Update from Administrator – June 9, 2020
Good afternoon,
As we have discussed during our previous town hall meetings the facility will always try to provide clear and consistent communications with families regarding the status of the facility and its efforts to diminish the risk presented by COVID-19.
I want to take this opportunity to inform families that the facility had a potential exposure that took place last evening. The facility had received an admission from Miriam Hospital. I would like to make it clear that the facility does not accept COVID positive residents. All potential residents that are to be admitted to the facility must have a negative COVID test within 48-72 hours. This patient had received 4 negative COVID swabs while in the hospital with the most recent being 48 hours prior to being admitted to the facility.
After the resident was admitted the facility received a call from the hospital informing us that the resident had received another COVID test before he was sent to the facility and that they just received the results and it was positive. This information was not provided to the facility prior to arrival.
Per our previously implemented infection control procedures, this resident was admitted to a section of the facility that was set up for all new admissions that are sperate from the rest of the facility. Here new admissions are placed on observation and “droplet precautions” for 14 days to monitor for signs and symptoms of potential infection. Once the facility learned of this information, the team immediately arranged to have the resident transported back to the hospital. This resident is no longer in the facility.
The precautionary measures the facility had already implemented will hopefully serve to minimize any potential exposure to the facility community.
If anyone has any questions regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Thank you and please stay safe and healthy
Mark Zamperini LNHA
Administrator
Heatherwood Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center