Health care facilities in western Connecticut are underscoring the importance of patient safety during the COVID-19 outbreak as they begin to reopen.

At Orthopedic and Neurosurgery Specialists in Greenwich, doctors say they have taken every preventative measure possible to keep patients safe. Patients are given tele-medicine calls, and if they still need to be seen, they are screened following CDC guidelines.

The patient's temperature is taken, and they are asked if they have experienced certain symptoms. All patients are required to wear masks and follow social distancing guidelines, and extensive cleanings are performed between patients. 

Dr. David Wei at ONS says only serious and critical surgeries were being done up until recently. But now, many elective surgeries are being put back on the schedule.

Dr. Wei says ONS is also able to screen patients from Greenwich Hospital, and surgical patients are required to get tested for COVID-19 48 hours prior to their procedures.

ONS says it wants its patients to feel comfortable -- and it says they can wait in the car if they want.