Important Message
Dear High Desert Clients,
Updated September 1, 2021:
All sessions are by appointment only.
We have been safely offering you our services since June 1, 2020. What is unchanging is High Desert’s commitment to following the current CDC and NM State safety protocols and adjusting as needed. When the science showed that adequate ventilation and air exchange were the most important safety aspect, we added exhaust fans, humidifiers and more powerful air filtering machines in each room. We continue with our mask mandate as well as our cleaning procedures in between clients and throughout the day.
In the spirit of transparency, we want to let you know that not all who enter through our doors are vaccinated-this includes clients and a few therapists- nor can everyone be safely vaccinated due to health concerns. Our few unvaccinated therapists fall into this latter category and are being required to double mask or use a KN95 mask, get tested once or twice a week and show proof of the tests (just like unvaccinated State employees) and take extra precautions outside of their work environment. We trust our safety protocols and respect your decision to only work with a vaccinated therapist if that’s what feels best for you. At this time, we are not mandating that all clients be vaccinated in order to receive our services. We are asking clients that have been vaccinated to please show us proof of vaccination either by showing your therapist your vaccine card or a photo of it. We will notate this on your file so you will only be asked for proof once. We appreciate your support during these changing times, and hope you enjoy our beautiful New Mexico Fall!
What we are doing:
1) Therapists and staff will disinfect surfaces such as doorknobs, light switches, surfaces and bathrooms in between clients. There will be a log of each cleaning available.
2) We have removed extraneous items from each room so there are fewer surfaces for any germs to land on.
3) We have changed the schedule so there is extra time between clients for disinfecting the treatment rooms and common spaces.
4) We are staggering appointment times to minimize the amount of contact clients have with each other, staff and the building.
5) We’re requiring all therapists, staff and clients to bring their own masks and wear them at all times. Surgical masks and gloves are available for anyone who forgets to bring their own.
6) Staff and therapists will sign a waiver each day attesting to the adherence of social distancing, wearing a mask in public, quarantining after travel, etc.
7) We will let clients know if any staff member has been exposed to Covid 19 and/or tested positive for the virus.
8) We have a plexiglass barrier at the front desk in between clients and the receptionist. We’re asking that clients no longer hang out in the waiting room, but rather reschedule and pay via phone. If that is not an option, we ask that face to face time with the receptionist is kept to a minimum.
9) We have virus killing air purifiers in every room.
10) We have fresh blankets for each client.
11) We have vinyl covers on all the tables, under the sheets, for easy disinfecting between clients.
12) We have plastic pillow covers for under the pillow case that will be disinfected after each pillow use.
13) We are running humidifiers in each room to support a healthier environment.
What we’re asking clients to do:
1) Sign a waiver at the beginning of each visit stating that they are adhering to safe practices such as social distancing, quarantining after travels , etc.
2) Wait in their car until their appointment time, when their therapist will come get them. When clients arrive, they will call the front desk and the receptionist will bring out the waiver. Alternatively, we can email the waiver and clients can bring the signed form to their appointment.
3) Inform High Desert if you develop symptoms of Covid 19, test positive for the virus or have been exposed to anyone who has symptoms of or has tested positive for Covid 19.
CDC:https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/summary.html
AMTA:https://www.amtamassage.org/about/news/covid-19-resources-for-massage-therapists
State:https://cv.nmhealth.org