August 1, 2020

To My Patients and Friends:

I am writing to tell you that I will be stepping away from practice on August 31, 2020. As many of you know, I have been seeing patients only on-line since March 16th when the Shelter-in-Place mandate came down from the San Francisco Public Health Department. My lease on the Parnassus office comes to an end August 31, and it seems unlikely that there will be a change in the COVID environment that would allow me to resume face-to-face patient encounters for some time to come since I am over 70 and in the high risk group. To sign a long term lease would be unwise given the circumstances.

I will continue my on-line visits for another couple of weeks, but you will need to find a new dermatologist. We are fortunate to live in an area with many available specialists. I recommend you consult the American Academy of Dermatology Find A Dermatologist website for general
dermatologists, the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery Find A Dermatologic Surgeon website for dermatologic surgeons and the procedures that they perform, and the American College of Mohs Surgery Surgeon Finder website for trained Mohs surgeons to handle problematic skin cancers. I always recommend that you consult your primary care physician, internist, or family doctor to recommend dermatologists that they have found reliable in the past.

After the 15th of August, your medical records will be available to have copied and sent from the custodian of record, Off-Site Records Management in San Jose. They have many years of experience with medical records and I believe will provide the service that we both depend upon for safe record keeping and HIPAA compliance. The form required to order copies of your chart records is attached, and you can download and print it by clicking the link below that reads “Download Document”.

If something changes in the pandemic environment that would make it possible for me to resume practice at another location, I will be happy to let you know. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for allowing me to be your dermatologist and trusting me with your dermatology needs. It has been a privilege and a joy for 44 years to see you at the Parnassus office. But for the moment, I will say goodbye and wish you the best of health.

Sincerely,

Richard G. Glogau, M.D.