Public Health Emergency: What Acupuncturists Need To Know
What you need to know
A public health emergency was declared on March 11, 2020. The order from the Governor is here: Executive-Order-2020-004-r
On March 23, 2020 the department of health ordered the closing of all non-essential businesses; the order is here: SignedPHO03-24-2019 and includes a list of which businesses are considered essential.
On March 24, 2020 the department of health issued two orders
3_24_PHO_1 https://nmsaam.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/3_24_PHO_1.pdf
3_24_PHO_2
The first orders all health providers to halt non-essential services and defines non-essential services as those that can be delayed for 3 months without unduly affecting patient safety. It also orders all providers to provide the department of health with a list of which services they generally consider essential and non-essential. NMSAAM has created two templates that you can use for your reports:
Essential Treatments Policy
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1B1OnTl7lGHT3zzyMWwxEKewIysiee8_iCfpGMEROal0/edit?usp=sharing
The above document is a template that you should copy and then modify for your own clinic. By going to the file menu in the top left you can either download in MS word or other formats or you can make a copy to your own google documents account (you must be logged into google to do this) and then modify the document.
Version of the above document for clinics that are completely closed, same instructions for sharing. Clinic Closed Notice
The reports should be submitted on the department of health website:
www.emailmeform.com/builder/form/pQ5Z4fAr6SKxdt3JEv7f19
The second orders all health providers to report to the department of health any inventory of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). The email address to report to is Section.DOC-Planning@state.nm.us
What you need to do
Submit a report to the department of health regarding which services you/your-clinic consider non-essential and essential and your policy for halting non-essential services.
If you have any inventory of PPE, email the department of health with what inventory you have.
Updates
The department of health has a website with updates and links to all the executive orders and public health orders. NMSAAM will continue to update the profession as the situation develops and information becomes available; we are able to do this because of the support of our members. If you find these updates valuable and you are not a member, consider joining with the link up at the top.