Coronavirus Updates for OoLi Orthodontics

Previous Updates

Dated 5/24/2020

Dear Friends of OoLi Orthodontics,

OoLi Orthodontics is implementing a protocol to keep all of us safe. Please watch the YouTube video below of our COVID-19 protocol for your visits to OoLi Orthodontics.

We ask that you complete the online COVID-19 consent form before you arrive for your appointment. You will need to digitally sign at the bottom of the form after you have answered all the questions.

In addition, we ask you to follow below protocol:

When you arrive for your appointment, stay in your car and check in by going to our website.

1) Check in online.
2) We will text you when we are ready for your appointment.
3) We ask that only the patient come into the office with mask on.
3) Once in the office, sanitize your hands with hand sanitizer.
4) We will escort you to your chair.
5) After the treatment, we will escort you out.
6) We will text/call you for the next appointment.

This is very new to us but it is what is being recommended by the American Association of Orthodontist and American Dental Association. We hope to keep the welcoming atmosphere that you’ve come to appreciate and expect from OoLi Orthodontics.

Thank you in advance for your attention and you understanding in our brave new world.

Sincerely,

WW Jonathan Park, DMD, MS

Dated 5/18/2020

Dear Friends of OoLi Orthodontics,

Greetings! I have looked forward to writing this notice to let you know that our office will be opening on May 26th and we are anxious to welcome you. We will be calling you to get you scheduled. 

These last eight weeks have been an unprecedented test of endurance, resilience, and sacrifice for every household. As your family committed to “shelter in place”, the OoLi Team thanks you for making our families safer through your action. And likewise, the OoLi Team made the same commitment to your family and our community. 

During our downtime at OoLi Orthodontics, we’ve never worked so hard. We’ve participated in educational webinars, collaborated with colleagues, and launched renovations. We’ve altered our clinic and reception area and expanded our PPE inventory. We’ve participated in training by experts in infection control, universal precautions, social distancing, and have monitored all CDC guidelines.

We initiated these projects to protect you and your family as well as the OoLi Team. As you see these changes and experience new protocols, I want you to rest assured that we have your family’s safety and well-being foremost in mind. We will thank you in advance for your patience with re-scheduling missed appointments, limiting one family member in the reception area, restricting entry to the clinic for non-patients as well as other measures mandated by the American Dental Association and the Center for Disease Control. 

Also, we are now able to offer Tele-Orthodontic service by way of virtual appointments. If you choose to participate, this will allow us to offer virtual appointments such as a preliminary exams/consultations, review progress with aligners, retainer checks, evaluate growth and tooth eruption on young observation patients, or assess appliance breakage – all from the convenience of your home without driving to our office. 

As we continue our readiness preparation, we have other projects in the wings. In the meantime, we will look forward to speaking with you about your appointment and to answer questions. 

Your confidence and trust is greatly appreciated. 

In friendship and with gratitude, 

WW Jonathan Park, DMD, MS 

Dated 4/28/2020

Dear Friends of OoLi Orthodontics,

We wish to express our immense gratitude for our community and the dedication demonstrated by OoLi Orthodontics’ staff. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause human suffering around the world, we find strength in values that unite us. We are inspired by the stories of caring, patience, and compassion that we’ve heard.

The current pandemic is changing the delivery of orthodontic care experience across the nation. We have devoted and will be devoting unprecedented and unseen hours to preparation of our offices, implementation of new protocols to help with social distancing, and study of continuing education to deliver orthodontics at the new standard of care. We appreciate our staffs’ persistence and openness in addressing an unanticipated transformation, and know that our patients are in great hands. We will be communicating with you about our back to work protocol and time line within next few weeks. We thank you for your patience.

The economic impact of the pandemic has affected everyone, and we are working with the bank and our vendors to monitor OoLi Orthodontics’ financial health and plan for its future. In this process, we are committed to continuing to offer an incomparable care and experience to our patients, a goal that requires all of us to support our staff and those families who are experiencing financial hardship. Families experiencing financial hardship should contact us at info@ooliortho.com. We will evaluate the situation, provide counsel, and discreetly explore options to meet your financial needs.

The pandemic has introduced a profound sense of uncertainty and has required everyone to absorb additional expenses. OoLi Orthodontics is expected to incur a number of unanticipated costs associated with the outbreak and will, over the next few months, need to plan for decreased revenues and increased cost of operation.

We are committed to doing our best to assist those families in greatest need and minimizing the impact on our staff. To that end, OoLi Orthodontics has or is in the process of:

• Expanding financial options for families that, as the result of the economic hardship, demonstrate additional need for assistance with orthodontic expense.
• Encouraging flexibility for any employee facing individual and/or family health challenges due to COVID-19.
• Working closely with our staff to mitigate financial loss during this challenging time. We must continue to invest in an outstanding workforce so that it will remain healthy and intact when we are able to resume regular operations.
• Eliminating non-essential discretionary spending and looking for savings for the rest of the fiscal year.

We are grateful of our ability to respond to this crisis.

For this and for you, we are grateful. We find comfort in knowing that we will get through this historic moment together.

Dated 3/24/2020

Dear Friends of OoLi Orthodontics, 

This is an unprecedented time that is requiring us to think on our feet—and at least 6 feet away from each other! If you haven’t seen it yet, “This is Not a Snow Day” by Ariadne Labs is a helpful article that explains actions we all need to take. 

We are finding that people can be contagious with the virus, with little or no sign of infection, for up to 14 days. Take heed: we need to practice social distancing! Minimizing contact with friends can be difficult, especially for our younger patients. But there is a real and critical need at this moment, as a matter of public health, to decrease the probability of spreading the virus. 

To continue doing our part to prevent the spread of COVID-19, OoLi Orthodontics will stay temporarily closed until the latest information we have indicates we can safely open the practice. As previously mentioned, you can reach us via following ways: 

Now offering Tele-Orthodontics Using FaceTime and other social apps. 

Telephone:
(480) 777-7759

Text:
(949) 734-4068 *

https://ooliortho.com/contact 

Online Chat via ooliortho.com 

In addition, we are available to meet you at either of our locations for emergencies that cannot be resolved with above means of communication. We are here to help you get through this difficult time. Let’s all meet at the other side safely and with a big smile. 

The following resources will provide additional information and hopefully ease some of the uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus pandemic. 

• Coping with Coronavirus Anxiety
• Feeling Anxiety About Coronavirus? A Psychologist Offers Tips to Stay Clearheaded
• Talking to Teens and Tweens About Coronavirus 
• Coronavirus Resources from the American School Counselor Association

In friendship and partnership, 

Dr. WW Jonathan Park and the OoLi Team

Dated 3/18/2020

Dear Friends of OoLi Orthodontics,

In our ongoing efforts to evaluate community health risks, contain the spread of COVID-19, and ensure the continuity of your orthodontic care, Dr. Park and the OoLi Team met this afternoon to determine the next best steps for the OoLi Orthodontic community. After thoughtful and considered deliberation, we have reached a decision that OoLi Orthodontics will temporary close the practice, effective Friday, March 20, 2020.

Although we have no confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19 in the OoLi Orthodontic community, health experts expect the number of cases to increase, and the infection rate is not likely to crest for some time. In addition, the practice of social distancing is most effective when implemented early in the life cycle of viruses. We fully recognize and regret the decision to close the practice, but we believe the benefits of this closure outweigh the drawbacks. We simply do not have enough data to predict how the novel coronavirus will behave and are consequently erring on the side of care and caution.

We will continue our regular practice hours through this Thursday, March 19, 2020. We will evaluate the need to stay closed and will remain in regular communication with families via email and texts.

As we make this change, there are many details to share, so please monitor your inbox for communications from the OoLi Team. We ask families to remain in touch with the OoLi Team throughout this closure. You can reach us via following ways:

Telephone:
(480) 777-7759

Text:
(949) 734-4068 *

https://ooliortho.com/contact

Online Chat via ooliortho.com

We recognize that this message will bring a sense of relief to some and disappointment to others. I am grateful for the understanding and graciousness our community will demonstrate, and am sorry to announce the temporary closure of the practice. I thank our patients for understanding that we are doing our best to act in the best interest of the greater community.

We find ourselves in undesirable circumstances, but we nevertheless have an opportunity to support one another in this time of uncertainty. This effort will require us to demonstrate patience, trust, and resilience. Above all, it will require us to act with kindness toward one another. I don’t relish the situation, but am grateful to be navigating it with the OoLi Orthodontic community. We hold those who have been affected by the virus in the light.

The OoLi Team will continue to review the situation on a daily basis. We will be in touch again soon. Thank you for your support and understanding. You can find our most recent updates on COVID-19 at https://ooliortho.com/coronavirus (this page).

In friendship and partnership,

Dr. WW Jonathan Park and the OoLi team

Dated 3/09/2020

Dear OoLi Orthodontic Community, 

I am writing to keep you informed and to reaffirm that the health of our community is our top priority. Thank you for the support you continue to demonstrate regarding our approach to the COVID-19 outbreak. I, Dr. Park, and my OoLi Staff have met to evaluate the latest information, discuss current plans, and determine additional measures that OoLi Orthodontics might take to mitigate the spread of the virus.

We continue to monitor the situation closely, to share concern for those who have been infected, and to design policies to support the community. Should we learn of a confirmed case at OoLi Orthodontics (we have none now), we will follow the direction of health agencies and inform families immediately. 

OoLi Orthodontics will recommend that anyone who has traveled to an area with a CDC-defined risk level of 3 to “self-quarantine” and remain at home for a period of 14 days after returning from travel. In addition, OoLi Orthodontics will follow any guidelines that may be issued by local, state, or federal government pertaining to individuals returning to our practice after travel. 

As you know, the guidance that we are getting from public health authorities continues to focus on personal responsibility. We are all encouraged to stay at home if we have a cough, fever, or other flu-like symptoms − and to consult a healthcare professional for additional assessment as needed. We are reminded to wash our hands thoroughly and frequently, to avoid hand-to-face contact, and to cough or sneeze into the crook of the arm, rather than into the air or onto surfaces.

At OoLi Orthodontics, we continue to urge everyone at OoLi Orthodontic Community to follow these practices. We are also looking at various office operations − from patients’ visits to cleaning – to identify areas where we can do more to limit the potential spread of germs and illness. In addition to immediate decisions and actions, we will be putting plans in place to ensure that your care at OoLi Orthodontics will continue in the event that the office must be closed for any length of time. 

Thanks you sincerely for your time, attention, and cooperation around this important matter.  

Dr. WW Jonathan Park and the OoLi team