H1N1 Alert

December 5th update:  Tepeyac Family Center has received another limited supply of H1N1 non-thimerasol-based vaccine.  If you are a patient or a spouse or adult child of a Tepeyac patient, please call us at (703) 273-9440 to make an appointment to be vaccinated.

 

Tepeyac Family Center Guidelines Regarding the H1N1 Flu Virus ("Swine Flu")

Dear Valued Tepeyac Family Center Patient,

We are quickly approaching the active flu season, and as most of you know, many of the news programs are providing regular updates on the H1N1 flu virus (also known as "swine flu". We have been closely following the reports released by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Virginia Department of Health (VDH). Our number one priority is your health, and it is our desire to keep you informed and aware of changes that will be occurring at Tepeyac Family Center.

All of the CDC research has determined that pregnant women are at high risk for catching the H1N1 flu. Symptoms includes: cough, chest congestion, fever, body aches, and chills. A less common side effect would be upset stomach or diarrhea in conjunction with the fever and body aches. We have discussed the exposure level for our patients and we are implementing the following guidelines:

  1. We will not be seeing sick patients in our office.
  2. H1N1 symptoms include: cough, chest congestion, fever, body aches, and chills. If you have flu symptoms, you should see your Primary Care Provider immediately. If you do not have a Primary Care Physician, you will need to be seen at Fair Oaks Hospital Emergency Room for treatment.
  3. If you are diagnosed with the H1N1 flu you should stay home until you are fever free for forty-eight (48) hours without the assistance of medication.
  4. If you have an appointment scheduled with us, please reschedule it if you are feeling sick.
  5. For all of our pregnant patients,. please see your Primary Care Physician immediately if you have the flu symptoms listed above. We do recommend you take Tamiflu or Relenza if your Primary Care Physician prescribes it. We also recommend that you receive the yearly flu vaccine once you have entered your second trimester. Our office will be administering this injection as soon as we have it in stock. We also recommend that you receive the H1N1 flu vaccine when it becomes available. (We have been approved as a H1N1 vaccine site and will be able to administer it to our patients.  We will be using the non-Thimerasol version of the vaccine (without the mercury-based preservative).  We are awaiting our shipment from the Virginia Health Department.)
  6. Lastly, we are making the Tepeyac reception/waiting room as germ-free as possible. To that end, we ask that you make every effort not to bring your children to your appointments during this time. If you must bring your children with you, please do not bring any sick children. If a patient arrives in our office and appears to be sick, she will be given a mask to wear and ushered to a back room to await her appointment, therefore limiting exposure to other waiting patients. You will notice that the toys have been removed from the play area and a small television running children’s movies has been installed. We will be installing a hand sanitizing station in the waiting room, and we ask that you make use of it.

Our goal is to bring us all through the impending flu season with as little exposure as possible. We thank you in advance for your cooperation and understanding during this time. We will be posting our policy on our website www.tepeyacfamilycenter.com. Any changes to the policy will be posted as quickly as possible.

Sincerely,

Marie Anderson, M.D., F.A.C.O.G.
Medical Director

John Bruchalski, M.D., F.A.C.O.G.
Founder

Daniel Fisk, M.D., F.A.C.O.G.

Lorna Cvetkovich, M.D., F.A.C.O.G.

Miriam Pereira, M.D.

Jennifer Brown, M.D., F.A.C.O.G.

Fran Black, CFNP

Here are some additional places to go for more information.