5-4-2020 Notice to our community - COVID Awareness

May 04, 2020

I am writing today to keep you informed of our current state regarding COVID-19. 

We do not have COVID-19 in our facility, but we have received confirmation that one of our employees has tested positive.

Our employee has been at home this week following CDC guidelines. Individuals at the facility who had physical contact with the employee have been contacted.  We will now be listed on the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) website as a COVID positive site due to the employee's illness, but that does not mean that COVID is inside our facility.  Responding immediately with help from MDH, we have completed a risk assessment that shows we are low risk for spread and that we have the recommended procedures in place. 

Our obligation is to ensure the safety for both staff and residents by following regulatory guidance.  Employees must maintain the privacy of medical information and the privacy of all individuals. I need your help to make sure that we are not spreading panic, and keeping protected information private.  We will share information as it changes and as we are allowed through MDH guidance. I spent the day, Saturday, calling a family member of each resident to share our current state and providing them with the necessary information. It was important to me that families were not scared about this incident. We will continue to keep families informed, and have procedures in place for different scenarios.

To share with you our efforts, our team has been working constantly to ensure that we stay current on our infection control procedures, implementing changes, and following all guidance. Our preparedness includes purchasing required personal protective equipment, reviewing infection control procedures, and remaining vigilant in keeping up to date with state, county, NW area, and federal guidance.  For the last month we have been checking employees before they enter the facility for temps of 100 or more and symptoms per identified screening criteria. In addition, we have rearranged our facility to ensure that we have an area ready for immediate isolation if a resident were to get sick.  This measure is to ensure that we keep healthy residents separate from sick residents.  We are accepting new residents to ensure our hospitals have the capacity if a surge were to occur, but we require a COVID test prior to them leaving the hospital.

Please keep yourselves safe by following social distancing, washing your hands often, and do not touch your face.  With God's help, remaining vigilant will help us through this.

Lisa Frey, Administrator at Pioneer Memorial Care Center