COVID 19 Resources

ISVMA has continued to gather information from the Illinois Department of Public Health, the Illinois Department of Agriculture, and AVMA that veterinary practices should be aware of, from both their veterinary practice and their business perspectives.

H.R. 6201: Families First Coronavirus Response Act

Over the weekend, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 6201. The bill includes:

·    up to 12 weeks of family and medical leave benefits for absences related to the coronavirus paid at 2/3 of regular pay rates after the first 14 days which are unpaid;

·    up to 80 hours of additional paid sick leave for employees related to the coronavirus;

·    tax credits for employers to mitigate the impacts of the expanded leave provisions; and

·    free testing for the coronavirus during the emergency.  

According to AVMA, the bill will be taken up by the Senate very quickly and is expected to pass the Senate this week. President Trump has indicated he will sign the bill as soon as it is delivered to his desk. 

Telemedicine and the Coronavirus in Illinois

ISVMA is receiving questions as to whether veterinarians may utilize videos, pictures, emails, texts and video calls to care for and to treat patients. We believe it is appropriate to use electronic communication when you have a valid VCPR, but not without one.

According to the Veterinary Medicine and Surgery Practice Act of 2004.

 "Veterinarian-client-patient relationship" means that all of the following conditions have been met:

        (1) The veterinarian has assumed the responsibility for making clinical judgments regarding the health of an animal and the need for medical treatment and the client, owner, or other caretaker has agreed to follow the instructions of the veterinarian.

        (2) There is sufficient knowledge of an animal by the veterinarian to initiate at least a general or preliminary diagnosis of the medical condition of the animal. This means that the veterinarian has recently seen and is personally acquainted with the keeping and care of the animal by virtue of an examination of the animal or by medically appropriate and timely visits to the premises where the animal is kept, or the veterinarian has access to the animal patient's records and has been designated by the veterinarian with the prior relationship to provide reasonable and appropriate medical care if he or she is unavailable; and

        (3) The practicing veterinarian is readily available for follow-up in case of adverse reactions or failure of the treatment regimen or, if unavailable, has designated another available veterinarian who has access to the animal patient's records to provide reasonable and appropriate medical care.

"Veterinarian-client-patient relationship" does not mean a relationship solely based on telephonic or other electronic communications.

Please remember that electronic interactions are considered part of an animal's medical record and need to be treated in that manner.

Please use the following links to learn more about COVID-19:

AVMA:

·     What Veterinarians Need to Know

·    COVID-19: FAQs for Veterinarians and Veterinary Clinics

·    COVID-19: FAQs for Pet Owners

Illinois Department of Public Health:

·    Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

OSHA:

·    Guidance on Preparing Workplace for COVID-19

Small Business Administration:

·     Businesses-Employers Response Plan

   Additional tips and information:

From the CDC: 

·     Prevention and treatment

·    Symptoms of COVID-19

·    How it spreads

·    Frequently asked questions

·    Travel information

From the WHO: 

·    Advice for the public

From the U.S. State Department: 

·    Travel information

From Chicago: 

·    Chicago.gov

 From the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE):

·    Questions and Answers

From the World Small Animal Veterinary Association:

·    Frequently Asked Questions