As of today, there have been no known cases of Coronavirus in our care centers. We continue to follow all recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). Staff are completing full vital signs daily on our residents. Temperature checks and respiratory assessments are being done on separate shifts. All staff continue to be screened before coming into work and are required to wear masks and eye protection. In the event we do have a confirmed case in our community, we will notify our residents, family members, and our staff. We will also be reporting any COVID-19 infections to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Minnesota has successfully slowed the spread of the virus during the Governor’s stay at home mandate. This has given us time to prepare and plan for the possibility of an outbreak in our communities. We have sufficient personal protective equipment (PPE) to provide protection for your loved ones and staff. Although the idea of a loved one or staff being diagnosed with COVID-19 may be scary, we want to assure you, we are prepared.

Last week Governor Waltz extended the stay at home order through May 18^th, 2020. We continue to encourage all visitors to follow the stay at home mandate. If you choose not to and are planning to make a window visit with your loved one, we ask that you call ahead so we can assist the resident during the visit. We appreciate our residents and their family members for adapting to the precautions we have set in place to ensure everyone’s safety. As always, updates and information on our preparedness for COVID-19 can be found on our website (www.sfhs.org) or Facebook page. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us with any questions or concerns.

As of today, there have been no known cases of Coronavirus in our care centers. We continue to follow all recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). This week we implemented another layer of defense in our care centers; our direct care staff will not only be wearing masks while on duty, but also protective eyewear. We continue to do everything we can to ensure the safety of our residents and staff.  We are continuously researching best practices to maximize our infection control protocols for the segregated COVID-19 units within our buildings in the event they are utilized.  These protocols include:

• Using N95 respirators and PPE for all staff working with COVID-19 patients.
• Enforcing strict donning and doffing PPE procedures.
• Ensuring we have sufficient personal protective equipment (PPE).
• Designating strict travel paths and entrances/exits for staff.
• Assuring extensive communication internally and externally.
• Ensuring we have appropriate staffing levels.

As you may be aware, the Governor has allowed some non-essential businesses in Minnesota to return to work. While restrictions are being lifted for some businesses, the Stay At Home Order is still in place and the best option.  Our care centers continue to restrict visitations.  Please be assured our activities staff continue to find creative ways to entertain and engage our residents while maintaining social distancing. Pictures and updates of your loved ones activities can be seen on our care center’s Facebook page.  In addition, all information regarding our Planning and Preparedness for Coronavirus can be found on our website (www.sfhs.org). We encourage you to reach out to us with any questions and concerns.

            This week we have implemented another recommendation from the Minnesota Department of Health. We are asking all residents to wear surgical masks while receiving care from our staff in their rooms and while they are in any common areas. This is another preventative measure to ensure the safety of our residents and staff.

            As of today, there are no known cases of Coronavirus in our care centers. We continue to monitor all residents and staff for signs and symptoms of illness that could indicate a COVID-19 infection. In an effort to be transparent, we wanted to share our plans with you in the event there may be an outbreak in our care center. While we hope that we are not impacted by COVID-19, we are prepared for it.

• We will follow all recommendations by the Minnesota Department of Health, CMS and CDC.
•  If a resident has a confirmed case, the resident – unless they are hospitalized – will be transferred within our care center to our designated isolation unit. The entrance to this unit will be used only for these residents and the staff that will work in this area.
• Once the resident is placed in isolation they will receive the recommended levels of care from designated staff who will not have contact with other residents in our care center.
• We will contact the family members of residents who are placed in isolation as soon as possible.
• We will also contact residents and families (the first-listed responsible party) by telephone, letter, or Bright Arrow text that we have a confirmed case in our care center. Please ensure we have updated contact information in your loved one’s medical record.

            We truly appreciate your continued support and understanding as we navigate through this pandemic. We will update you as this situation progresses. Feel free to forward this letter on to family and friends that wish to stay informed and remember to follow us on Facebook and our website (www.sfhs.org) for more updates. As always, reach out to us with any questions or concerns.

MN’s Governor, Tim Walz, instituted a stay at home order beginning Saturday, March 28^th, 2020 which has now been extended to May 4^th.  St. Francis encourages all visitors to honor the stay at home order.  We also recognize how difficult it is not to see your loved one and how difficult it is for our residents to not see their loved ones. 

Prior to the governor’s stay at home order, we encouraged visiting with residents through windows. While these visits are a creative way to bring joy to our residents, we encountered some difficulties. Throughout Minnesota, windows were opened and items were passed through the window to a resident potentially exposing not just the resident being visited, but other residents and staff of the care center.  Residents are also at greater risk of falling in their attempt to try to get to a window without assistance.  Privacy issues occurred as visitors were walking by windows of other residents. 

Again, we encourage you to follow the governor’s stay at home mandate.  As indicated in the governor’s address, the stay at home mandate has successfully bought Minnesota time to better prepare for the imminent outbreak. 

If you choose not to follow the governor’s stay at home mandate and plan to make a window visit to your loved one, we ask that you call ahead and schedule the visit so an employee is available to assist the resident at that time.  We encourage you to use alternative means of communicating with residents such as phone calls, Facebook, Skype, etc.  Thank you for your patience as we learn how to navigate visitors in these unprecedented times. Our highest priority is reducing the risk of occurrence and transmission within our communities.