Office & COVID-19 Updates

June 25th, 2020: We are Open to All!

We are happy to report that we have been back for a month and things are running smoothly.  We have adjusted to the new procedures of disinfecting, taking temps, and using electronic medical records. 

We are still working without overlapping shifts to minimize the number of people in the office at any one time.  We so appreciate everyone’s cooperation with the new procedures and respecting the way things need to be done.  In the long term, we know this is the only successful way to proceed.  

Because we are working without front desk support, for the foreseeable future, the office phone is forwarded to Eileen’s cell phone.  This has taken the burden off of the providers so they can focus on seeing patients.  

Jennifer Vogels will return on July 3rd, and her office hours will be on Saturdays from 1-3 for the time being.  Her online schedule is open for booking, and we are happy to help you should you prefer to call.  

Another wonderful thing is that at the beginning of the lockdown, we got into two new insurance networks: Tufts, (which seems to have wonderful coverage) and AllWays Health Partners.  Should you have either of these, please fill out the insurance verification form so we can be up to date with coverage details.   Click to VERIFY insurance

Thanks for your ongoing support!

May 15, 2020:  Opening Date is set for June 1st.

We are looking forward to seeing you all again.  It has been a long haul, but we are hopeful that we are going to be able to slowly emerge from this, and do so safely.  We have spent some time working with our governing associations to make sure we are following safety guidelines, and learning appropriate disinfectant procedures.

It is our goal to make sure that we are providing an environment that is safe and clean to minimize the possibility of exposure.  Understand that we do have a number of patients with immune issues, and we are doing everything in our power to protect them and you.

To that end, we will be running on a slightly abbreviated schedule, with one practitioner in the office at a time. 

We will not be treating any known , or suspected, cases of Covid-19 in the office. However, we are able to work by video call to treat these cases with herbs and supplements, which have been shown to be extremely helpful in recovery.  

We have implemented some new procedures, here is some of what you can expect:

1. The day prior to your appointment you will receive a symptom questionnaire by email that you must respond to prior to coming in.  Please note: this email will say it is an intake, but it is not.  Once you hit “submit” it will go directly into your chart.
2. After entering the building, we require all patients to wash their hands prior to entering the office.
3. We will meet you at the door to do a quick temperature check with an ear thermometer.
4. All patients are required to wear a face covering of some kind the entire time you are in the office, for the duration of the treatment.  We will be wearing surgical masks.  
5. You will be taken to the treatment room directly, there will be no waiting in the waiting room.
6. We are transitioning to electronic medical records so we will be working on the computer to update your charts.
7. We will require “touch less” payments for all patients.  You will be asked to put a credit card in the system to expedite that process at the end of the treatment.  Venmo is also welcome, if done at the time of service. 
8. We will be able to schedule your follow up appointments prior to leaving the treatment room.  Scheduling ahead of time on line, if you are able, will help to expedite our check out process.
9. Once your treatment is done, you will be asked to leave via the exit door by treatment room 4.  Should you need to use the rest room on your way out, you can leave the building and come back in the other door.

Some things that we are asking of you:

1. Please do not bring anyone with you to your appointment.  Should you need to bring a child, please give us a call.
2. Please DO NOT bring unnecessary items into the office with you, i.e., purses, bags, water bottles, iPads, etc..  The fewer items you have the less likely we will have any issues with contamination.
3. Please DO NOT come to your appointment if you have, or have had, any cold or flu symptoms in the past 14 days, have traveled recently, or have any of the symptoms that are associated with Covid-19.   This applies if you have a household member with any symptoms.  We know that there are many silent carriers, but out goal is to minimize any exposure of known causes.  Instead, call us to reschedule or discuss other options.

Should you need herbs, supplements, CBD, etc., you can let us know at the beginning of your treatment and we will make sure to have that for you on check out.  We are also able to drop ship items to you at any time.

May 3, 2020: Current Opening Date is set for June 1st.

We are diligently working on procuring plenty of cleaning and disinfecting supplies, as well as masks, hand sanitizer, and gloves so that when we begin we will have what we need to sustain our practice.  We are also working on new office procedures designed to make sure that everyone, ourselves and our patients, are safe in the office environment, and coordinating with Dr. Menna’s staff to make sure that common areas, door handles, and bathrooms are routinely disinfected throughout the day.

Some new requirements for the building and office:

• Once you enter the building, all patients are required to thoroughly wash their hands prior to entering the office.
• While we are in uncharted territory, we are asking everyone to please wear a mask when they are in the office.  
• If you have had ANY symptoms of cough, sore throat, fever, body aches, etc., within the past 2 weeks, please do not come in.  Instead contact us and reschedule your appointment.  Exceptions would be having had a negative COVID-19 test prior to coming in.
• We ask that you do not bring in children or other family members when you come for an appointment.  Our goal is to minimize social contact in the office and waiting room. 
• Our schedules will be organized to eliminate the possibility of more than one person in the waiting room at a time.  

April 17, 2020: Most Insurance Companies are Now Covering Telemedicine During The Crisis

We were informed this week that most insurance companies are covering video sessions with acupuncture providers if you already have acupuncture coverage.  What this means: if you are having any physical symptoms, stress, anxiety/depression, sleep, energy, etc., you are eligible for  consultations with us, one per week, which is covered IN FULL by your insurance company. They have temporarily waived deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance payments. 

If you would like to schedule a 30 minute consult, we will first verify your coverage for this procedure with your insurance company, and bill directly for you. 

What we can provide:

• COVID-19 support and treatment and immune system support
• Chinese Herbal consults
• Supplement support and recommendations
• Dietary support and recommendations
• Stress reduction techniques and resources
• Home techniques for dealing with localized pain

If you would like to schedule, please call 508-435-8184 or email us at [email protected], so that we can verify your coverage and schedule an appointment.  Since we are still unsure of our re-opening date, this is a great way to maintain your health, both physical and emotional, while we are dealing with this situation.  We have heard from many people who are struggling with over eating, stress/anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbance, not to mention family stress.  We are here to support you as you navigate all of these things.

March 30, 2020: Online Services and Support Available to our community.

We are still unsure of when we will reopen.  Much of this will depend upon current guidelines and demand.  If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us to discuss how we might be able to assist you.

In the meantime, we have added 4 services for our community that can be done by phone or video.

• Initial and Follow-up VIRTUAL TELEMEDICINE Chinese Herbal Medicine consults can be booked with Geoff, Rachel, and Jenny.  IF YOU ARE SICK WITH COVID-19 WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS.  Reports from China are saying that people who did Chinese Herbal Medicine with western medicine (if they had western medicine at all) got better 33% FASTER than if they didn’t do the herbs!  If you feel like you are getting sick please CALL us ASAP (508-435-8184) as there has been a surge in the demand for Chinese herbal formulas, and Crane Herb pharmacy has been backlogged with prescriptions.  Normally they take 1 day to fill a formula and recently it has taken 3 days.  Therefore, we recommend treating EARLY in the flu process.  We have been keeping up to date on info, treatments, interviews with Wuhan TCM doctors on their “in the trenches” experience with what they are seeing clinically.  We are confident that this can be a very helpful tool in the healing process.
• 20 or 30 minute consults with any of us to address diet, lifestyle, supplement recommendations and ways to prevent and treat any illnesses or stresses you are experiencing.  These are also helpful if you are experiencing a lot of anxiety, stress, sleep issues, etc.

Wellevate:  Our supplement supplier is also working overtime.  If you are interested in ordering direct through them, you can do so at a 15% discount and items will be shipped directly to your house.  

After doing a recent training on Natural Therapeutics of Immune Support, Eileen has  created two Protocols on Wellevate:

1. Flu & COVID-19 Prevention Protocol 
2. Treatment Protocol for respiratory flu and COVID-19

Each protocol contains 4 items, and you can order some or all of them.  If you are interested, please let us know and we will send you a link to the page. 

The office phone (508-435-8184) has been forwarded to our cell to ensure that we don’t miss any important calls.  Once we connect with you, we will arrange a time for your consult as quickly as we can.

Jade Screen Teapills:  These are an amazing way to protect yourself from viral infections.  They have been somewhat difficult to get a hold of, and shipments are taking a little longer.  We have a shipment arriving on Wednesday, but we are also able to have our supplier drop ship them directly to you.  Please let us know if you would like to order or pick some up and we will get right on it!  One large bottle will protect one adult for 5 weeks.  *If you should come down with a flu or COVID, stop taking this formula as it is not indicated during illness.

We have stocked up on CBD, Sleep Gummies, Antiviral Cream, and as much other preventative and curative formulas as we have been able to get our hands on. Many things are becoming unavailable. We are doing our best to work with our suppliers to serve our clients.

Let’s all focus on the things we CAN control:

• Get plenty of sleep! REST is a great immune booster!
• Drink warm drinks, eat good quality, warm and cooked foods (soups, stews, stir-fry, ginger tea, Yogi Tea, etc.) to keep your system strong.  THIS VIRUS IS A COLD DAMP PATHOGEN IN TCM.  Therefore, we recommend avoiding: 1.) Sweets/sugars 2.) Dairy 3.) Flour/gluten products 4.) Cold– all of which will weaken your digestive fire and thus your immune system.  
• Get fresh air and exercise as you can
• Play, laugh, and support each other
• Take supplements that support your immune system.
• Meditate, read, breathe, journal
• Listen to the Healing Resonance for COVID-19 PREVENTION AND TREATMENT Audio
• Do Qi Gong to Strengthen the Lungs HERE

Yours in health,

Eileen, Geoff, Rachel, & Jenny

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March 19, 2020 Important Update: due to the quickly evolving public health crisis we are confronting, out of an abundance of caution, and following CDC guidelines, Root & Branch has decided to close the office for in patient services until Monday, April 6. In this moment, we are focusing on being a part of the solution. We are cautiously optimistic that we will be able to open on at least a small scale at that time but we will keep you posted as things continue to evolve.

For now, all appointments in this upcoming two week period will be canceled. Please let us know if you would like to reschedule by booking online yourself or contacting us to get you in the schedule. A lot of people are going ahead and booking in mid April to get their preferred appointment days/times while they are open .

We are eternally grateful for the support of our community, and we want to be able to continue to support you during this time. We are offering 15-20 minute phone or video consults for $40 if you need help with either preventative measures or treatment strategies should you end up falling ill.

Please call the office at 508-435-8184, or contact your provider directly if you have their information, and we will do everything we can to provide you with the tools you need. Our CBD, supplement, and herb pharmacy is fairly well-stocked for the moment. Our pharmacy partners are still filling and shipping orders, and items can be drop shipped to anyone as needed. We are happy to arrange for either a pick up or delivery should you need anything.

We are checking the office voice and email daily, and Eileen will be in and out to take care of other business related issues in the interim. The main message is, We Are Here For You!

We will continue to update you as we have more information. Please remember that no matter how difficult this is, we will get through it. We would like to encourage everyone to continue to be part of the solution. Take extraordinary care of yourself, get lots of sleep and fresh air, eat well, take your herbs and supplements, and get nourishment from your relationships. We wish you all good health as we move through this.

We will send an update near the end of March.

With gratitude,

Eileen, Geoff, Rachel, and Jenny