Benicia Wellness Center's Updated Massage Procedures

Updated Massage Procedures

While some things have changed in our office, one thing has remained the same: our commitment to your safety and health. By its very nature, massage and bodywork require skin-to-skin contact and you should be familiar with the fact that infection control has always been a top priority for our practice. As we navigate life with additional requirements and modify existing measures due to the coronavirus, please help us to support all of our patients by cooperating with some new requirements.

Our practice follows Practice Guidelines recommended by the F​ ederation of State Massage Therapy Boards​ (FSMTB). These guidelines are adopted from the recommendations of the ​U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention​ (CDC) and the ​Occupational Safety and Health Administration​ (OSHA).

To better protect our patients and employees, we are adopting updated procedures for massage therapy for your safety and the safety of your therapist. Some of the new procedures Benicia Wellness Center is implementing include:

• If you feel ill on the day of your session, we have temporarily suspended our Missed Appointment Policy and there will be no penalty for canceling your appointment. Massage is not advised if you have any symptoms of illness.

• When you arrive at the office, please use the hand sanitizer station in the reception area or wash your hands thoroughly in the restroom.

• Your massage therapist will don a mask for your entire visit, including during your massage.

• We recommend you wear a face mask to use while you are in the building, and during your massage.

• Take a seat in the reception area in a chair that is physically placed 6 ft apart. If the seats are occupied, please wait outside and your practitioner will retrieve you.

• Your practitioner will use a no-touch thermal temperature screening to confirm you don’t have a fever.

• Your practitioner will communicate with you before treatment to obtain updates to your health information and ask you specifically about your potential exposure to COVID-19.

• We will ask you to sign a new Informed Consent form to ensure you understand the risks associated with a close-contact activity during this health emergency.

We’re happy to see you again and are happy to answer any questions you may have about the steps Benicia Wellness Center has taken to keep you, and every patient, safe in our practice. We value your trust and loyalty and look forward to welcoming you back to a safe, therapeutic environment.

-Benicia Wellness Center

COVID-19 Informed Consent Benicia Wellness Center is committed to maintaining your health & safety. However, your risk of infection from coronavirus (the disease that causes COVID-19) increases through close contact with other people, like the level of contact required to provide a massage.

In order to protect your health and the health of our employees, our practice follows Practice Guidelines recommended by the ​Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards​ (FSMTB), along with infection control recommendations made by the U.S. ​Centers for Disease Control and Prevention​ (CDC) and the ​Occupational Safety and Health Administration​ (OSHA). We are remaining vigilant in our efforts to protect your health, and we’re happy to provide you with a comprehensive list of our new COVID-19 Operation Procedures at your request.

In the event that someone who works for or received treatment from Benicia Wellness Center tests positive for COVID-19, we will provide the Health Department with whatever information they require to track & trace coronavirus transmission. This may mean that your name and contact information is shared with health officials.

The ​Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act​ (HIPAA) makes a specific exception for health emergencies, meaning that your permission is not required before we share your relevant information with the state & local health departments.

Before receiving a massage at Benicia Wellness Center, we need you to affirm the following (​please initial​):

_________​I understand that close contact with people increases the risk of infection from COVID-19. By initialing this line and signing below, I acknowledge that I am aware of the risks involved and give consent to receive a massage from my practitioner.

_________​I understand that my name and contact information might be shared with the state health department in the event that a patient or practitioner at this office tests positive for COVID-19. My contact details will only be shared in the event that they are relevant based on suspected exposure date, and only for appropriate follow-up by the health department.

I,_________________________, have been informed and understand the new risks of receiving massage therapy while COVID-19 is present in our community. I also understand that in the event a positive COVID-19 case is associated with Benicia Wellness Center, my personal information might be shared with public health officials in their efforts to maintain public safety. By signing below, I consent to receive massage therapy from my practitioner.

___________________________________________________ _____________________ SIGNATURE DATE

___________________________________________________ PRACTITIONER SIGNATURE

COVID-19 Intake Form To best protect your health and the health of others, please fill out this form before each massage and bodywork session. We appreciate your cooperation.

NAME:______________________________ DATE:________________

Have you been tested for COVID-19? If yes, what type of test did you have?

When was your test?

What were the results?

Have you been in places with a high infection rate within the last two weeks (e.g., state-designated “hotspots”)? If yes, please explain.

Please check if you are experiencing any of the following as a NEW PATTERN in the last 14 days:

__ Fever __ Nasal, sinus congestion __ Sudden onset of muscle __ Chills __ Loss of sense of taste or smell soreness __ Cough __ Fatigue (not related to a specific activity) __ Sore throat __ Shortness of breath __ Rash or skin lesions __ Diarrhea, digestive upset (especially on the feet)

Do you have any new discomfort with exertion or exercise?

I declare that the information provided above is true and accurate to the best of my knowledge.

______________________________________________ PRINT NAME

______________________________________________ _________________________ SIGNATURE DATE

______________________________________________ PRACTITIONER SIGNATURE

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