During the two months her office was closed, Dr. Seay spent her time on as many coronavirus webinars and calls as possible. She read articles and participated in mastermind groups to stay up to date as the information and recommendations changed. She networked with clinicians from all over the world, each sharing information, forms, documents, leads on where to find N95 masks—anything they had that might help, providing support and some clarity in a time of uncertainty.

“Not one person had all the right answers, but it helped to be able to lean on colleagues and to work together,” Dr. Seay said. “It was all kind of old school grass roots but it’s how I got prepared to reopen.”

Once she had the information, Dr. Seay then had to think about how it all fit into her practice and how it could be implemented. This became the framework for the 52-page document that outlines her practice’s new protocols.

Dr. Imm also spent his time at home preparing to reopen. He worked with a mastermind group that met every Sunday. Each member would take a problem they needed to overcome, research it over the course of the week and then share what they found at the next meeting. The group kept an open mind about all the problems raised and possible solutions discussed. Nothing was off the table.

The mastermind members probably put in about 500 hours of work, Dr. Imm said. He used the information shared to develop two one-page documents: one that’s patient friendly and one that’s team friendly. The documents boil the new procedures down into four focus areas—air, water, surfaces and person-to-person contact.

“Our main focus was the safety of our team and after that the safety of our guests,” Dr. Imm said. “We felt like we had to solve all the concerns brought up so our team members felt comfortable coming back. And they all had a say in the plan. It wasn’t just the doctors working together but also the teams working with their doctors.”

Beyond the two documents, Dr. Imm also created a manual that covers the new protocols in great detail. It is about 30 pages and includes an appendix of supporting scientific articles.

After looking at the initial protocols she developed, Dr. Seay realized they weren’t detailed enough. The protocols had to be more than bullet point lists; she wanted to equip her team members with as much information as possible. So, she added explanations as to why the changes were being made and information about new tools she’s implementing, such as foggers.

“You have to educate team members by not just telling them what you’re doing but by also explaining why and how it works,” Dr Seay said. “You want them to feel safe and to realize you’ve implemented every measure possible so that they are safe. They need to know it’s not just about the patient. It’s about them too.”

She also brought the team in for a day and a half of training before reopening to get them comfortable with the new protocols.

Dr. Imm met with his team via Zoom twice a week during the closure, which was key to keeping them engaged and prepared. Like Dr. Seay, he brought his team members in for a few days of training before reopening, which included role playing all the various scenarios that might come up. This helped them understand everybody’s new role and see what new challenges they might face once patients were back in the office.

“If your team members are comfortable, they’ll make your guests comfortable,” Dr. Imm said. “Role playing allows you to think everything through in a non-threatening situation. It was pretty seamless for us by the time we were done.”

Team members also use checklists, kept at each station, to ensure they’re not missing any steps, Dr. Imm said. The checklists help everyone (including him) stay focused and on target as they get used to the new routine.

Then there’s the schedule. Both Drs. Imm and Seay are taking a slower pace, at least for now—and they advise other doctors to do the same. Don’t be afraid to keep a lighter schedule while you adjust to a different routine.

“Remember, you’re coming back to a new normal so it’s OK to go slow,” Dr. Seay said. “If your schedule isn’t full, I wouldn’t lose sleep over it. It’s not necessarily a bad thing.”