Coronavirus Advisory

UPDATED 5/4/2023

Current RMCC Guidelines

PATIENT VISITOR POLICY: The current visitor policy is to allow patients to have one visitor with them during a visit with their provider. As of 6/15/22, we will also begin to allow one visitor per patient in the infusion suite, but that is dependent upon space. All visitors must be at least 16 years of age. Please work with the care team at your clinic to ensure there is space and continue to maintain proper social distancing. Patients and visitors may now also help themselves to communal coffee and water.

MASK POLICY: Based on recent CDC guidelines, medical practices are now allowed to make the use of medical grade facemasks optional in clinics and other medical settings. Therefore, effective 3/2/23, all patients and vaccinated RMCC employees have the choice to not wear a medical grade facemask in our clinics and care settings. However, please note and be respectful of the following exceptions:

• Staff, providers, and patients still have the right and choice to wear a medical facemask for their own personal protection as desired.
• If a patient prefers for staff or providers to be masked, we will respect their wishes and wear a mask in close encounters like in an exam room or while administering hands on care.
• We acknowledge COVID infections are still present in the community and our staff will take the necessary precautions.

SICKNESS POLICY: Please call your RMCC office before coming to your appointment if any of the following apply:

• You have any of these symptoms: cough, fever, difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, new loss of taste or smell
• You may have been exposed to COVID-19

COVID RISK ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: While every effort has been made to keep our facilities clean and safe, by entering you acknowledge that there is a minimal risk of being exposed to COVID-19. If you are not feeling well and suspect you may have COVID-19, please call your PCP immediately.

SPONSOR VISITOR POLICY: During the COVID-19 pandemic, we have learned the value and efficiency of conducting work remotely. Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers will continue to conduct visits for sponsors and CRO's representatives primarily remotely.

Sponsor and CRO representatives will be allowed on-site for the following occasions:

• As needed prior to any inspections by a regulatory agency.
• Monitoring visits during the ongoing conduct of the study will be allowed one time per year after discussion and approval from a Research Manager or Director.
• We will continue to fully support all other visits; ongoing monitor visits, PSV/SIV, site tours, closeouts, sponsor/CRO quality visits/audits, remotely.

Please note that all visitors are required to adhere to the following:

• These visits will all be held at the monitoring location: 1800 N. Williams St., Suite 100, Denver, CO 80218.
• Only three on-site spaces will be available each day.
• Compliance with masking and screening policy in place at RMCC during the visit is mandatory.
• No individual exhibiting obvious signs of illness will be admitted (coughing, sneezing, fever, etc.)
• All visiting personnel must be scheduled and confirmed prior to visiting the site. Unplanned visits, or more personnel than expected, will not be allowed.
• Our hours are 8am to 4pm mountain time. Visitors should arrive after 8am and leave no later than 4pm. 
• All personnel arriving on site will check-in at the front desk and wait for their assigned DC or RC to escort them to the monitoring area. Visitors will be given an ID tag at the front desk that will be worn at all times.
• The clinic staff present in the office (front desk, lab, nursing, physicians, other providers) has the primary responsibility of patient care. All questions or issues during the visit will be directed to your assigned DC or RC.
• Visitors who need computer access will need to bring their own laptops. Wi-Fi and power connections will be available.
• You will receive a unique username and password for read-only access to our electronic medical record (EMR) and our electronic regulatory file (Florence).

The above guidelines may change without notice due to the clinic requirements or other factors.

PHARMACY VISITOR POLICY: During the COVID-19 pandemic, we have learned the value of the ability to work remotely. It is RMCC’s preference to continue remote meetings with our partners indefinitely. Only in-person meetings requested and initiated by RMCC staff will be considered. Please do not contact RMCC providers or staff directly to request meetings. Requests for remote meetings may continue to be made through the pharmacy team.

When visiting one of our clinics, please have a scheduled appointment with a designated staff member. This will help ensure availability and valuable interaction. Streamlining this process will lead to a greater stewardship of your time and that of our team members. We ask that direct outreach to our clinics be avoided, and such communication be directed to the Director of Pharmacy and Admixture Services.

A few items to note:

1. In-services must first be discussed with the pharmacy team to determine current need, and then scheduled with the nurse supervisor/manager for the clinic.
2. Per policy, meals and beverages cannot be provided at educational meetings within our clinics.
3. Please do not ask anyone at the clinic for drug usage figures or information about clinical pathways. We have informed our team that they are not to provide this information, and to refer inquiries to the Pharmacy Director.
4. All visitors must sign in and will be provided a visitor badge for identification purposes. We respectfully ask that you do not walk around the clinic unaccompanied. As a professional, you understand our obligation to protect patient privacy. Our clinicians also deserve the respect of caring for our patients with minimal distraction.
5. While some of our clinics stock medication samples, our preference is to have samples stocked at our Oral Pharmacy to provide access to all patients. To facilitate the distribution of drug samples or inquire about needs, please contact one of our clinical pharmacists at 303-285-5085.

In return for these courtesies, we will provide you with scheduled access to our clinicians, the ability to share the newest data about your products and an opportunity for an ongoing mutually beneficial partnership. We appreciate your understanding and help abiding by these requests moving forward.

Patient Return to Clinic Guidelines

RMCC does not allow home COVID tests for patients with symptoms stating they are negative. We also do not require proof of negative tests after testing positive once the quarantine timeframe has been met. If you develop emergency warning signs for COVID-19 such as difficulty breathing, persistent pain, pressure in your chest, confusion, or the inability to eat or drink, please seek medical attention as soon as possible.

For more information on COVID-19 quarantine guidelines, please visit the CDC website here.

COVID-19 Booster Shots

Our physicians recommend that RMCC patients receive booster shots, especially if they meet the CDC guidelines for being immunocompromised. People who are immunocompromised are especially vulnerable to COVID-19. However, all adults, including immunocompromised people, should get a booster shot. If you are eligible for an additional primary shot, you should get this dose first before you get a booster shot. RMCC will not be scheduling or administering the vaccine.

 If you answer yes to any of the below questions, you qualify as immunocompromised: 

• History of a transplant in the last two years
• Received chemotherapy treatment in the last two months
• Received treatment for a hematologic malignancy in the last two years
• Currently receiving treatment with immunosuppressive medications such as: Tysabri, Entyvio, Remicade, Ocrevus

For more information on COVID-19 vaccines for immunocompromised people, please visit the CDC website here.

Steps We Are Taking to Prevent Exposure

Steps we are taking to safeguard everyone (patients and staff alike) from exposure include, but are not limited to:

• We are following all CDC and Colorado Department of Health regulations.
• All clinics are cleaned regularly and high traffic areas are cleaned throughout the day. Exam rooms are sanitized between patients.
• Everyone (patients, visitors, and staff) with symptoms are asked to stay home and follow the return to clinic guidelines.
• Providers are standing up to six feet away from patients when physical contact is not necessary.
• Most providers are now offering telemedicine appointments, when possible.
• Staff members that are able to work from home have been asked to do so.