Physical Therapy Practice during COVID-19 Outbreak; Info & Resources
Last Updated 2/8/2021
The response to the COVID-19 outbreak is evolving rapidly, with mandatory measures and guidance being published daily at the local, state and national levels, we strongly encourage you to follow the links below frequently for updated information as things change.
PRACTITIONER VACCINATION
At this time, all health care practitioners are already eligible to receive the vaccine, and Oregon is currently implementing phase 1b of the Oregon sequencing plan, which includes childcare providers, early learning
and K-12 educators and staff and, beginning today, February 8th, persons age 80 and older. Individuals eligible under phase 1a continue to be eligible to receive the vaccine as new groups are added.
The best ongoing source of information from OHA regarding the vaccine distribution and to register for the vaccine via the link below:
Other ways to get information on the vaccine and vaccination registration:
Text ORCOVID to 898211
Email ORCOVID@211info.org
Call 211
Please also be sure your contact information, including current work location is up to date in the licensee portal so we have clear information about where licensees are currently located in order to support the distribution efforts.
PATIENT VACCINATION
The Oregon Health Authority is also requesting assistance in getting information out to individuals, especially seniors, on what to expect and how to get vaccinated, and to help manage expectations about the timing and availability of appointments, especially over the next several months as demand exceeds supply. They have put together the following document to assist in answering questions your patients may have:
OHA_Partner_Toolkit_2.4.21.pdf
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GUIDANCE FOR PRACTICE
The Governor has issued several Executive Orders relating to the Pandemic. Licensees are expected to comply with all applicable requirements of the orders and related OHA guidance, relevant to the specific care setting and type of procedure.
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Executive Orders pertaining to declared public health emergency.
All Executive Orders can be found here: --> Executive Orders <--
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OSHA has issued temporary rules pertaining to all businesses.
The Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Agency (Oregon OSHA) has promulgated a temporary rule, OAR
437-001-0744, effective November 16, 2020 – May 4, 2021, with regard to COVID-19 workplace
risks. The rule can be found here:
https://osha.oregon.gov/OSHARules/div1/437-001-0744.pdf.
Please review the rule closely to determine applicability to your particular business situation. This rule
applies to those providing direct patient care-- See OAR 437-001-0744 2(d).
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Oregon Health Authority Guidance
The Oregon Health Authority has issued accompanying frameworks and specific guidelines for practice posted on their website at:
--> OHA COVID-19 Info for Health Care Partners <--
We highly recommend reviewing all the resources found there, but we have cross-posted some relevant information for licensees as well:
OHA's Statewide Mask, Face Covering, Face Shield Guidance for Health Care Offices - Updated 9/1/2020
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Clinical and Infection Control Guidance
Guidance for Clinics, Hospitals and Long-Term Care Facilities
CDC Guidance for Clinics and Hospitals
Specific Guidance for Long-Term Care Facilities
Foster Care or Group Homes
Workers Providing In-home Personal Care
In-person interpreters and health care providers who work with them
Correctional and Detention Facilities
Home Care
Admissions and Readmissions
Entry into Acute Health Care Facilities
Elective and Non-Urgent Procedures
Governor's Executive Order 20-22
Framework for Restarting
Workgroup on PPE Guidance for Non-Emergency and Elective Procedures
Resumption and Continued Provision of Non-Emergent and Elective Procedures
Overall, be sure to stay current on all requirements and recommendations for social distancing, cleaning and patient screening practices, and make adjustments to patient care, including the application of telehealth and rescheduling of care when viable at this time.
ADDITIONAL INFO: The Governor has issued several Executive Orders relating to COVID-19. All Executive Orders are published directly here. The Governor also has a general landing page for COVID-19 information here.
Increasingly, city governments are also publishing mandates that may apply to you. We recommend taking a moment to reference their websites and signing up for notifications.
Telehealth
The Oregon Board of Physical Therapy has rules in place governing telehealth practice. You can review those rules here.
Nationally, there have been several actions to ease the utilization of telehealth; if you are new to telehealth or are considering expanding your use of telehealth temporarily, we recommend regularly reviewing information published at HHS.gov and CMS.gov. Here are two relevant links recently published relating to billing and HIPAA compliance:
And for those new to telehealth, the APTA has a good resource pagehere.
Other Resources
Business Oregon has put together a resource for businesses impacted by COVID-19 here.
Information relating to impacts on the NPTE and other services provided by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT) can be found here.
The American Physical Therapy Association is maintaining a frequently updated resource for information and guidance related to COVID-19 and PT practice for both members and non-members here.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
Oregon Health Authority's Health Security, Preparedness and Response Division has several resources for guidance and preparation, including information on volunteering with the State Emergency Registry of Volunteers -- SERV-OR. OHA is actively seeking more volunteers.
SERV-OR Frequently Asked Questions
Board Office Hours and Board Meetings
While State Offices are currently closed to the public for in-person visits to protect public health, we continue to be open for business via phone and email, or via the services available on our website. We are experiencing higher than normal call volumes and cannot always answer immediately. Please do leave a voicemail or contact us via email and we will get back to you as quickly as possible. Please be sure to include your full name and license number, if applicable, in your message.
Additionally, meetings of the Board scheduled for the next several months will be conducted via teleconference. Meeting notices and agendas will be updated with public call-in information ahead of the meetings.