Dear Patients, Families and Community:

In keeping with our commitment to remain connected with you, I want to keep you apprised of the most current information on behalf of Lee Health & Rehab Center.

COVID-19
As of the date of this letter, we continue to have no patients or employees that have tested positive for COVID-19. We feel encouraged by this news and hope you do, as well.

Mitigation
Each week, I am sharing information about the many of mitigation efforts used to keep COVID-19 from spreading into the center. Universal source control is another means of minimizing the chance for exposure to the virus. All staff wear masks throughout the center and patients wear masks when leaving their rooms or when receiving care. We are minimizing the number of individuals who are entering the center and requiring them to comply with the same screening procedures as our staff. We offer telemedicine visits to specialists, where appropriate, and take special precautions when a patient must leave the center for an outside appointment, such as dialysis.

Testing
We anticipate receiving state-specific guidance regarding point prevalence testing as early as today. We will continue to work with the local health department to determine the best approach for this testing in our center. We currently have access to COVID-19 testing through the health department and a private laboratory when ordered by a provider. I will provide more information on a center-specific plan for testing in the coming weeks.

PPE
Our PPE supply remains adequate. For several months we have used PPE optimization and conservation strategies as defined by the CDC to ensure sustainability of our supply. We are working towards implementing normal use of PPE over the coming weeks as supply chains open up.

Visitation
The federal mandate to restrict visitation in our setting remains, as I’m sure you’re aware. We continue to offer video calls as an ongoing option for visually connecting with your loved one. We are able to schedule more outdoor activities at the center, which is a welcomed change for patients and staff. We expect more guidance from both the state and federal government very soon that will provide a pathway for releasing the restrictions on visitation in our center. In the meantime, the CDC recently published the attached guide with helpful suggestions for supporting your loved one in a nursing facility. If you are interested in any of these options, please feel free to reach out the center and we will make every effort to adapt these recommendations to work within the center.

Communication
I want to remind you that we have a communication plan posted on our website, which provides you the expectations for consistent communication. If there is a change in the COVID-19 status at the center, we will communicate by multiple means. If you have not already, please make certain that the center has your most current contact information, including a cell phone number, so you do not miss an important notification.

Thank You
Having the support of the local community and the network of families of patients in the center has provided much needed strength to the staff. Maintaining a positive attitude with the ever-present threat of COVID-19 in our communities has been made possible by your acts of kindness through positive feedback, supplying food for the staff, and many other personal gestures. We thank you for this continued support.

As always, please feel free to reach out to me directly with concerns or questions.

Sincerely,

Ashley Jones, BSN, RN, LNHA
Administrator

To read the official letter, please click here!