Radiology practice uses simple ‘SAFE’ acronym to guide service, calm patients during pandemic
A Tacoma, Washington-based radiology provider has shared simple steps its practices are taking to maintain services in the Evergreen State.
TRA Medical Imaging leaders have devised an acronym that helps guide them in their daily business during the pandemic. S.A.F.E. stands for social distancing requirements, applied universal masking and temperature screenings, facility safety enhancements, and enhanced cleaning and disinfection protocols.
Patients and providers have proven receptive to this communication strategy, and the practice took to the web Wednesday to promote it.
“We created the S.A.F.E. acronym as a guideline to keep our patients and staff safe through this period,” CEO Chris Coates said in a statement. “Staff, management and contractors literally worked around the clock to put our safety plan into action. Our patients have been overwhelming[ly] complimentary of our efforts,” he added
Some of the “facility enhancements” covered by the letter F have included limiting patients to one guest per visit, rearranging furniture and placing floor decals to help with distancing, and using plexiglass partitions at registration desks.
The four-practice provider—which has an additional five locations under the name Diagnostic Imaging Northwest, in partnership with MultiCare Health System—has actively promoted itself since the pandemic started. Previous announcements have highlighted its plan to pause debt collections, delay nonurgent imaging and dedicate its Lakewood, Washington, center to patients with COVID-19 symptoms.
TRA said it is currently preparing a phased approach to resume all imaging once the governor gives the go-ahead. Until then, its radiologists are working their way through a backlog of pressing exams that cannot wait until the crisis dissipates, which they’ll followed by beginning to schedule the “vast majority” of other offered testing.
“Until we have a proven COVID-19 vaccine or treatment, we need to be vigilant to do our part in containing this deadly virus,” added Douglas Seiler, MD, TRA’s president.
Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.