Herbal Support for Vulnerable Communities Affected by Covid-19
Structural violence and systemic racism manifest as inequalities in both the burden of disease and level of suffering experienced by disenfranchised communities.
In response, herbalist Liz Appel has organized a team of colleagues, including Five Point's Celeste Levitz-Jones, to offer low to no cost herbal telemedicine care prioritizing working class and low income folks of color disproportionately affected by the current pandemic in and around Chicago.
Your donation would support our capacity to impact marginalized communities, mitigate symptoms of illness, and promote and uplift healing and well-being. Thank you for being part of the work of restorative ecology and holistic community healing!
Phase Three Reopening Safety Plan
After much care, consideration, and preparation, Five Point reopened on Monday, May 18 with a limited schedule. As of July 8, we’ll be entering our third phase of reopening, expanding our available treatment hours and services.
The health and safety of our patients, practitioners, and front desk staff is paramount to us, and we have created a set of policies and procedures based on state, CDC, and other professional guidelines to ensure best practice. Below is a detailed but not exhaustive list of policies we have in place:
Shift Policies
Two practitioners working per shift, (two acupuncturists or one acupuncturist and one bodyworker)
Each acupuncturist can see up to two people per hour, one in the community room and one in a private room
Services & Scheduling
Community Acupuncture - Limited to 2 at a time, staggered start time by 30 min, chairs more than 6 feet apart
Private Acupuncture - Limited to 3 at a time
Bodywork - Sessions now available at 25% capacity with 15 minutes between appointments for cleaning
Cupping - Call to book
Visit our online scheduling site for our full schedule and services
Patient Screening and Requirements
All patients will be required to fill out an online screening form within 24 hours of their appointment
Patients must notify the clinic if symptoms or circumstances have changed since they filled out their form, including:
Experiencing fever, cough, shortness of breath, muscle pain, or any other symptoms on the CDC symptom list for COVID-19
Living with or been in close proximity with someone who has had cold/flu-like symptoms in the last 2 weeks
Traveled in the last 2 weeks or hosted friends/family from outside their household
Working outside of the home
Ability to practicing social distancing
Immunocompromised status
Patients are required to wear a mask for the entire duration of their visit to Five Point
Patients are required to wash their hands and forearms upon arrival and after treatment
Practitioners will take patients’ temperature via a no-touch thermometer upon arrival
Patients may not bring additional people to their appointment unless they require aid or translation services. Anyone accompanying a patient must wait outside or in the car
Patients must keep at least 6 feet distance from front desk staff, other patients, and practitioners except during their treatment
Practitioner Protocols
Wear a KN95 mask at all times
Take temperature and symptom checklist upon arrival
Wear clean clothes to the clinic and launder clothes after wearing them to the clinic
Disinfect computer or tablet between treatments
Wash hands before and after each treatment
Use hand sanitizer frequently during treatment
Follow Clean Needle Technique Protocols
Reception protocols
Wipe down all surfaces in the treatment room after appointment: treatment surfaces, face cradle, alcohol/cotton ball container lids, light switch/dimmer, door knobs, TDP lamp, chair, moxa bowls, lighters etc.
Remove sheets after every patient in community and private rooms and immediately take to laundry room
Wipe down chair arms and side tables after community treatment
Wipe down reception/seating area and herb station as needed
Wash laundry in hot water, and wear gloves while handling laundry
Wear mask at all times and wash hands frequently
Avoid handling credit cards and cash if possible: ask patients to read card numbers to you or call in advance if a valid card number is not on file.
Please contact us if you have questions or would like more detail. We hope to see you soon.
*Edited Monday, November 23
Reopening Safety Plan
After much care, consideration, and preparation, Five Point will be reopening as of Monday, May 18. We will be operating with a limited schedule that we hope to expand in the coming weeks or months as we deem safe to do so.
The health and safety of our patients, practitioners, and front desk staff is paramount to us, and we have created a set of policies and procedures based on state, CDC, and other professional guidelines to ensure best practice. Below is a detailed but not exhaustive list of policies we have in place:
Shift Policies
One practitioner per shift, and one shift per day for the first few weeks we are open
Teams that are consistent: practitioners work with the same team of people to limit exposure among staff
Services & Scheduling
Community Acupuncture - Limited to 1 per hour, book by phone or email
Private Acupuncture - Limited to 1 per hour, rotating through 3 rooms, bookable online
Bodywork - Not available until Illinois stay-at-home order lifted
Patient Screening and Requirements
All patients will be required to fill out an online screening form upon booking their appointment, which will be emailed to them through JaneApp.
Patients will be phoned the day before their appointment to check for symptoms and other risk factors such as
Experiencing fever, cough, shortness of breath, muscle pain, or any other symptoms on the CDC symptom list for COVID-19
Living with or been in close proximity with someone who has had cold/flu-like symptoms in the last 2 weeks
Traveled in the last 2 weeks
Working outside of the home
Practicing social distancing
Immunocompromised
Patients are required to wear a mask for the entire duration of their visit to Five Point
Patients are required to wash their hands and forearms upon arrival and after treatment
Practitioners will take patients’ temperature via a no-touch thermometer upon arrival
Patients may not bring additional people to their appointment unless they require aid or translation services. Anyone accompanying a patient must wait outside or in the car
Patients must keep at least 6 feet distance from front desk staff, other patients, and practitioners except during their treatment
Practitioner Protocols
Wear a mask at all times
Wear clean clothes to the clinic and launder clothes after wearing them to the clinic
Do not touch face or patients’ faces
Do not bring computer, phone or tablet into treatment room; do charting only at practitioner table after washing hands
Wash hands before and after each treatment
Use gloves hand sanitizer frequently during treatment
Follow Clean Needle Technique Protocols
Keep nails short, hair up, and no jewelry or clothing that drapes like scarves
Reception protocols
Wipe down all surfaces in the treatment room after appointment: treatment surfaces, face cradle, alcohol/cotton ball container lids, light switch/dimmer, door knobs, TDP lamp, chair, moxa bowls, lighters etc.
Remove sheets after every patient in community and private rooms and immediately take to laundry room
Wipe down chair arms and side tables after community treatment
Wipe down reception/seating area and herb station as needed
Wash laundry in hot water, and wear gloves while handling laundry
Wear mask at all times and wash hands frequently
Avoid handling credit cards and cash if possible: ask patients to read card numbers to you or call in advance if a valid card number is not on file.
Please contact us if you have questions or would like more detail. We hope to see you soon.
Five Point's Response to COVID-19
EDIT: Five Point will be closed until March 14 amid growing risk of COVID-19. Thank you for your understanding.
As concerns rise around the global coronavirus pandemic, Five Point is doing our part to keep our staff and community safe. We’re here to support your health and wellness, and for the time being we are staying open while we closely monitor the situation. Your safety is always a priority, and we already adhere to rigorous cleaning standards as a medical clinic. We’re taking additional steps to mitigate risk to our community based on recommendations from the CDC, WHO, and state and local officials.
What We’re Doing
Using universal precautions such as frequent hand washing and hand sanitizer use.
Wiping down community chairs, treatment surfaces, laptops, and other frequently touched surfaces with alcohol or chlorine-based disinfectants.
Instructing employees to stay home if they are experiencing any symptoms of illness.
Having masks and gloves available for staff and practitioners to wear at their discretion. This is not because they are sick but to prevent the spread of illness.
Removing a chair in the community room so patients are more than 6 feet apart.
Washing washcloths after every use by patients.
Washing cloth blankets and spraying space blankets with disinfectant once per day.
What We Ask of You
Wash your hands upon entering the clinic either at the practitioner sink in the community space or the restroom. Hand sanitizer is available for your use throughout the clinic.
Please stay home if you’re experiencing any cold or flu-like symptoms, even if they’re mild, unless you’ve tested negative for COVID-19 and haven’t had a fever for 24 hours.
Please stay home if you’ve been in direct contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 or if you’ve recently traveled from a country that has reported COVID-19 cases in the last 14 days.
We never charge a fee for cancellation due to illness.
Take Your Herbs!
We have stocked up on raw, granule, and encapsulated herbs. Raw herbs are the most potent and best at combating active sick symptoms. Granules and capsules can be used preventatively. Schedule a phone consultation if you’re sick, and we can make a custom formula based on your symptoms. We can also refill current formulas if you chose not to come in for treatments at this time.
We understand this is an unprecedented time for our city, country, and world. Please take care of yourselves and your community. We’ll continue to communicate with you if anything changes.
Well Wishes,
Celeste, Ryan, Nathan, and the Five Point team
Resources
COVID-19 testing at Innovative Express Care
Coping with Stress During the 2019 n-COV Outbreak
Block Club Chicago’s list of closed businesses and organizations and other city-wide updates