Here at Eastern Radiologists, the health and safety of our community is our fundamental concern. With the increased level of uncertainty, we want to reassure you that we are taking the necessary precautions to ensure the safety of our patients and staff. By actively monitoring Coronavirus (COVID-19) throughout eastern North Carolina, we can make the appropriate adaptations to keep our practice a safe place for patients. We are continuously evaluating the most recent developments concerning COVID-19 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the NC Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS), and UNC Health.

We are working tirelessly to provide a clean and safe imaging center for all of eastern North Carolina. By regularly caring for patients who are sick, we are accustomed to working diligently and taking extra sanitation precautions. Disease prevention has always been and will continue to be at the forefront of our minds. At this moment, we have increased our sanitation procedures, initiated screening questionnaires for all patients, and are social distancing. Listed below are specifics of our efforts to ensure the safety of our community.

Pre-Registration Questionnaire

All patients and visitors who are entering our imaging center are asked health and travel screening questions before their appointment. Patients and visitors will be asked:

• Have you traveled outside of the U.S. in the last 30 days?
• Have you traveled from China, Iran, South Korea, Europe or any “hotspots” within the U.S. in the last 14 days?
• Have you had close contact with a person with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 in the last 14 days and have symptoms?
• Do you have a fever of 100 degrees or higher and or symptoms of respiratory illness (e.g cough or difficult breathing)?
• Are you currently undergoing cancer treatment or are you immunocompromised?

This questionnaire will help us determine if the patient’s imaging needs can safely be performed at our center. In the interest of the safety and welfare of our patients and staff, we are requesting that there be a limit of one visitor accompanying our patients.

Cleaning and Sanitation

In efforts to keep our practice sanitary for all patients, we disinfect our imaging equipment after every patient. This includes but is not limited to, examination tables, imaging stations, and equipment used by our staff. At this time, our staff is taking extra measures to disinfect common surfaces such as tabletops, lobby chairs, door handles, and bathroom areas. Our staff is using industry approved cleaning solutions to ensure we are taking all necessary precautions to keep our community safe. Additionally, our imaging centers are professionally cleaned each night to maximize our disinfecting efforts.

Every staff member in our facility is required to conduct frequent hand washing. All staff members have received additional training related to proper hand washing techniques and use of hand sanitizer. Staff members have access to adequate personal protective equipment (PPE).

Staff Health

Please keep in mind that this is a challenging time for all of our staff members. As we are working relentlessly to keep our community healthy, we are also keeping in mind our own safety. All of our staff are continuing to practice self-judgment when it comes to their health and well-being. If any of our staff believes they are experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms, they are not permitted to come into work. We understand the importance of being proactive when it comes to disease prevention. By taking these preventative measures, we can help reduce the impact of COVID-19 and continue to support the health of our community.

Understand Your Risk

We want to assure you that our staff is taking all the necessary precautions to keep our practice clean and safe for our patients. If you have an upcoming appointment and are experiencing a fever of 100 degrees or higher or answered ‘yes’ to any of the above questions in our Pre-Registration Questionnaire, please call our office at 252.752.5000. If you are at risk, we want to work with you to reschedule your appointment. We also ask that you please contact your primary care provider to inquire about the urgency of your exam. With regard to annual screening examinations such as screening mammograms, low-dose CT lung cancer screenings, and ultrasound screening exams of the aorta, it may be beneficial to postpone these appointments at this time. Please note, that if there is any confusion or uncertainty about your upcoming appointment, do not hesitate to contact us. We are here to help keep our community healthy and safe.

Eastern Radiologists is proud to be a partner in your health for over 65 years. We remain dedicated to providing excellent care for all of eastern North Carolina and are devoted to keeping our center a clean and safe place for patients. If you have any questions about your upcoming appointment, do not hesitate to call 252.752.5000. We want to thank you for your patience and understanding during this time.