Governor Ralph Northam this afternoon issued an update to his Order of Public Health Emergency No. 2, extending the in-effect date to postpone non-urgent care through midnight April 30, 2020. This order carries the weight of law and applies to all medical professions in Virginia. Read an updated analysis of what the Governor’s Executive Order extension means for dentistry.

 

In a conversation with VDA President Dr. Elizabeth Reynolds earlier this week, Secretary of Health and Human Resources Dr. Daniel Carey said the administration is closely watching the guidance coming from the ADA in collaboration with the CDC in terms of when and how to safely return to practice and will be continuing to do so.

 

The VDA Back to Work Task Force, chaired by Dr. Vince Dougherty, is preparing guidelines for returning to dental practice, which will be consistent with the ADA’s guidance, and we expect to share those with members and with the Governor’s office next week. 

 

While we understand the gravity of the Coronavirus crisis, we also know that there are long-term impacts on public health to delaying needed oral healthcare. Some members have asked if under the OPHE 2, elective procedures and surgeries may be done. The answer is “yes,” IF a delay would cause harm to the patient or cause death. Second opinions and good documentation are highly recommended.

 

Please know that we are in constant contact with the Governor's office and we continue to ensure that he is aware that dentists in many case scenarios are essential healthcare personnel and are ready and prepared to return to work safely when we are given the opportunity.

 

 

The VDA will be offering new online continuing education courses on topics to help your practice succeed. The next course is coming up on Tuesday, April 28 on Communicating with Patients Today and Getting Ready for Tomorrow with Online Tools. This CE will be free for VDA members and a registration link will go out soon.

 

We will be holding another webinar with O’Hagan Meyer this coming week to answer your questions around labor and employment as you plan for your office to resume operations. You’ll be receiving an invitation soon to join and submit questions.

 

The ADA recently issued interim guidance on face masks and shields, as well as a chart illustrating the differences between face mask types, at www.ADA.org/virus. We understand the challenges members are facing around finding PPE, and both the VDA and ADA are working on finding solutions for our members. We strongly encourage you to source PPE from a trusted supplier and watch for red flags around potential counterfeit or grey market supplies, and we will be sharing more resources around access to PPE next week.

 

We have also raised this issue with our Congressional Delegation and Governor Northam and will continue to advocate for prioritizing dental offices in the distribution of PPE.

We had a call with Senator Warner on Monday in which we urged him to recognize some of the challenges around timing of the federal loans and around large practices that are barriers to dental offices fully utilizing the federal loan programs, and he discussed some of the features he’s expecting to come in the next relief package. We are also advocating for flexibility around the upcoming e-prescribe and amalgam separator mandates.

 

The U.S. Senate this week voted to increase funding for the small business loan program. We will provide more updates as it continues to move through the legislative process on how members can take advantage of that relief.

 

We will continue to share resources around well-being and mental health in the COVID-19 Hub at www.vadental.org/virus. The UCSF School of Psychology is holding a weekly webinar series for healthcare providers on topics related to emotional well-being and we encourage you to participate. Please also continue to reach out to VDA staff, leadership, and colleagues to let us know where you have needs, and we will help find or create those resources to help you.