To Our Patients,

As part of our ongoing efforts to communicate with our patients during this critical time period, we wanted to share several updates since our last correspondence and hope that you and your families continue to remain healthy and safe.

The past several weeks have marked a challenging time for each of us, as we deal with unprecedented actions and new ways to go about our daily activities. During this time, our focus is on our patients and we remain committed to servicing the needs of our patient population during this time of crisis.  While we do not know how long these conditions will last, we have taken multiple steps to ensure that we continue to remain available for all of our patients, and do so in the safest way possible.

Our goal is to continue to balance the need to assist all of our patient population, including those who suffer in pain and require manual therapy or stimulation which can only be performed in a clinic setting, while also offering TeleHealth services to assist patients as a temporary means to deliver care and also relieve any added burden to the health system. We continue to monitor directives from Governor Tom Wolf and Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine, who detail in their most recent update dated March 30^th that individuals are allowed to perform tasks essential to maintain health and safety, which includes visiting a healthcare professional, as well as travel to a life-sustaining business such as Excel Physical Therapy.

As of Monday, March 30, 2020, all of our Excel clinics have reopened under new safety protocols, in which our physical therapists are available to perform in-clinic treatment and we are currently accepting calls and scheduling appointments for patient visits. These protocols include new precautionary safety measures and implementation of patient screening areas that meet and exceed the recommended guidelines from OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) and the CDC (Centers for Disease Control). A list of our specific measures is included in this email and can be found on our website in our COVID-19 information section. Our website also includes a short video which details the new process a patient will experience upon visiting our clinics.

We have also introduced a new TeleHealth service as of Monday, March 30, 2020, to accommodate patients who may be unable to visit a clinic setting, or for higher-risk patients, such as those over age 65, or those who are immunocompromised, to obtain treatment until such time that they are able to obtain in-clinic therapy. Many insurance providers have recently relaxed their requirements to allow for payment and wider use of TeleHealth Services. The Services area of our website provides additional details about TeleHealth, its ease of use, as well as insurance coverages, length of treatment sessions and the differences between TeleHealth and In-Clinic visits. Please contact any of our clinics directly to learn more and see if TeleHealth is the right choice to achieve your recovery goals.

Our website is a valuable tool to obtain the latest updates regarding COVID-19 Information, TeleHealth, Excel Physical Therapy News, Videos and resources to locate and contact any of our 33 area clinics, or to submit a request for an Appointment or Online Inquiry via our Contact Us page. We also invite you to visit and Like our Excel Physical Therapy Facebook Page which is updated daily with important resources and information.

Effective March 30, 2020, Excel Physical Therapy has implemented the following Clinic Precautions to ensure patient safety:

• All staff will be screened prior to entering the clinic daily (temperature and symptom screening)
• All patients will be screened prior to each clinic visit. A patient screening station will be established at each of our clinics to assess for risk of contact exposure or symptoms prior to entry. Should we identify any risk, the appointment will be rescheduled.
• We strongly recommend all patients wear a mask or face covering to their appointment, in accordance with CDC guidelines
• Each physical therapist will only schedule 1 in clinic patient per hour.
• Only half of our staff will be in the clinic at one time, with no overlap in schedules
• Each physical therapist will be required to utilize Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) while treating patients
• All equipment, common areas, entry and exit doors and access areas will be sanitized hourly
• All highly touched items (coffee, food, magazines) will be removed from the waiting area
• Community water stations will be closed and considered off limits
• Any patient over the age of 65, or those with a compromised immune system or other high risk ailment, will be encouraged to speak with their physician and physical therapist for proper guidance as to whether it is recommended to attend in-clinic therapy,  utilize TeleHealth, or postpone treatment to a later date.
• Patient waiting areas will have chairs separated, as will the gym area, so as to continue to maintain the practice of physical distance
• All therapeutic areas will continue to be sanitized before, during and after each patient

We look forward to continuing to serve you and will share additional updates as we progress in this unprecedented time period. Please do not hesitate to contact us at 866-883-9235 if we can be of further assistance and thank you for your continued trust.

Sincerely,
Kristin Mullen, CEO
Excel Physical Therapy