MANITOWOC, Wis (NBC 26) -- About six weeks ago the pandemic became a health emergency in Wisconsin, and surgeons stopped doing most elective procedures. Today a Manitowoc doctor from the Orthopedics and Sports Medicine BayCare Clinic shared how those suffering in pain right now, can and should reach out to their primary physician to set up one of several options for an appointment.
At the Orthopedic and Sports Medicine BayCare Clinic, the calls coming in from patients are down. Which is likely on the account of the majority of elective surgeries not taking place since mid-March.
"The bulk of what we do is considered elective. Whether that's taking care of someone's cartilage tear in their knee, or fixing their torn rotator cuff or replacing joints," says Doctor Carl DiRaimondo an orthopedic surgeon at Manitowoc's BayCare Clinic.
Doctor DiRaimondo says the reasons patients are not scheduling appointments vary from fear of going to the clinic, to patients worried about utilizing vital resources during the pandemic. But DiRaimondo says that doesn't mean that patients, have to suffer in silence.
"Understand the resources are available. The services are there. What we would hate to have happened is someone puts it off for too long."
Today hospitals across northeast Wisconsin are taking phone calls from patients and setting up video, phone call and yes even in-person appointments.
"It doesn't mean we don't take precautions. But at least accessing and working through their problem by telemedicine or by a direct visit we're not using up valuable resources that a patient critically ill is going to need at the time," says Doctor DiRaimondo.
To keep patients and staff safe at DiRaimondo's clinic his staff is staggering appointments to make sure there's never a crowd in their lobby. And like many in-person visits today, he says patients should expect to see face masks.
"Masks on employees, masks or facial coverings on patients, ensuring that we're being safe."
These are some of the steps clinics are taking today to prepare patients for a time hopefully in the near future, when doctors will be able to see more people for elective surgeries that are causing not just discomfort but pain.
"An exam on a patient is very critical for us to understand what is their problem. I want people to know they don't have to be at home suffering," says DiRaimondo.
