CVSS COVID POLICY

Chesapeake Veterinary Surgical Specialists (CVSS) are highly concerned for the health and safety of our clients, patients, community, staff and extended CVRC staff. As an essential business, we are committed to continuing to provide surgical care for our patients, while keeping our medical staff and the pet parents healthy and safe.

As we continue to navigate the changing best-practice guidelines around the COVID-19 pandemic, we want to provide all pet parents with the experience you can expect to receive if your pet presents to our facility during the present COVID- 19 pandemic. The information below provides details on our approach and the temporary changes we have in place for the mutual safety and well-being of our clients and surgical staff.

Thank you for allowing us to be your pet’s healthcare provider. We hope this information provides you with useful information for your visit, and we encourage you to call us with any additional questions.

Any client that enters the building is required to wear a properly fitting mask.

HUNT VALLEY CLIENT CONCIERGE SERVICE

Our Hunt Valley hospital wishes you to continue to maintain social distancing and provide safety to all of the CVRC practices. We kindly ask Hunt Valley clients to wait in their cars with their pets and call when you arrive.

Our staff will come to you to guide your pet into the hospital.

Our staff are currently wearing face masks both inside and outside the hospital.  We ask that all clients wear a face mask when interacting directly with any members of our staff outside the facility. If you forget, we will kindly remind you to put one on before approaching you any further.

• A CVSS team member will obtain a patient history from you over the phone.
• We are currently experiencing a high volume of case requests, and are trying to accommodate as many patients as possible. Please be patient with our staff as we try to give the appropriate care to each and every patient.
• Many practices are present in the building. As a result you may see other pets coming and going for appointments with other services.
• If you need to step away from the hospital during your visit, please speak to a team member by phone, before leaving.

Consultation Appointments

For new consultation appointments, up to two clients are permitted to attend the appointment inside the hospital with their pet.

Please follow all check-in procedures below. One of our staff members will then escort you into our building after check-in is complete.

CHECK-IN

Upon arrival, at the Towson location, please call:

HUNT VALLEY

(non-rehabilitation appointments) dial 410-828-0911, then dial 3 as soon as you hear the  automated attendant, then option 1

HUNT VALLEY Rehab

Appointments dial  410-828-0911, then dial 3 as soon as you hear the  automated attendant, then option 2

The Appointment Experience

THE VISIT

• A member of our team will meet you outside. Please keep your pet’s belongings (leashes, toys, blankets) with you. Personal belongings cannot be brought into the hospital. Please be aware our staff are not able to enter any vehicles.  If you need assistance getting your pet in or out of the car, please bring someone to assist with this process.
  Dogs: We ask clients to get out of their car and meet us on the sidewalk. We will use our own leash (or gurney), to bring your pet inside.
  Cats: Please step out of your car and hand the carrier to a team member.
• Please do not leave the premise during your pets’ appointment
• Following the examination, a doctor will call you to discuss their recommendations.
• We will present you with a treatment /surgical plan and associated costs at that time.
• Diagnostics and/or treatments may need to be performed while you wait. We will call to discuss the results as soon as they are available.
• If surgery is scheduled, you will either leave your pet, or be given instructions on protocols regarding the return of your patient for surgery.
• Payments via credit card are preferred and will be taken over the phone with a curbside signature.

SURGERY

All forms are required to be completed the day prior to surgery by 5 pm.  These include surgical consent, estimate, credit card authorization, surgery drop off form and DNR status.

• On the day of surgery, your pet will need to arrive between 7:15 am and 8 am. Your pet needs to be fasted after 8 pm the night before surgery with no water after 6am the morning of surgery.
• Please call when you arrive the morning of surgery. A technician will come out to take your pet into the hospital (Again, no personal items are to be left with your pet.)
• The doctor will call you once your pet is waking up from anesthesia to give you and update on the surgery.
• Most patients will spend the night in hospital the night of surgery. Pet parents are asked to call the next morning for an update after 9am.  If your pet is going home that day, a time will be scheduled for discharge.
• At discharge we will email electronic discharge instructions. The doctor will go over the discharges with you prior to the discharge via phone, whether directly after the surgery or the day the patient goes home. All payments will be taken over the phone, except for cash payments or Care Credit.

VISITATION

At this time, in house visitation is determined on a case by case basis and it depends on if we have an exam room available at that time for the visit.