues and those that are immunocompromised.
We still ask that you wash your hands and/or hand sanitize prior at the time of your arrival to our clinic.
If you are experiencing symptoms or have come in direct contact with someone that is currently COVID+, we request that you reschedule your appointment. We are happy to help you and will work to get you a time in 7-10 days such that your plan of care is not disrupted.
Update # 9 - June 14, 2021
With vaccinations available almost everywhere in the DMV area, ACRO PT is excited to begin a return to some of the “normal” that comes with it!
At this time:
Masks in the clinic will remain MANDATORY regardless of vaccine status. We feel that as vaccines are not available to those under age 12, it is our responsibility to keep parents and children that use our facility safe. At the time when all ages are eligible for the vaccine, we will re-evaluate this policy and notify you.
If you are vaccinated and have traveled, then you may attend your PT appointment without quarantining so long as you are not showing symptoms and you followed basic precautions while you traveled including: social distancing, masking in crowded indoor/travel spaces and hand-washing. We will still ask about travel on your COVID screen prior to your appointment, but this is to simply help us keep accurate records should we ever need to report/assist with contact-tracing.
Beginning July 1, 2021 we will NO LONGER be using the digital waiting room for our VACCINATED patients. We will also be dropping the temperature check for vaccinated patients on that date. At that time, if you are vaccinated (and have informed us with your dates & a photo of your vaccine card) you will be allowed to come up to your appointment at your leisure. We will have water, coffee, tea, chairs and release tools available to you for your use before or after your session. For those that are commuting to us during the workday, we will also have desk & WiFi access should you need to travel to us early or stay late to avoid traffic.
If you’re NOT VACCINATED, sorry, but you need to hang in your car until we call you up. If that sounds like a bummer, let us know & we can help you schedule a vaccine appointment or share all the benefits of being vaccinated to help you over any needle phobias. Angie (and the ACRO staff) are big believers in both medicine and science and are happy to share both with you should you ask.
We still ask that you hand wash/use sanitizer upon arrival to the clinic. We will keep the sink and the hand sanitizer station by the door for your convenience.
Update # 8 - October 12, 2020
We hope everyone is staying healthy and safe this fall. With your support and confidence in our care, ACRO PT has made it through what we hope to be the most challenging parts of this pandemic and we are eager to begin to see some return to "normal" as the months go by! Included below are clinic and scheduling updates that you'll need to know if you're booking with us in the coming weeks/months. As always, if you have any questions - don't hesitate to reach out and ask!
Telehealth Updates: Dropping the telehealth visit requirement:
Beginning on November 1, 2020, we will no longer be requiring a telehealth appointment prior to booking an in-clinic session. This requirement had been in place during Stages 1-3 of Maryland's reopening plan to ensure that the PTs (Angie & Sarah) were complying with the Maryland Department of Health requirement to minimize patient exposure and ensure safety during any non-emergent medical care (basically, all PT qualifies as non-emergent medical care). That said, we still strongly encourage our patients to book a telehealth session if you are uncomfortable coming in to the clinic or simply want to minimize your commute! We will be continuing to offer telehealth services to both our direct-pay and insurance clients moving forward.
Telehealth Updates: Cost of Telehealth
For our direct pay clients, we will be raising our telehealth rates to $65/session beginning on November 1, 2020. We made it our goal to offer exceptionally affordable rates during the early months of the pandemic when we knew that finances were tight for many. At this time, we are bringing the rates up to meet our costs so that we may continue to offer telehealth services to our patients long-term. Currently, both BCBS and Tricare are continuing to pay for telehealth services (at the contracted rate set by your specific plan) & have not indicated to us that they plan to suspend this as of yet. We are not able to set this rate for those that have deductible plans, so please understand that your deductible costs will be determined by your insurance provider - NOT ACRO PT.
Telehealth Updates: Out of State Patients
With states opening up and removing emergency mandates, our out-of-state clients using insurance may lose the ability to see us via telehealth. As physical therapists are licensed state-by-state, we are required to operate within the practice act of the state where the patient LIVES, not where ACRO is located during any telehealth session. We are checking these requirements weekly and will update you should you be affected. As always, you're more than welcome to drive to us for an in-clinic appointment as any care we provide @ ACRO PT is within Maryland's practice act, where both Sarah & Angie are licensed!
In-person appointments: COVID-19 Requirements still in effect:
With the drop in positivity and the decline in cases, the state of Maryland has released some restrictions on our practices and safety measures. Even so, we personally feel that your safety remains our top priority, so we will be maintaining ALL but the telehealth requirement at this time. The remaining requirements for in-person appointments include:
Masks must be worn at all times. No exceptions will be made. If you are unable to tolerate a mask for the duration of your treatment, you should not be attending PT sessions in-person at this time. Please note that neck gaiters, masks with valves & bandanas ARE NOT acceptable.
Our 24-hour COVID survey is still required. You will receive this in your email 24 hours prior to your appointment time. It is mandatory & we request that you fill it out well in advance of your appointment as our staff uses it to ensure that we are keeping you, our other patients and ourselves safe.
Our remote waiting room is still in use. This means that upon arrival to our building, you wait in your car for us to call you. At that time we will ask you a repeat of the symptom questions from your online screen (that you filled out 24-hours prior to your appointment) & will direct you to come up once we have cleared and cleaned a table for you.
Our $5 COVID surchage remains in effect. The cost of cleaner, PPE, additional staff training and the decreased patient volume have hit our bottom line hard. This fee goes to cover a small portion of that as your insurance nor our cash rates have increased to reflect this. We are still taking on more of these overall expenses than we are passing on to you and appreciate that you, our patients, are willing to support us as we continue to put safety over profits in the clinic.
Travel bans/exposure to COVID may require rescheduling or changing the appointment to telehealth. If you have traveled to an at-risk state (listed in the 24-hour survey) or have been potentially exposed to COVID-19, we reserve the right to reschedule your appointment or transition it to a telehealth session to keep our staff and patients safe. Thank you for your understanding.
If you feel sick, or have been around someone who is sick, please let us know so that we may reschedule/change your session to telehealth. Our cancel fee is designed to cover the cost of staff salaries/visit costs should an appointment be cancelled within 24-hours and not filled. We will do our best to be flexible such that you are not paying a fee if we are able to fill the slot or see you as a telehealth patient instead. If you have questions or need to change an appointment, you may do so online up to 24 hours in advance or by phone/email within 24 hours.
Update #7 - June 16, 2020
A note from Angie:
ACRO Physical Therapy & Fitness has taken the required steps to return to offering limited in-person appointments to our patients. As I know that you are aware, I take the health of our community, patients and staff very seriously. As the COVID-19 outbreak is still ongoing, re-opening for these appointments has required changes in sanitization, clinic equipment, staffing and protocols to ensure that ACRO PT exceeds all state & county department of health requirements.
I recognize that these changes may be perceived by some patients as an inconvenience and are not “business as usual.” Please understand that all of these policies are non-negotiable and will be maintained as written until the pandemic risk has been removed. Should you disagree with our policies and feel that you need alternate options for care at this time, I wish you well.
Thank you for your understanding and continued trust in our care. I know that this has been a tough several months for everyone. The support and encouragement that many of you have shown myself and ACRO PT during our temporary shut-down has meant more than you could ever know.
Most Sincerely,
Angie
What requirements are there for booking an in-person session?
You must have completed a telehealth session about your current injury/physical concerns within the 30-days prior to your session. This allows us to maximize the benefit of the time in-clinic and ensures that you are in need of hands-on care at this time when risk/benefit must be assessed by a licensed clinician.
You must fill out our “COVID Risk Assessment Screen” 24 hours PRIOR to your appointment. You will be emailed a link to fill this form through your patient portal with us 48 hours prior to your appointment. Please answer all the questions honestly and completely. Should it be evident that you may pose as an exposure risk, we will assist you in booking an appointment at a later time.
All patients will be charged a $5 “COVID surcharge” that is not covered by insurance. This fee will assist in covering the markedly higher costs of seeing patients during the COVID-19 outbreak. It will be paid at the time of booking and is refundable should you need to cancel your appointment.
What is being done to protect my health & safety and what will a session look like?
The volume of patients in the clinic has been dropped by > 50%. Angie and Sarah will be treating in-clinic on separate days (with their own team of support staff) and there will be no overlap to ensure that there is no “cross-exposure.” All treatment tables (there are now only 2) are > 12 feet apart and you will be the only patient in the clinic for the majority of your session.
You will wear a mask/face covering for the duration of your session. Should you arrive without a mask, we will have disposable surgical masks for purchase for $5. You will not be seen without a mask/face covering.
All of our staff will be masked. Your PT will also be wearing additional PPE (personal protective equipment) to ensure safety as physical distancing requirements cannot be maintained.
All payments will be made with non-contact use of a credit card on file. We will not be accepting cash or check at this time.
You will only come in close physical contact (< 6 feet of physical distance) with your PT. There will be an aide in the clinic to assist with cleaning, taking temperature and screening – however they will remain physically distanced from you at all times.
Appointment times will be strictly observed. Sessions will end promptly 40 minutes after the scheduled start time. Should you arrive too late for your appointment (> 15 min), you will be charged the full cost of a direct pay session ($100 + $5 COVID fee). This is not payable by insurance.
You may not bring family or friends with you to your physical therapy session. *Exception: Patients that are under 18 years of age may be accompanied by one parent/guardian.
We will be using a “virtual waiting room.” This means that when you arrive for your appointment, we ask that you please wait in your car or outside of the building until a member of our staff calls you. We will then direct you to come up to the clinic. This ensures that you can be screened and brought directly to a table as our waiting room is not large enough to meet physical distancing requirements.
When you arrive in the clinic space, you will be asked to wash and sanitize your hands at a portable sink in the clinic entry space. Our tech will then take your temperature with an infrared thermometer.We will ask you about any possible exposure and relevant symptoms. After that, we will take you directly to a table.
Your session will last 40 minutes with your PT. We will not be doing exercises, ice, heat or e-stim in clinic at this time. If Angie or Sarah has an updated home program for you, the aide will show you the new exercises briefly by demonstration & will add a PDF of instructions in your patient portal. This ensures that there is minimal overlap of patients and minimizes your contact with clinic surfaces.
The shared hall bathroom will remain unlocked during clinic hours and paper towels will be provided for hand washing (previously the women’s restroom used a hand-dryer).
All surfaces, linens and treatment equipment will be used by only you during your appointment. These items will them be appropriately sanitized using CDC/Maryland Department of Health standards between sessions.
Angie & Sarah’s schedule for the months of July & August will be available for online booking beginning June 17th (telehealth only). Sarah S (our billing manager) will be working with Angie & Sarah C to get in-person appointments scheduled after submission of a request form. Should you have any questions about the process, please email us directly at frontdesk@acropt.com
Update #6 - May 11, 2020
Without indication that a reopening would be safe, our clinic continues to remain closed to in-person treatments. We are closely monitoring the public health guidelines from the State and Federal agencies. In the meantime, our telehealth services have proven to be a valuable alternative for our patients seeking care. Thank you for your patience and your support in reducing the spread!
Update #5 - April 10, 2020
At this time, ACRO PT will be extending its closure to in-person physical therapy sessions through Sunday May 3rd. We will continue to serve our patients online with telehealth appointments, digital fitness content & programs, and online personal training. We hope to reopen during the month of May, with the support of the State of Maryland and Federal government recommendations.
UPDATE #4 - March 16, 2020
To Our Amazing Patients,
I have made the difficult decision to temporarily close ACRO Physical Therapy & Fitness beginning immediately. At this time we are cancelling all in clinic appointments through Sunday March 29th (and will re-evaluate as that date approaches). I feel it is the socially responsible decision to keep both you and our staff safe and healthy while doing our part to mitigate the transmission of COVID-19.
ACRO PT has always strived to be the best and challenge the status quo to do better. We lead by example. This moment is no different. We are first and foremost medical professionals and I cannot ignore the responsibility that we have to “first do no harm.” At this time, I feel that continuing to remain open would be irresponsible in light of the strong recommendations made by our government. I know that we are one of the first physical therapy practices to close, but I imagine that many more will follow.
While our doors may be closed, our service to this community continues.
We currently have telehealth sessions available for booking to allow you to remain connected and get care while we are all doing our part to “flatten the curve.” While we cannot treat with the hands-on care that we love through the computer, this service will provide you with the guidance to self-assess and improve the physical limitations that are holding back your fitness and daily goals. We have set the cost for the sessions at a very low rate to make it as accessible as possible while the clinic is closed.
We are also happy to provide individual fitness programs tailored to your goals that you can complete while “stuck” at home. Whether you’re looking to gain strength, flexibility or just get in better shape for beach season post-quarantine, we are ready to help. Pricing and information will be available online at www.acropt.com.
Please check out our online store for ACRO PT gear. All proceeds will help to sustain the business while we are unable to provide physical therapy sessions in the clinic. Plus, you’ll look exceptionally fashionable while sitting on your couch watching Netflix!
Please keep in touch with us via our website, clinic email and social media. We will post free content, strength challenges and daily humor to keep us all connected through the hiatus. If you’ve got the time, write us a recommendation, give us a shout out or tag yourself using the hashtag #acropt so that we can see all the fun ways you’re passing the time until we meet again.
Thank you all for all that you’ve done to support ACRO PT. We are so grateful for your trust and your continued confidence in our care!
Sincerely,
Angie & the ACRO PT staff
UPDATE #3 - March 15, 2020
Email updates (and opting out):
We apologize for the intrusion, but with the current need for quick dissemination of clinic information, we have temporarily added all patients to our ACRO PT email list. Thank you for your understanding. The goal is to ensure that all patients have access to new emergent policies, clinic information and any cancellation/closing information as soon as it becomes available.
If you feel compelled to immediately opt out, please follow these steps:
Login to your Jane Account at: https://acropt.janeapp.com/
Go to your profile
In the left column, under “My Account” click the tab “Contact Info.”
Scroll down to the bottom of the page and you will see a click box that says ‘Yes, I would like to receive clinic news, closures and….”
Unclick this box.
You will no longer receive any updates about the clinic. As such, you will be responsible for self-monitoring our website and/or social media as we won’t be able to provide any individual notifications.
Updated online booking/cancellation policy:
Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, ACRO PT is operating on a “relaxed cancellation” policy. All cancellation fees are waived at this time. Please stay home if you are ill or if you have been exposed to anyone with symptoms of any kind. We have updated the online booking site to allow online cancellations within 2 hours of your appointment time to make it more convenient.
Along those lines, any patient that arrives at the clinic with symptoms will have their appointment cancelled. We apologize for the inconvenience.
Telehealth sessions:
As an alternative to in-person appointments, ACRO PT is excited to temporarily offer telehealth sessions to allow our patients (and others who would like our expertise) to seek care without having to travel to the clinic. These sessions are bookable directly through our website and are a direct pay service only (BCBS and Tricare do not cover telehealth in the state of Maryland at this time). Sessions are priced at only $40 to ensure affordability for patients. Sessions will be available beginning Monday 3/16/2020 & will continue to be available even if the clinic should need to close.
Sessions will be approximately 30 minutes long and will allow you to talk about injury concerns, symptoms and limitations. Your therapist will then ask you to do some diagnostic tests/movements & some self-treatments. Throughout the session there will be demonstration, education and the opportunity to ask questions. After the session, your PT will create a specific exercise program and send you the PDF so that you can continue to progress at home.
Please note: You will need a Skype username that we can use to reach you for your session. You will be sent an intake form specifically for your telehealth session so that we have all relevant information in advance. Please fill it out in advance to ensure that you get the most out of your session.
Book online at: https://acropt.janeapp.com/
Updated online booking requirements:
With the goal of decreasing the need for person-to-person interaction, all booking will now require a credit card on file. This change will be most apparent for those that book online as you will be asked to input one the next time you book.
This will allow us to check you in for your appointment remotely, thus decreasing the need for direct contact with our front desk staff. Should you prefer to pay with cash or check, we will honor this, however our system will still require a credit card on file.
Your credit card WILL NOT BE CHARGED until you check in for your appointment. Our system complies with all PCI safety and compliance standards & your personal information is safe within the system.
Clinic closure:
It is likely that in near future it may become appropriate to close the clinic should the COVID-19 outbreak continue to worsen. At that time, we will manually cancel all appointments and notify you using the Jane email update for appointment cancellations if you were scheduled. Online booking will shift to a telehealth only option and we will send out a mass email with the best information that we have at the time about the length of the closure.
If you would like to continue your care with our telehealth option, you will need to go online and book manually. We will not automatically transition appointments to telehealth as we realize that this service may not appeal to all of our clientele.
UPDATE #2 - March 12, 2020
At ACRO PT we understand the responsibility that we have to keep our patients & staff safe. As always, we are following strict hygiene and infection control protocols in the clinic.
Along with additional precautions, we:
Always clean all surfaces & equipment between each patient use.
Have plenty of hand sanitizer and soap available.
Do not allow our staff to come to work sick.
Have waived our cancellation policy to ensure that patients stay away if they are ill.
Furthermore, we ask that any patients that have recently traveled overseas, traveled to a state or city that has been deemed “high risk,” or been exposed to a confirmed COVID-19 case to hold off coming in to the clinic for 14 days.
As a small business, we are able to minimize your exposure due to a lower volume of patients. With 45 minute one on one care, there is less overlap between patient sessions. Our tables are >6 feet apart and we use curtains to maintain privacy and minimize the spread of droplets between rooms. Furthermore, the clinic will only have a maximum of 9-10 people present at any given time (including our staff of 5-6).
We will continue to follow the advise of the CDC & the Maryland Department of Health and update you on any changes that occur in the clinic due to their recommendations. Should it become necessary, we will temporarily close - we do value patient safety above financial gain.
UPDATE #1 - March 6, 2020
Physical Therapy requires close contact (within 6 feet) between patients and staff and so it has always been our business practice to provide a clean, safe and welcoming space for treatment. With the announcement of 3 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state of Maryland on Thursday, we wanted to share the policies that help to ensure the safety of our patients & staff.
We clean all of our equipment after each patient use, provide hand sanitizer throughout the clinic space and use cleaning/treatment products that prevent the growth of bacteria, viruses and fungi. Each patient has their own table and treatment space for the duration of their session. And we do not allow our staff to come to work sick.
We are taking additional steps at this time to further ensure your safety and comfort:
1. Our cancel policy is currently being waived for illness:
If you feel sick or exhibit any symptoms, please call our office to cancel your appointment. There will be no fee for any illness-related cancellations.
2. Our cleaning protocols are posted in the clinic for transparency:
If you want to know more about how we are protecting our patients, do not hesitate to ask us! We are proud of our policies and our standards of cleanliness.