Weekly COVID-19 Update
May 22, 2020
Dear Residents, Responsible Parties, and Family Members…
As promised, here is our weekly communication regarding COVID status in our facility. We want to continue to thank you for your continued support over the past couple of months. Our facility continues to be grateful for your trust in us as we work hard to keep you and your loved one safe. We are working as hard as we can to continue to learn and implement recommended infection prevention protocols in response to the updated guidance and directions we receive from CMS, CDC, and State/County/Local Health departments and authorities.
We write today to update you on what is happening with respect to the impact of COVID-19 on our resident community. As things continue to evolve, we want to make sure you are kept in the loop and have access to the most current information. Effective May 8, we will be communicating with you following our receipt of confirmation that a resident or staff member has tested positive for COVID-19. Likewise, we will contact you if three or more residents or staff members have a new onset of respiratory symptoms occurring within 72 hours of each other. We will ensure that you are made aware of either one of these events (if they occur) by no later than 5pm on the following day and will also share with you during that communication the cumulative number of confirmed cases at the facility.
In addition to the above we will advise you of any actions the facility is taking and/or any planned changes in operations in response to the situation. If we do not have residents or staff test positive over the course of a week, or do not see respiratory symptoms as described above, we will still connect with you on a weekly basis so you remain up to date during these challenging times.
In order for us to accomplish this communication, we will be using the email addresses you have previously provided us when you were (or your loved one was) admitted to the facility. If this contact information has changed or there are additional family members you would like included in this sharing of information, please forward the new or additional email addresses to us at mtruesdell@ensignservices.net. Please know we will be relying on email for the purposes of this particular communication, so it is important that the addresses you provide us are current and correct. Thank you in advance for double checking and helping us keep our contact list as accurate and current as possible.
As of March 22, 2020, we continue to be COVID free. We presently do not have any residents or staff who have tested positive for COVID-19. We also have not had any onset of 3 or more residents or staff with respiratory symptoms in a period of 72 hours. We continue with our robust infection control prevention and control program implementation. We are continuing with universal masking at all times while in the facility, vigorous hand hygiene, frequent assessment of residents and staff, use of PPE, and social distancing.
Of course we will continue to call you directly if there is any change in condition of your loved one. You are also free to call us if you have any questions or concerns of any kind. We remain grateful for the opportunity to be a part of your lives and to be of service to you in our provision of quality skilled nursing care and rehabilitation services.
Melissa Truesdell
Executive Director
Owyhee Health & Rehabilitation Center
mtruesdell@ensignservices.net
208-337-3168
208-337-4892 (fax)
