We have transitioned to Phase 3!
— JULY 1, 2021 —
Well done British Columbians! We are almost back to normal life 😀 But there is a little ways to go yet.
We have now transitioned to a Communicable Disease Prevention Plan (CDPP) from our previous COVID-19 Safety Plan; however, many processes and guidelines remain unclear at this time, and we are awaiting further clarification from WorkSafeBC, the College of Physical Therapists of BC, the Physiotherapy Association of BC, and the Provincial Health Officer.
As such, we are continuing with most of our previous COVID-19 Clinic Safety Protocols to ensure the continued safety of our clients, community, and clinic team. Accounting for variations in vaccination rates and dosages (i.e. those with 1 dose vs both doses), the highly variable risks factors within our clientele (age, comorbidities, etc), and the potential for spikes in case numbers in Phase 3 and/or spread of COVID-19 variants is important to us.
There are two changes worth noting…
- We are no longer requiring COVID-19 Health Screens before each appointment
- The front door will no longer be kept locked, which means no more waiting outside!
More updates over the coming weeks!
❤️ Team Dockside Physio
— MAY 16, 2020 —
The moment we (and many other businesses) have been waiting for, the grand re-opening is near! We are scheduled to re-open this coming Thursday, May 21st! We are busy finalizing protocols and creating resources for our new and existing clients. Look out for these in the coming days 😀
TeleRehab/E-Physio appointments will continue to be offered online, so if you prefer this medium, don’t fret! This will not be shut down come Thursday… we foresee this as being a permanent service and we’ve actually had a blast with it!
Chat soon!
❤️ Team Dockside Physio
— MAY 6, 2020 —
Oh wow, time has flown since we last provided an update!
It was announced today that priority services such as dental care, physiotherapy and chiropractic, scheduled surgeries, outpatient services, diagnostic testing and imaging services will be able to “reboot” starting May 19th! 🙌
This is all the info we have at this time as we await word from our physiotherapy regulatory body, the College of Physical Therapists of BC. They are in the process of finalizing guidelines that we will follow going forwards to ensure safe practice.
We’ll keep everyone posted here and on our Instagram and Facebook channels as things develop.
Thanks so much again for you support and patience during this crazy time. We hope everyone has remained healthy and continues to do so!
❤️ Team Dockside Physio
— MARCH 28, 2020 —
Insurance company updates!
Canada Life is now offering coverage for TeleHealth services provided by physiotherapists, as well as Sun Life as mentioned previously. We are unable to direct bill at this time, but we are hoping this option comes soon.
Pacific Blue Cross is now also covering TeleHealth appointments for physiotherapy, but only for subsequent visits (i.e. people who already have a treatment plan underway for a particular issue). Hopefully this changes soon to new assessments too! At least we are able to direct bill 😀
Green Shield and SSQ Assurance now also cover physiotherapy TeleHealth appointments and allow us to bill directly. No catch here! (which is nice)
We have been having some glitches with Jane Video Chat (and occasionally Doxy.me), so we are contemplating making the jump to Zoom Healthcare. Again, we’ll keep everyone posted.
👍
— MARCH 23, 2020 —
We launched out TeleRehab/E-Physio service today! Feel free to book-in at your convenience.
A note on insurance coverage:
- ICBC has approved client coverage for TeleHealth services provided by Physiotherapists until March 31, 2020, whereby they will then re-evaluate the current situation.
- MSP is not offering coverage for TeleHealth services provided by Physiotherapists 🙁
- The only private insurer so far to confirm they will cover Physiotherapy TeleHealth services is Sun Life, but we are unable to direct bill yet as there is a glitch in their system – those with Sun Life will need to self-submit currently (should not be for long though)
As for the length of our clinic closure, this is still a big “who knows?”. Health Minister Adrian Dix made a statement today that physical distancing and other measures are expected to last until the end of April in BC, so it looks like it will definitely be until then.
— MARCH 19, 2020 —
Hello Vic West and our surround community!
Thank you to everyone for your understanding as Autumn and Breanna called and emailed to cancel your appointments over the past couple of days 🙌
We are working on finalizing our TeleHealth/Rehab platform and trying to put other systems in place to support this service to make it as smooth as we can. We plan to launch on Monday March 23, 2020.
A big concern for people is whether their private health plans (e.g. Canada Life, Manulife, Blue Cross, etc) will cover this new service. As of right now, there are NO health plans offering to cover any sort of TeleHealth/Rehab offered by Physiotherapists… but discussions are underway. We are hoping to have an answer within the next few days.
With regards to ICBC and WorkSafeBC, ICBC has not made a statement yet but WorkSafeBC has and they are willing to cover appointments. We have informed WorkSafeBC that we have closed our physical location so our next step is to contact the Case Managers for each injury claim to discuss treatment plans and end dates.
That’s it for now. Feel free to reach out to us anytime via phone at 250-590-5840 or email at info(at)docksidephysio.com.
You can also follow us on Instagram and Facebook (we are usually a little quicker at posting on our social media)
— MARCH 17, 2020 —
Based on the recommendation set-out by the BC Medical Officer and the Physiotherapy Association of BC, we have decided to close our doors to protect the public and our clinic team. Definitely a tough day for everyone 😔
This page has been created to provide our current and potential new clients with updates about what is going on and our plans moving ahead.
Please check back here at your convenience (but daily might be a good idea!) to stay in the know.
We apologize if there are periods of silence along the way as we work to figure things out 🤔, but we PROMISE to see you again soon (most likely in an online format).
Good vibes to you and your friends and family. Stay positive and healthy!
❤️ Team Dockside Physio
