The Tia Clinic is open again

Today, we reopen the physical doors to the Tia Clinic. We will be providing essential services to women that must be delivered in-person and can no longer be delayed, such as Pap tests, pelvic exams, IUD insertions, and other time-sensitive procedures. We will continue to provide all other services virtually, as a commitment to delivering the highest quality care to women across the continuum (in-clinic, virtual, and all of the moments in-between).

The decision to close and reopen

The decision to close our doors was deliberate, so too is the choice to reopen. Tia provides essential services, meaning, we never had to close, but as NYC and the world came to a pause, we felt our operations at the clinic needed to pause too. With information changing in real-time, we took an evidence-based approach in our decision-making and elected to temporarily close our physical doors. We were able to effectively divert our care to virtual offerings which enabled us to continue to provide care to our patients. The decision to close was made for the safety of our patients, our staff, and the NYC healthcare system (at the time, inundated by volume and short on supplies). Closing our clinic also meant minimizing the spread of Covid-19 and reserving personal protective equipment for the frontlines.

77 days later, we are grateful to see that the circumstances of the Covid-crisis have changed. And now, because of the heroic efforts of the frontline medical community, and the Tia community who heeded the call to adjust their behaviors to curb the crisis, we are re-opening to provide essential care that, quite simply, cannot be done virtually.

All Tia providers were voluntarily signed-up to work on the frontline and were prepared to mobilize to acute care in NYC as needed. With Virtual Care we could uphold our commitment to our patients who needed care while practicing strict social distancing.

Here’s what we’re doing to ensure safety for both patients and providers at the Tia Clinic

Safety begins before your appointment

• To prevent exposure for our patients and staff, all Covid-related concerns will be addressed virtually (read: not at the Tia Clinic)
• All patients coming into the clinic will answer a pre-visit health screening via text to assess symptoms before arrival
• Appointment check-ins will be done 100% virtually

Safety first at the Tia Clinic

• Strict social distancing throughout
• One person at a time in the elevator
• Spaced out seating in our living room
• Staggered appointments (a limited number of patients will be allowed in the clinic at a time)

Extra safety protocols

• Upon arrival, every patient will receive a mask, a temperature check, and asked to wash their hands
• We are keeping the Tia Clinic extra clean, by disinfecting all counter surfaces and medical equipment after each patient, throughout the day, and every evening with EPA-approved products
• All Tia staff members screened daily, testing regularly for Covid-19 and providing personal protective gear for respiratory and contact precautions

What reopening means for Tia

Over the past ten weeks, temporarily operating in a virtual-only state, it’s been amazing to see our patients and providers rapidly adopt new technology and fundamentally shift their mental model. We’ve seen an enlightened recognition that virtual care does not have to be a “lesser-than” version of in-person care, or limited to “quick fixes” and prescription refills. Rather, when designed with intention and relationship-based (as opposed to transact-based), virtual care has the potential to facilitate deep dialogue and human connection — in many regards, more so than an in-person visit, during which an honest conversation to evaluate your health with your provider can be eclipsed by exam tables, needles, and stirrups.

The Tia Clinic’s reopening signifies our investment in the ever-expanding care continuum — a virtually-integrated care model that is both online and offline. A model for the future of healthcare that’s all about delivering the right service in the right place at the right time and using Tia’s technology to connect the moments in-between.

We hope to see you soon for a virtual or in-clinic appointment with Tia.