To Our Valued Patients,

Hillside Family Medicine has remained open to serve your needs during this COVID-19 season.  We continue taking steps to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 along with other infectious diseases including the use of virtual telemedicine appointments. This allows you to see your medical provider remotely from the comfort of your home if you are having symptoms concerning for COVID-19 or have confirmed COVID-19 infection. Your provider will be able to access your medical record, write and refill prescriptions, and give you recommendations just as they would in a regular visit.

We also offer convenient and reliable COVID-19 testing for our established patients including molecular rapid tests and PCR tests. Detailed instructions will be provided upon scheduling. You will be notified of your rapid test results the same day. PCR tests are processed by our reference lab, Quest, and results typically take 24-72 hours but can vary based on burden of testing. If you are symptomatic and test positive for COVID-19, we recommend scheduling a telemedicine appointment as soon as possible to discuss treatment, supportive care and quarantine.

If you are interested in receiving prescription medications for early treatment, please schedule a telehealth visit as soon as possible with Dr. John Nolte, Dr. Miriam Nolte or Dr. Julie Stewart as these are the providers that recommend and offer this service.  

• For adults who test positive for COVID-19, the following list of over-the-counter medications are recommended under the early treatment protocol:
  • Zinc 50-100 mg daily with food (can take half dose twice daily if upset stomach)
  • Vitamin C 1,000 mg twice daily
  • Vitamin D3 10,000 IU daily
  • Quercetin 250 mg twice daily 
  • Melatonin 5-10 mg nightly
• Start these medications as soon as possible and continue up to 2 weeks or until symptoms have significantly improved. While you are ill it is also important to avoid refined sugars and simple carbohydrates as much as possible as these can worsen inflammation.  

A note about Vitamin D: Multiple studies have revealed that having a vitamin D level over 50 ng/mL can be both preventive and protective against infectious viral diseases such as COVID-19. Unfortunately many Alaskans who do not take a daily supplement year-round are significantly deficient.  The dosage of vitamin D3 required to achieve levels over 50 ng/mL also varies significantly from person to person, so if you have not had a vitamin D level checked recently we recommend scheduling a test as soon as possible so we can help you find out what dose is right for you. 

We remain dedicated to serving the needs of our community and are doing everything in our power to maintain a safe environment for both our patients and staff members. In efforts to protect our patients and staff, we have implemented the following protocols:  

• We continue to screen all patients and staff for signs and symptoms of COVID-19 and test accordingly 
• Patients who are feeling ill are asked to wear masks upon arrival which will be provided at check-in if needed. 
• We continue offering user friendly HIPAA-compliant telemedicine appointments for anyone with symptoms of COVID-19. 
• We have reduced touch points in all patient areas and all patient areas are disinfected frequently.
• Patients are given the option to wait in their car until they are ready to be brought back to a patient room if preferred.

We will be updating our website and Facebook page as new information arises. Please call our clinic if there is anything we can do for you. We understand these are challenging times and hope to help you through them safely and with the assurance that your health is of utmost importance to us.  

For you, your family, your future,

Your Hillside Family Medicine Team