4 Considerations for Reopening Medical Businesses After COVID-19
As strict stay-at-home orders are set to expire in California and elsewhere, your business will need your reopening strategy carefully. Treading lightly will be of the utmost importance as you’ll need to balance your legal requirements for operating with customer safety concerns and the financial sustainability needs of the business.
The federal government has laid out several recommendations for a multi-phase approach to reopening businesses. And each state has laid out various and sometimes differing reopening requirements that all businesses within their borders must follow to avoid costly fines or other consequences.
1. Prepare for a Lower Operating Capacity
Most states’ Phase 1 reopening plan includes allowing in-person operations to continue at businesses, but with a significantly limited operating capacity. The allowed capacity varies by state.
In Tennessee, for example, restaurants and retail businesses were allowed to operate at 50% capacity. Medical facilities in the state were granted the right to resume elective surgeries on May 5, but with a limitation on the number of patients per day, and with required medical screening for COVID-19 prior to receiving treatment.
Meanwhile, Georgia eased restrictions on elective surgeries in late April, but with limitations placed on the health of those receiving treatments.
In California, medical facilities will need to keep patients 6 feet apart in waiting rooms while also reducing the number of patients allowed in at any time.
Before your business moves to reopen, organize your indoor space to accommodate social distancing requirements at a lower capacity. This could mean creating clearly-marked areas on the floor for customers to sit in for waiting rooms, and creating and posting social distancing guidelines.
2. Educate Your Staff on Safety Protocols
It’s not enough to be familiar with reopening procedures yourself. Make sure all of your returning staff are fully aware of and fully invested in safety precautions. You will likely need to hold several staff briefings prior to reopening to ensure staff is well-versed in how to use PPE properly and in de-escalation strategies for potential issues with customers that could arise in relation to social distancing guidelines.
3. Be Prepared to Offer Alternative Services
Many of your customers will jump at the chance for a return to something that looks as close to normal as possible. You may have an abundance of activity and a long waitlist due to limited capacity. But you may also have many customers who are still apprehensive about coming in physically, but who still want to patronize your business somehow.
Develop a plan for how you can offer services at a distance. Medical businesses may be able to offer some form of telemedicine, which can include video call walkthroughs for self-care treatments that can legally and safely be performed at home under supervision. You may even want to consider adding at-home treatment options for customers who would prefer you to come to them.
4. Advertise Your Reopening Plans
Although governments are slowly beginning to allow in-person operations, some businesses are still easing more slowly into the process. Both regular and new potential clients may have not know that you’ve opened back up, or they may be wary of utilizing your services if they feel you aren’t operating safely.
Make sure that you effectively market your reopening date and time, as well as the protocols you’ll be implementing once you reopen. Anticipate common questions customers may have based on the type of services you provide, such as whether staff will be wearing PPE equipment, and whether hand sanitizer and handwashing stations will be available for customers and staff.
You can disseminate your reopening plans in several ways, although social media posts and marketing emails are an excellent route.
Additionally, don’t forget to update your business hours on Google. Many businesses set their status to “Temporarily Closed” during the shutdown, so make sure the most accurate information is available for customers searching for you on Google.
Do you need help developing and implementing effective marketing for your COVID-19 reopening? Contact Madison Ave Media today for a complimentary consultation.