Thank you for all that you’re doing to help slow the spread of COVID-19 in our community. We recognize the immense personal sacrifices that everyone has made during this time to respond to the pandemic. We miss seeing our team in the office each day, we miss seeing you, and we miss the opportunity to share in the highs (and lows) of supporting your wellness journey. 

Fortunately, in the Bay Area it seems that we are winning in our goal to flatten the curve. We greatly appreciate the support we received from so many of you regarding our decision to pause in office treatments, and today, we are happy to share that we will tentatively begin seeing patients in office on a limited basis starting MAY 5TH.

We plan to start slowly and will be prioritizing the acute cases first. We are passionate about providing the highest caliber of care, and we look forward to continuing our mission to partner with patients to achieve their goals, safely and responsibly.

How has the situation changed?
We faced tremendous uncertainty around how the rate of infection would progress in the Bay Area. Fortunately, early actions have proven effective at managing community transmission, and our hospitals and critical care centers are not under stress.

Acupuncture is defined as essential by the state of California and as a standalone private practice (not part of a larger hospital or clinic), we can operate without diverting needed resources like personal protective equipment (PPE), ventilators, or skilled staff from the pandemic response at a larger hospital system. 

What does this mean for me?
We greatly appreciate your continued support and patience as we make every effort to resume clinic operations as safely and as seamlessly as possible. As the COVID-19 pandemic evolves, we are also updating our precautionary measures to help keep our patients, providers, and staff healthy and safe.

• Temperature Check: If you are scheduled to come into the clinic for an appointment, your temperature will be taken upon arrival. If you have a fever >100.0⁰F, your appointment will be rescheduled. 
• Personal Protective Equipment: Please bring your own mask to all appointments. Masks help protect you and are mandatory to enter The Flood Building and the office waiting area. 
• Social Distancing:  As we resume operations, we will do so at a reduced capacity. We have extended appointment times to minimize any unnecessary in-person interaction between patients. We will limit the number of patients in the waiting area at any given time to accommodate the recommended six feet of physical distancing, we are asking for all patients to avoid bringing guests (including partners or children), and please do not arrive more than 5-10 mins early to your appointment.
  
• Telehealth: We will continue to rely on video and teleconferencing to support all patients not needing immediate care. Click here for more info
• What Are We Doing: We are taking every precaution within our office to protect our patients.  We will be wearing masks, in office only uniforms, wiping down all surfaces between patients, taking temperatures before our shifts, air filtration in the treatment rooms to pull particulate downward, and our receptionist will be working remotely.

We are doing everything in our power to keep both our patients and staff healthy, safe, and advancing towards their goals. Nothing that we do would be possible without the immense trust that you place in us, and we look forward to continuing to partner with you.

In health,
Elanita and Jennifer

There are two main reasons we appreciate NIAW (National Infertility Awareness Week – April 20 - 25):

1. Infertility can feel like lonely and isolating but you are NOT alone! One in eight couples in the United States struggles to build a family. They range from your friends, coworkers, neighbors and family members.
2. Offers hope by building a community. 

Because infertility can be so devastating and overwhelming we find that hope is one of the most precious things that we can offer our fertility patient. We know the statistics can seem dire at times but there is reason for hope. Statistics improve when you stick with it and hope because as you get healthier physically and mentally with Chinese medicine and lifestyle practices, your odds go up.

Chinese medicine isn’t just about acupuncture and Chinese herbs, it is lifestyle medicine. How you live affects your health and these are aspects of your health we can work on.  We are here to help you with the physical aspects of the medicine (the herbs, the acupuncture) but also be that much needed cheerleader when you begin making these healthier choices because change can be hard and when you have support, anything is possible. 

Infertility is so common and the struggles are shared by many. If you have a story to tell, feel free to send it and we can post it (with or without your name), to give hope or at least to let people know that they aren’t alone.

Let’s shine a light on infertility and support those struggling during this week and every week.

5 Quick Tips for Picking A Prenatal 
​1. Observe Daily Serving Size
This means how many pills you'll be taking per day. Servings can range from one to even up to six pills daily.  Confirm that the daily number of pills listed is realistic for you.

2. Avoid a Gummy Option
Gummy vitamins may be easier (and more fun) for some but ,many essential nutrients are either missing or they are provided at a lower than recommended dose. Iron is not at all found in a gummy vitamin. In addition, key prenatal nutrients like DHA, iodine, zinc and others are also not adequate in a gummy.

3. Consider your personal preferences and/or medical needs, ie. cultural, religious, or medical. Options are available.  For example: Does the prenatal need to be vegan/vegetarian, kosher, gluten free, allergen-free?

4. Compare Cost
Keep in mind that some bottles will only cover one month or many times 2-6 months. Sometimes what appears to be a higher cost is actually the best deal!

5. Look for the following key nutrients on the label:
In addition to folate, growing research is supporting the importance of many essential vitamins and minerals in pregnancy.  See more below!​

WHEN
Prenatal vitamins are very beneficial taken daily prior to fertility treatment, pregnancy, and preferably 3 months (or more) before conception. If you’re actively trying to conceive, start the prenatal regimen now.

​Here are a few tools we are offering via a tele-medicine (phone or zoom) appointment. We are able to offer assistance with:  

• Tailored herb and supplement protocols
• Touch base on health goals
• Support around anxiety, sleep, and immunity or other concerns
• Instruction for acupressure and self massage at home
• Nutritional and lifestyle support Yoga, qi gong, and stretching therapies
• Mental health support
• There is new testing option for covid19 that we just learned about, click here to read more about it.  Its not a test for everyone but an option for those unable to meet the current criteria 
• Local resources you might need help tracking down 
• If any of these apply, don't hesitate to click here to book a time

How to schedule:

• Book online. Choose "Telemedicine Follow Up" as the appointment type. 
• Email sfim.officemgr@gmail.com or call our front desk: 415-362-4600
• Email Elanita (elanita.sfim@gmail.com) or Dr Bezjak (jen.sfim@gmail.com) directly

Fees:

• Complimentary 15 min check in 
• Extended consultation 15-30 mins $45
  • If you have insurance: we do not know at this time which insurance carriers will pay for Telemedicine, this is very unclear new territory to us.  We will be billing in full at this time and giving a superbill to seek reimbursement.  

Economic hardship: we obviously recognize that many people are undergoing economic hardships and uncertainty. Please be in touch if you are needing sliding scale consideration.
What to expect: 

• Calls can be conducted via video conference or phone
• You will receive information about how to access the video chat after making your appointment. 
• A card will be held on file and charged after your appointment

Curbside Pick up
We are also doing curbside pick up of herbs/supplements on Ellis St on Mondays and Fridays if there is anything you need.  For online orders we're using Wellevate 

1. Practice self-compassion. Know that your feelings are normal and valid, and that it’s OK to feel whatever you’re feeling. Remind yourself that what’s going on is temporary and try to find comfort in knowing that we are all going through these tough times of uncertainty together.

2. Lovingly renegotiate your personal space. At this time, you may be spending your entire day in a home with your partner, children, or multiple roommates. This is a time to discuss boundaries and needs within the spaces we share. When we are proactive about re-negotiating our space, there’s an opportunity to get on the same page and mitigate conflict. 

3. Stay connected. In times of high stress, staying connected with our loved ones and our communities is crucial. Just because we are physically isolated, doesn’t mean we have to be socially isolated. Fortunately, we live in a time where there are many ways to stay connected via technology. Take advantage of them!

4. Maintain routine. Routines keep us steady. These actions seem small, but a little peace and comfort can go a long way. In times like these it can be easy to throw your routine out the window, but routine is what keeps us level-headed when things are shifting around us. As best you can, keep your same wake-up and bed times, brew your favorite drink in the morning, put on new clothes, do an at-home workout, and read a chapter in your favorite book at night.  The key is to find the balance of keeping a regular routine and over scheduling yourself. 

5. Limit your media exposure. While most of us want to stay informed, the constant talk about the virus in the news and on social media can be overwhelming and can feed into our fears and anxiety. Limit the amount of information you consume by intentionally setting boundaries around what you watch and read.

We've been using Diagnostic Solutions as our go to lab for comprehensive gut evaluation.  We were so excited to see that they just rolled out a COVID19 testing option for providers. 

Read below to get the most up to date information on this testing option.  

We are now ordering these tests for patients that meet the criteria - click here to book a phone or video consultation with us.