March 16, 2020 To: HACKMAN & PHILLIPS Elder Law RI LLC Clients, and Community Partners (COVID-19) Update: Our Commitment to Clients and Our Employees.
As we continue to monitor Coronavirus (COVID-19) developments closely, the health and well-being of our clients, employees and community partners is of upmost importance to us. We are keenly focused on our preparedness efforts to maintain a safe work environment for our employees, our clients and their families while sustaining business operations in order to serve our clients and continue to work with our community partners. The most vulnerable among us, the elderly and persons with compromised immune systems, are the majority of our clients, as such, we have activated an Infectious-Disease Management Plan, which includes:
1. Our office is closed to the general public until March 30, 2020. We have a comprehensive voicemail system if we are unable to answer phone calls at the office. For non-urgent matters, we encourage you to utilize e- mail rather than mailing documents to the office and phone communication rather than visiting the office in- person.
2. For anyone needing to drop off paperwork, we have a locked drop box on the east side of our building (up the handicap ramp and next to our side door).
3. Our staff is committed to avoiding all large social gatherings, travel and community functions whether at work or at home.
4. Our staff will not be traveling for any reason and we will not be visiting healthcare facilities such as hospitals, assisted living facilities, or nursing homes until further notice.
5. Wherever possible, we will offer consultations and client meetings via telephone or videoconferencing.
6. For now, upcoming conferences and speaking engagements planned for late April will remain on our schedule. We will reevaluate the feasibility or keeping those engagements on a week by week basis.
7. If you must visit the office, we require advance notice of your visit. Please phone the office and schedule a time to come in. We also request you be willing to truthfully answer basic questions about whether you or anyone in your household has knowingly been exposed to anyone with Corona symptoms or the Corona virus in the last 14 days, whether or not you or anyone in your household has experienced symptoms in the last 14 days or whether you or anyone in your household has traveled out of state or out been out of the country in the last 14 days. As with any client or potential client, any information you provide to our firm will be kept confidential.
8. If you have any questions, please call or email our office. Our contact information is listed below. At this time, we believe practicing Social Distancing, as recommended by public health officials as well as our federal and state governments, is the smartest and most responsible way to conduct ourselves. We hope you will do the same and understand we may have to adjust how we normally approach our daily business as a result.
Please be well, take care of yourselves, and make sure your elderly loved ones and neighbors have the basic provisions they need to remain safe at home. We will be monitoring this situation daily and will provide updates on our social media and directly to our clients as needed.
To reach us directly, please use the following: For Attorney Beth Phillips: Beth@elderlawrillc.com; For Paralegal and Office Manager Merrilee Welling: MKW@elderlawrillc.com For Legal Assistant Carol Christensen: Carol@elderlawrillc.com Office phone number: 401-463-6100 Office fax number: 401-463-5310
Be well,
Elizabeth Phillips