To the Haber Dermatology Patient Community:

We are now ending our second week after reopening!

We have been following our previously stated COVID-19 safety protocols, and I’m pleased to report that everything has gone smoothly. I am most appreciative of the cooperation we have been getting from our patients regarding waiting in your car, wearing masks, and following our social distancing guidelines.

We are also very excited to report that as of this Monday, May 18, our esthetician services will be starting up again, following Governor DeWine’s reopening process.

Many esthetician services require access to the entire face, and thus make wearing a face mask not possible. Our esthetician Jill will be wearing an N95 mask and other appropriate PPE during all procedures, and our patients will be expected to wear a face covering except for the duration of the facial treatment itself.

We are also now able to offer cosmetic procedures that require facial access, such as fillers, laser hair removal, and microneedling, following the same safety protocols.

And as a reminder, all staff and patients will be screened prior to entering the facility to identify COVID-19 risk factors.

We may need to change protocols at any time, based on changing rules or our comfort level and experience.

Call our regular number at 216-932-5200 to schedule your in-person or teledermatology visits or talk with a medical assistant.
 
Stay safe!
 
Sincerely,
Robert Haber, MD

To the Haber Dermatology Patient Community:

As most of you are probably aware, Governor DeWine announced on April 27th that medical practices may reopen as of May 1, but with changes intended to minimize the spread of COVID-19.

We have been working on re-entry protocols for a few weeks already, and we are pleased that our safety protocols meet or exceed those mandated by the government. We will take all steps to ensure that we are a COVID-protected facility.\

A COVID-19 Protected Facility Means:
 

• Patients will be contacted prior to their appointment and will be asked relevant COVID-19 screening questions. It is important that patients provide accurate information. If necessary, we will reschedule your appointment, for your safety as well as ours.
• Unless absolutely necessary, we ask that you come to the office alone, and we will ask you to wait in your car until called to come inside.
• All patients must wear a mask to enter our facility, and all of us will be wearing masks as well.
• Upon arrival, we will check your temperature and again ask screening questions. For patients who must use the waiting room, it has been reconfigured for social distancing. In addition, acrylic cough and sneeze barriers have been placed at the reception and checkout areas.
• We are designating one staff member as Safety Monitor. Her job is to ensure that throughout your visit, social distancing is maintained, and masks are worn.
• We routinely use relevant health histories and daily temperature monitoring of all clinic staff and patients as part of our strategy to prevent contagion. Additionally, and where available, we follow all government guidelines on use of testing to monitor staff.
• We use suitable equipment/PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) as recommended by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) or another equivalent governmental agency.
• In addition to using proper PPE and meticulous hand sanitizing, we use appropriate cleansing, disinfecting and sterilization procedures throughout the office/clinic, specifically, all chairs, exam rooms and all surfaces will be sanitized after every patient encounter. We also use proper waste disposal methods for any materials that could be contaminated.
• We will advise patients of hand washing protocols in the office/clinic and how to change gloves, gown and masks.
• Our staff have received additional training with regards to proper COVID-19 infection control methods
• Whenever possible and preferred, we will continue to offer teledermatology visits as well.
• Very importantly, during our hair transplantation procedures, Dr. Haber is the one performing the surgical steps of your procedure, rather than delegating it to unlicensed technicians.

These protocols will remain in place until health and safety experts declare that the risk has passed. Until then, this will be our new normal!

Call our regular number at 216-932-5200 to schedule your in-person or teledermatology visits or talk with a medical assistant.
 

Stay safe!

Sincerely, 
Robert Haber, MD

To the Haber Dermatology Patient Community:

We are midway through our first week of lockdown. Our office has remained open for urgent visits, and we have conducted a number of teledermatology visits successfully.

Our physical office hours are reduced, and will be determined each week by the types and number of face-to-face visits that are required.

Our phones are being answered, and we have medical assistants available to handle lab results and prescription refills.

If you are obtaining medications for any reason, please remember that most pharmacies are offering free delivery to your home. While pharmacies are still open, they are where the sickest people will be, so take advantage of delivery if possible.

Also take advantage of grocery store delivery options as well. While we do not know the true long term impact of coronavirus, I recommend taking the lockdown order seriously and staying home as much as possible.

We will not know until very close to April 6 whether the lockdown order will be lifted or extended. We will do our best to contact everyone promptly either way.

Call our regular number at 216-932-5200 to schedule your in-person or teledermatology visits or talk with a medical assistant.
 
Stay safe!

Sincerely, 
Robert Haber, MD

As you have all heard by now, Ohio will begin a period of lockdown as of Monday evening to help further slow the spread of COVID-19. We have chosen to respect the spirit of the new order by initiating changes beginning Monday morning. That means that no non-essential visits will be seen in person for at least the next two weeks.

The office will be open for urgent visits only. All other patients can be seen via a teledermatology visit using your phone or computer.

While only Medicare and a limited number of private providers have agreed to reimburse for these visits, we will see all patients via teledermatology, and fight the insurance companies later if necessary. Whatever it takes, we will make sure your dermatology needs are taken care of.

Anyone with a diagnosis of melanoma or squamous cell carcinoma will be seen in the office or referred for surgery elsewhere as appropriate. Treatment of all basal cell carcinomas can safely be postponed for several weeks at least.

Patients on Accutane must be seen virtually to receive additional prescriptions. Females on Accutane who require a negative pregnancy test will be contactedby our staff with instructions.

Other urgent skin problems that might require an in-office visit include painful or blistering skin eruptions, actively bleeding skin lesions, and potential melanomas. Consider first scheduling a virtual visit, as in some cases treatment can be started without a face to face visit.

Call our regular number at 216-932-5200 to schedule your in person or teledermatology visits or talk with a medical assistant.

We appreciate your cooperation and understanding. Most importantly, stay safe!

Sincerely,
Robert Haber, MD

To the Haber Dermatology Patient Community:

As of today, medical offices have NOT been asked to stop seeing patients. Thus we are still open for business. Patients at higher risk of complications from COVID-19, in particular elderly patients, should consider postponing office visits.

Fortunately, Medicare will for the time being allow and reimburse telemedicine evaluations. This means you can use Skype on your phone or computer, and have a live encounter with me personally to look at a skin issue or discuss a problem. We are hopeful that private insurers will also allow these virtual visits.

If you wish to take advantage of this, please call the office and request a virtual teledermatology visit. Our staff will give you instructions on creating a Skype account if you do not have one, then initiate a Skype call to get started. Next, one of our medical assistants will contact you by Skype to take your history and begin the visit. Finally, I will call you, at which time you may use your phone or computer camera to show me your skin condition.
 

This is new to us as well, so we will try to make it as efficient as possible, but please be patient as we all learn how to best use teledermatology. Obviously any lesions that need to be removed or treated will require an office visit.
 

We will send out another update if private insurance companies also agree to allow virtual visits. In the event your insurance company will not reimburse these and you still desire a virtual visit, you may choose to pay directly for such a visit by visiting Dermatologist On Call.

Create an account, search for my name, and follow the instructions.

Thank you for helping us keep our community healthy and our office safe.

Sincerely yours,
Robert Haber, MD

 To the Haber Dermatology Patient Community:

As we are all aware, the Coronavirus situation changes daily. We continue to follow CDC recommendations, and will follow any orders from the Governor’s office. 

We are not considered a high volume venue, as we do not have large numbers of people at our office at any one time. We have made modifications to our waiting room and protocols to facilitate social distancing. 

Upon arrival at our office, you will be asked about current illness and recent travel. We will ask you to reschedule if appropriate. If you wish, you may stay in your car in the parking lot while awaiting your appointment. If so, please call the reception staff and give them your cell phone number when you arrive. You will be called when an exam room is available for your visit. 

At Haber Dermatology, Inc., the health and safety of our patients and staff is our top priority. We have instituted a more frequent disinfecting schedule, have ordered additional sanitizing stations, and will be screening all patients and staff for active illness. 

If you have any flu-like symptoms or have been in contact with someone who may have been exposed to the virus, please stay home and seek medical care. Our staff is following this protocol as well. 

Additional information may also be found on the CDC website.

Thank you for helping us keep our community healthy and our office safe. 

Sincerely yours, 
Robert Haber, MD 

 To the Haber Dermatology Patient Community:

We are following the coronavirus outbreak carefully, and taking all recommended precautions seriously. At Haber Dermatology, Inc., the health and safety of our patients and staff is our top priority. We have instituted a more frequent disinfecting schedule, have ordered additional sanitizing stations, and will be screening all patients and staff for active illness. 

As concerns about COVID-19 grow, we are following the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and taking precautions to ensure our patients and staff stay safe and healthy. 

The current recommendation by the CDC is to take the basic preventive steps taken during previous flu outbreaks including: 

•  Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. 

•  Avoid touching eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands. 

•  Avoid contact with people who are sick. 

•  Stay home when sick. 

•  Cover coughs or sneezes with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash. 

•  Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects or surfaces. 

If you have any flu-like symptoms or have been in contact with someone who may have been exposed to the virus, please stay home and seek medical care. We have encouraged our staff to follow this protocol. 

Additional information may also be found on the CDC website 

 Thank you for helping us keep our community healthy and our office safe. 

Sincerely yours, 
Robert Haber, MD 

At Haber Dermatology, Inc the health and safety of our patients and staff is our top priority. We have instituted a more frequent disinfecting schedule, ordered additional sanitization stations, and will be screening all patients and staff for illness.

At this time Haber Dermatology remains open. We are not considered a high volume venue, as we do not have large numbers of people in our office at any one time. We have made modifications to our waiting room and protocols to facilitate social distancing.

We are following all recommendations of the CDC and the Ohio Department of Health.

Haber Dermatology is checking the temperatures of staff and patients every day. Every patient will be screened upon arrival. If you have a temperature greater than 100 degrees, you will be asked to reschedule.

Patients may remain in their car if they wish until we are ready to take them directly to an exam room. Call the office upon your arrival. If you are at high risk for complications from COVID-19, please consider postponing your appointment or taking advantage of the telehealth option.  We are offering Telemedicine Visits to minimize the risk of contact. Please call the office to schedule an appointment.

Employees will not report to work if ill.

Additional information may also be found at:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Ohio Department of Health