COVID 19 Resources

Our Office Safety Policies

We at Family Medical Group are working to ensure that our patient’s and front line staff’s health and safety remains our priority. While you now have more options for seeing our providers in person, to help protect both you and our staff, we have implemented new protocols for when you visit our office.  While they may seem inconvenient, rest assured that they are meant as added precautions to protect you our patient, and our front line staff.

Visitor Policy

All visitors to our office who are UNVACCINATED are required to wear a mask as per the latest CDC guidelines.  Vaccinated visitors should also wear a mask until the risk of getting COVID 19 in Highlands County is LOW.  Please note that if you choose not to wear a mask, you will do so at your own risk in case of Covid 19 exposure.  Masks are mandatory in the exam rooms.

If you are exhibiting any of the following symptoms before your scheduled appointment, please call our office before arriving as you may be offered the option of a telehealth visit.

  • Lost of taste or smell
  • Presence of cough
  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
  • Fatigue
  • Muscle or body aches
  • Headaches
  • Fever or chills
  • Sore throat
  • Congestion or runny nose
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Diarrhea

COVID-19 Information

As we have gained more knowledge about COVID-19 since its first appearance in December 2019, our response to the virus as well as its prevention has required us to modify our behavior, sometimes in drastic and unwelcome ways.  How the pandemic started and spread as well as how this virus affects our body can be seen in the videos to the left.  We at Family Medical Group feel it is important to understand the basis for the ravaging effects COVID-19 has had in our communities as well as the social distancing and face-covering recommendations. The links below provide further information on the most up-to-date knowledge from some of the most reputable sources on the internet.

COVID-19 Basics

COVID-19 CDC Guidelines

Florida Dashboard-Includes Hospital Data

Florida Dashboard for Mobile Phone

COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines

COVID-19 Variants (delta, omicron)

COVID-19 Vaccines

Family Medical Group is now offering the Moderna mRNA vaccine in our office.  You do NOT need to be a patient of the practice to receive the vaccine.   The CDC is now recommending all adults over 18 years of age to get vaccinated with a third booster.  Appointments will be made in groupss of 10 due to Moderna’s 12 hour expiration once reconstituted.  We rely on information from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), an authority that is independent of Congress, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).  It uses evidence-based systems that address questions of effectiveness and safety, as well as need and reasonable alternatives.  There are currently three available Covid 19 vaccines available in the U.S.  All are currently available on-demand.  The vaccine from Pfizer-BioNTech is approved for those five years of age and older and those from Moderna and Johnson & Johnson for those 18 years of age and older.   The links below, from the CDC, will help keep you up to date on the current status of all three available Covid 19 vaccines.

Types of Vaccines Available

Covid Vaccines in Florida

Highlands County Vaccine Info