Good evening Team Absolute!

We hope that this update finds you safe and in good spirits.  We continue to listen to available information and prepare for an appropriate re-opening of the organization in accordance with the ADA and NDB.  A few updates to share:

• Team Member Safety – All Team Members remain healthy and safe.
• American Dental Association (ADA) Guidance – Still showing a postponement of elective treatment until 4/30 at the earliest.  We are checking daily for updates.
• Nevada Dental Board (NDB) Guidance – Still showing a postponement of elective treatment until 4/30 at the earliest.  We are checking daily for updates.
• Federal/State Government Guidance – The federal government has shared their reopening plan, which the state of Nevada has generally adopted and discussed in the governors press release on 4/21.
• TeleDentistry Update – We continue to service patients via TeleDentistry.  To date, 1500 calls and 400 consults have been successfully completed.
• Absolute Dental Emergency Patient Support – We now have 11 practices servicing emergency patients.  Absolute continues to offer Endodontic, Oral Surgery, and Pedo emergency support every weekday. Due to the demand, we have our first Saturday this weekend.  We expect to reopen another 2 practices in the next week or so and will continue to reopen more based on emergency patient flow.
• Reopen Date & Rehire Date – Given the information shared above, please know that there is still no definitive reopen or re-hire date that can be committed to at this time.  We are playing this day-by-day and will make everyone aware of a reopen plan once the ADA and the NDB permit.
• Availability Text Message Poll – On 4/20 we sent a text message to assess Team Member availability for 5/18 so that we can continue to plan for a reopen.  The 5/18 date was simply a best-guess date for a reopen for internal planning and will be adjusted based on continued updates from the ADA and NDB.  We will continue to text you with additional dates if needed.
• Reopening Planning & Expectations – We have created a comprehensive reopening plan where we expect to fully open the PSC and all 25 practices on the TBD reopening day to be able to support the expected limited number of patients that can be served at one time due to social distancing requirements.  A few areas for your consideration:
  • Practice Support Center Reopening – This week we have reopened the PSC for limited usage and have daily body temperature screening along with sterilization and social distancing requirements.  We expect to slowly add Team Members back as practical.
  • PPE/Sterilization Protocols – We continue to assess any PPE/Sterilization protocol changes as indicated by CDC/OSHA.  We do expect there to be changes within the patient screening/waiting, patient flow, chair turnover, and PPE usage of which training will need to occur along with a normal adaptation to new processes.  The practices currently open serving emergency patients have been successfully adapting to changing expectations.
  • Proper PPE – We continue to source PPE for expected needs for both the re-open and any new requirements.
  • Team Members Hours – As we don’t expect to see record patient volumes on a reopen, please be aware that we will need to adjust staffing and hours to business need.  This means that Team Members will be brought back in phases and actual hours may be unpredictable.  Per state guidelines, you can still file for partial unemployment where/if needed.

We close with a special THANK YOU to the affiliated providers and staff who remain committed to servicing patients in need.  We’re all so close to seeing each other again and getting back to a more normalized way of life.  We continue to prioritize Social Responsibility, Team Member Safety, and Financial Preparedness.  Talk soon!

Dr. Prada & David Drzewiecki
Stay Safe.  #AbsoluteStrong