COVID-19 Facility and Resident Update

COVID-19 UPDATE

Date: September 22, 2020

Under the guidance of CDPH, CDC, CMS and VCPH we are continuing with our weekly testing of all Health Care Personnel (HCP) and effective September 17, 2020, our residents began weekly testing based on new guidelines called Response-Driven testing.

Response-Driven Testing is defined as soon as possible after one (or more) COVID-19 positive individuals (resident or HCP] is identified in a facility, serial retesting of all residents and HCP who test negative upon the prior round of testing should be performed every seven days until no new cases are identified among residents in two sequential rounds of testing; the facility may then resume their regular screening testing schedule for HCP.

For residents this means:

• If testing capacity is not sufficient to serially retest all residents, prioritize response testing of residents on the same unit(s) where COVID-19 positive residents or HCP were identified.

• Two sequential rounds of negative response testing among residents is generally considered evidence that transmission has been halted among residents; if positive HCP are identified in subsequent response-testing rounds after transmission has been halted among residents, the SNF may consider more targeted response testing of residents only on the same unit(s) where the positive HCP were identified, in consultation with their local health department.

On September 17, 2020, VCPH provided additional guidance related to visitations, for which they highly recommended all visitations, including outdoor gate visits be discontinued for at least two weeks or until further notification. Because our priority is to ensure our residents and staff are in a safe and healthy environment, we have implemented VCPH’s recommendation. Our residents and families will be immediately notified when visits can be resumed.

Due to staffing adjustments, our Certified Nursing Assistants are currently responsible for coordinating Facetime calls with families and their loved one. Until further notified, we are asking families to schedule no more than two Facetime calls per week. With limited administrative staff available on the weekends to screen packages, we will only accept drop-off packages for residents Monday through Friday, from 9:00 A.M. to 4:30 P.M.

• Measures to Prevent Covid-19 - Click to View Document
• Measures for Preparedness- Click to View Document

Mary Health Residents and Families 
Mary Health’s Nursing and Interdisciplinary Teams’ priority is providing high-quality care and life safety for each resident and patient. During this trying time, we are working to ensure residents and families feel a sense of connectedness especially because visits with loved ones are restricted. We are encouraging families to schedule time with their loved ones through phone calls, mobile calls, Facetime, Skype, WhatsApp and video technology. To schedule time with a loved one, please email activities@maryhealth.com or contact Shideh Afshar, Administrator by phone at 805-498-3644 or email at nha@maryhealth.com. 
If families need to reach us or their loved ones, we have two mobile lines accepting calls 24/7. To reach Station 1, please call 805-765-5111, and to reach Station 2, please call 805-765-0687.

Commitment to Support Our Staff, Residents, and Community 
Mary Health of the Sick remains committed to staying up to date with the recommendations of the agencies listed above and to follow their guidelines in a rigorous effort to keep our valued employees and deserving residents healthy. We are committed to keeping Mary Health of the Sick virus-free and therefore, a safe haven for our employees, residents, and community. Our team continues to research new recommendations that are released daily. As new information becomes available, there will be changes to the way we are managing resident and patient care. We are committed to keeping you informed through communication on our website and Facebook.

Thank You to Our Community 

There is no better time than now to thank our community of doctors, nurses, healthcare teams, first responders, essential workers, donors, families, and residents for persevering together in the effort to stop the COVID-19 pandemic.  
We are immensely grateful to our physicians, healthcare partners, local and state agencies for their guidance in helping us to navigate this health crisis.  
We are especially proud and appreciative of our nurses who provide compassionate high-quality care to our residents and patients. Our valued team of 95 employees make up several departments—their caring service and their top priority is keeping everyone safe and virus-free. 
Families and residents give us strength with their spirit of grace and patience to endure the time they are away from each other. And In this time of scarcity of Personal Protective Equipment, we are very grateful to many of our donors, friends, and charitable organizations who have been generous in donating N-95 masks, surgical masks, cloth masks, and gloves.  
Thank you Community,  for your support and generosity, we will get through this together. 

For Information on COVID-19), please click on the links below. 
for Medicare and Medicaid Services 
www.cms.gov 
Center for Disease Control and Prevention 
www.cdc.gov 
California Department of Public Health 
www.cdph.ca.gov 
Ventura County Health Care Agency 
www.vchca.org 
Ventura County Emergency 
www.vcemergency.com