Amherstburg doctor’s office changes how they do visits

Staff at one doctor’s office in Amherstburg have completely changed the way their patients visit with their physicians by bringing almost everything they do online.  

Dr. Tim O’Callahan said they broke up into groups with one doctor going into the office each day of the week to avoid the whole office getting affected by the coronavirus.  

At the start of the pandemic, many people stayed inside their homes out of fear they would contract Covid-19.   

“It was a challenge, it was a big change for patients,” O’Callahan said. “I think, out of the gate people were like, ‘Okay, there’s Covid out there, it’s probably bad at the doctor’s office so I don’t wanna go there,’ so our volumes at first just went right down cause people didn’t wanna come in.”  

But they learned to feel safe. O’Callahan and his co-workers found a way to still work with their patients but in a safer environment, the internet. 

“Initially we had no way of doing it other than just over the telephone, but we would work virtually,” O’Callahan said. “Not only were the patients not coming in, but, we weren’t coming in either.” His office went nearly all online. The only people who come to his office are doctors and any patients the doctor feels need to come in.  

“It’s all kind of digital anyways. So, that transition wasn’t that hard,” O’Callahan said. “But it was really trying to figure out the nuts and bolts of: how do you connect with the office system and how do you do things?” 

Although it still is not perfect, O’Callahan and many other doctors still believe with a little more effort, everyone can help stop this virus. 

 “Wear a mask, wash your hands,” O’Callahan said. “We’re all in this together.”