Today, we were notified of an employee from Prairie View who has tested positive. Prairie View will continue PPT/Outbreak testing along with Meadows on Main and RenVilla. There have been no other changes for RHS.
In addition, please see this message from Renville County Public Health regarding Covid-19. The link is below:
For Thanksgiving, we will be dearly missing some of our RHS traditions, but we have a day packed with festivities and ideas to make this as special for residents and tenants as we can. During the day, we will be having Turkey Bingo and games. We are having movie(s) and making popcorn in the evening. Room service trays will be decorated with festive placemats, decorative turkeys, and handmade nametags. The silverware will be wrapped in linen napkins, and the residents/tenants planned the dinner and dessert menus of their choosing.
RHS completed outbreak testing on 11/17/2020 at RenVilla, Prairie View, and Meadows on Main. The results are as follows:
RenVilla – a therapy provider and an essential caregiver tested positive. No staff or residents tested positive. These 2 cases count as new cases. Therefore, RenVilla will need to continue PPT/Outbreak testing for 2 more full rounds. Residents will next be tested 11/24. In addition, Renville County has moved into the red requiring SNF staff, providers, compassionate care, and essential care givers to be tested twice a week. This week’s 2nd round was today. We will continue to do this Tuesdays and Fridays into the foreseeable future.
Prairie View – 2 tenants tested positive at Prairie View. They are both in quarantine on the Covid Unit, and precautions are still in place to prevent any further transmission. No staff tested positive. PV will need to continue PPT/Outbreak testing. The next scheduled test day is 11/24.
Meadows on Main – All tenants and staff tested negative at Meadows. This was their 2nd round of PPT/Outbreak testing. At this time, they will not need to complete PPT/Outbreak test next week.
We recently learned that the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and the federal Medicare agency (CMS) are advising against residents leaving their care center for holiday visits. As we continue to fight against COVID-19, we ask that you not take your loved ones out this Thanksgiving.
By not taking your loved one out for a holiday visit, you will help us in protecting the health of everyone who lives and works here. One of the best things that you can do for your family this holiday season is to not gather in groups and keep everyone safe by wearing a facemask when you do.
We know just how special the holiday season can be and spending time with family is what adds meaning to our celebrations. However, we need your help to protect our residents, our staff, and yourself during this pandemic’s risky time by limiting our contact with the broader community. As Governor Walz told us the other night, the COVID-19 surge is at a dangerous level in Minnesota.
This past year has been a challenge like no other, and we deeply appreciate the sacrifices that you and your family have already made during these past months. The hope of a COVID-19 vaccine is promising, but until that time we all need to use extra caution to slow the spread of this highly contagious disease.
If a resident does choose to go to a holiday gathering outside of our care center (RenVilla, Prairie View, or Meadows on Main), the resident will need to quarantine in his or her room for 14-days after returning as a necessary precaution. Even when being very careful and following all of the guidelines, the risk of being infected when being out in the general public is high.
Our staff is committed to keeping you connected during the holiday seasons. We have a variety of activities planned that will engage our residents and are doing all we can to facilitate alternative means of communication between you and your loved one. If you have any gifts or cards you would like to give to your loved one or wish to schedule a virtual visit, please contact your Home Care Director or Deb Vizecky at dvizecky@renvilla.sfhs.org.
We know that this news may cause concern or that you may have questions about what we are doing to keep everyone safe and healthy. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me at (320) 329-4373 or cknoshal@renvilla.sfhs.org.
RHS completed point-prevelance testing/outbreak testing on 11/10/2020. The results are as follows:
RenVilla test results for residents and staff returned. All are negative. Testing will again occur on 11/17.
Prairie View test results for tenants and staff have all returned. 2 tenants tested positive. This triggered the reactivation of the Covid Unit, and the tenants are currently in quarantine. No employees tested positive. To prevent any further transmission, this also initiated facility quarantine. Testing will again occur on 11/17.
Meadows on Main test results for tenant and staff returned. All are negative. Testing will again occur on 11/17.
With the Minnesota daily case rate continuously hitting record high numbers, we ask the community to do their part in slowing the spread. The case rate increase is hitting Minnesota and local healthcare systems very hard right now. Following the link below is a graph provided by the Minnesota Department of Health and can be found at https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/situation.html. Please wear a mask and physically distance.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions at (320) 329-4373.
This week, Meadows on Main completed its 2nd round of PPT/Outbreak Testing. All tests returned negative. They will not need to test next week. Following CMS guidelines, Meadows on Main will host indoor visits again shortly not that PPT/outbreak testing is complete. Our county is currently in the “yellow” category, requiring us to have all visitors to have a negative COVID test prior to the indoor visit. All visits must be scheduled in advance, please contact Deb Wertish at dwertish@renvilla.sfhs.org to schedule your visit. Outdoor visitation can occur without visitor testing as before (scheduled with visitor screening).
RenVilla had a positive case exposure that was communicated to residents/families on Tuesday November 3rd. Due to the risk of exposure, we are required to start PPT/Outbreak testing for 2 consecutive rounds of no new cases. CDC county transmission level for Renville County went into the “yellow” requiring weekly staff test regardless of positivity status.
Prairie View had a positive case exposure as well that was communicated to resident/families on Tuesday November 3rd. Due to the risk of exposure, we are required to start PPT/Outbreak testing for 2 consecutive rounds of no new cases.
RenVilla and Prairie View will discontinue all indoor visits until further notice (not including Compassionate Care or Essential Caregivers). Our top priority is to support and protect our residents and dedicated caregivers. We have equipped our staff with the training and supplies needed to provide safe, quality care, services and support to our residents. We continue to urge everyone to practice proper hand hygiene and safe physical distancing.
Please follow our website www.rhs.sfhs.org and/or Facebook page (@Renville Health Services) for all COVID updates and information on what is happening inside our care center. If you have specific questions or concerns, please contact Casie Knoshal, Administrator at 320-329-4373 or by email at cknoshal@renvilla.sfhs.org.
As of 10/29/2020, we have no confirmed cases of COVID-19 at RenVilla, MOM, PV, or ERC. We routinely test staff weekly at RenVilla. This will be moving to monthly based on CMS reported county transmission rates. We completed the first round of Point-Prevalence Testing for staff and tenants at MOM this week. All tests returned negative. We will be conducting the 2nd (hopefully final) round on 11/3 at MOM. There were no changes for PV or ERC. We follow all recommendations from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
While we welcome the new indoor visitation guidelines, we continue to monitor the COVID outbreak in our community and nearby counties. RHS may ask visitors to get tested for COVID-19 prior to visiting with your loved one. Even when not experiencing symptoms, you may test positive for COVID-19 and spread the virus without knowing. Buildings conducting Point-Prevalence Testing cannot have indoor visits until after that testing is complete. To discuss scheduling your visit or for more information on our visitation policy, please contact:
COVID continues to change the way we celebrate holidays. This year our Halloween celebrations include window costume parades, virtual costume contests, and treat bag giveaways.
Looking for ways to help? We have a variety of positions available with flexible scheduling and on the job training. Most specifically, we are hiring for door screeners. For more information or to apply, visit www.jobswithus.org.
Don’t forget to get your flu shot this season to help protect our community. Please follow our website www.rhs.sfhs.org and/or Facebook page (@Renville Health Services) for all COVID updates and information on what is happening inside RHS. If you have specific questions or concerns, please contact Casie Knoshal, Administrator at 320-329-4373 or by email at cknoshal@renvilla.sfhs.org.
As of 10/22/2020, we have no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in our care center or housing buildings. Our next round of staff testing is on 10/27/2020 for RenVilla staff. We follow all recommendations from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
Our care center and housing buildings have plans to start indoor visitation. We have begun the process of scheduling those visits. As a safety precaution, we are requesting visitors to follow the same surveillance testing frequency requirements as employees. As a reminder, we will follow state and federal guidance for visitation, which includes following the core infection control protocols, including screening of all visitors for signs & symptoms of COVID, proper hand hygiene, face coverings, and social distancing. Please recognize that this virus is still spreading throughout our state and that we may need to restrict visitation if we experience positive cases of COVID-19 in our settings, identify a broader risk of exposure both in our settings and/or the broader community, or encounter other factors that affect the safety of visitation.
Due to high demand and the safety of our residents, all visits must be scheduled in advance. As a reminder, only two people may visit at one time. To schedule your visit or for more information on our visitation policy, please contact per building:
We will be hosting a virtual Family Council Meeting on November 4, 2020 from 5:00 – 5:30PM for RenVilla family members. The directions to access the meeting are as follows.
RenVilla Family Council Wed, Nov 4, 2020 5:00 PM – 5:30 PM (CST)
Please follow our website www.rhs.sfhs.org and/or Facebook page (@Renville Health Services) for all COVID updates and information on what is happening inside our care center. If you have specific questions or concerns, please contact Casie Knoshal, Administrator at 320-329-4373 or by email at cknoshal@renvilla.sfhs.org.
We conducted point-prevalence (outbreak) testing on 10/13/2020. There were no new positive residents and no new positive staff. This means that RenVilla will now be able to transition into surveillance testing. Surveillance testing is conducted in correlation with Renville’s county transmission rate per CMS. Renville County is currently in the yellow. This means RenVilla will test employees weekly. We will be testing staff on 10/20/2020.
We are very excited to share the news that we will soon be able to resume indoor visits, and warmly welcome you back into our care center. The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has issued guidance on how we can safely re-open to visitors while continuing to protect the health of our residents and staff. This guidance takes effect on October 17th. In the meantime, we remind you to take advantage of outdoor visits, window visits, and virtual visits.
Even though we are excited to open up our care center for indoor visits, it is tempered by the fact that rural communities are seeing more outbreaks in recent weeks which has the potential to impact our care center’s ability to offer visitation. There can be no new onset of COVID-19 cases in the last 14 days and facility cannot currently be conducting outbreak testing. COVID-19 county positivity rates will determine how our care center will facilitate indoor visits.
For your planning purposes, please know we expect to accommodate indoor visitation very soon, following these strict guidelines:
All indoor visits MUST be scheduled in advance.
Visitors will be asked to follow the same surveillance testing requirements as staff.
Visitors must be screened prior to entering the care center for signs and symptoms of COVID-19.
All visits must be conducted using social distancing.
Visitors must wear a mask covering both nose and mouth while in the care center. Residents must wear a surgical mask during the visit.
Proper hand hygiene must occur (use of alcohol-based hand rub) throughout visit.
Visits will be restricted to a designated area within the building.
Physical contact (hugs, kisses, handshakes, etc.) continues to be restricted to protect everyone from potential virus transmission.
Visitors will be limited to two visitors per resident; the total number of visitors in the building will also be limited; and the duration of visits will be limited.
Visitors must adhere to all infection control policies (ICP) and staff should provide monitoring for those who may have difficulty adhering to ICP
Cleaning/disinfecting high frequency touched surfaces and designated visitation areas must occur after each visit.
All items brought to the visit must be left with staff for disinfection and not passed to the resident during the visit.
Our ability to resume visitation would not have been possible without the incredible commitment and dedication of our staff. They have been working tirelessly to manage the risks of COVID-19 and providing compassionate care and support to our residents at a time when they are physically separated from their loved ones. We know that you too, have made sacrifices during this incredibly difficult time and we thank you for your patience and understanding.
Please follow our website www.rhs.sfhs.org and/or Facebook page (@Renville Health Services) for all COVID updates and information on what is happening inside our care center. If you have specific questions or concerns, please contact Casie Knoshal, Administrator at 320-329-4373 or by email at cknoshal@renvilla.sfhs.org.
As families were updated earlier this week, a symptomatic RenVilla employee was tested after last week’s PPT testing, and the results came back positive. The employee had worked just shy of 2 days prior to symptom onset. Therefore, we restarted the utilization of full PPE for all residents (this includes gowning) due to the possibility of exposure. Also reported to families earlier this week, a resident that became symptomatic tested positive utilizing the rapid antigen machine. The resident is now in quarantine in the COVID Unit.
All RenVilla residents and staff were tested on October 6th. There was 1 employee who tested positive. However, that employee has not worked at RHS since 9/18/2020. Therefore, the transmission for the employee is unrelated to the building and there was no risk of exposure to the residents or employees here at RHS. All other results returned negative. We will be testing again on October 13th. We continue to follow all recommendations from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
We deeply appreciate the sacrifices you continue to make to limit the impact of COVID-19 on our community and your patience as we navigate through the COVID Pandemic. Our entire team looks forward to seeing you again. Families, friends and volunteers are a core fabric of what makes our community so special. In the meantime, we remind you to take advantage of window visits and the ability to connect residents and their loved ones through alternative communication, such as FaceTime, Zoom and Skype.
Thank you again for being partners with us in fighting the COVID-19 virus. Your messages of support, prayers, and caring is important to those working to keep our residents healthy and safe. Please follow our Facebook page (@Renville Health Services) for all COVID updates and information on what is happening inside our care center. If you have specific questions or concerns, please contact Casie, Administrator at 320-329-4373 or by email at cknoshal@renvilla.sfhs.org.
Since 9/23/2020, the RenVilla has had 2 residents test positive for COVID-19 and 0 employees test positive. The RenVilla residents and employees were all tested for COVID-19 on 09/29/2020. Those results all returned negative. We will be testing again on October 6th. We will continue to test weekly until we have 2 weeks of no new cases (residents or staff). After that point we will test based on community transmission. That is reviewed weekly, but currently, transmission rates would also require us to test weekly.
We continue to follow all recommendations from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
We have received our rapid Antigen testing machine. We are using this technology to test residents and staff that are showing signs and symptoms in order to quickly quarantine positive residents and staff from the rest of our community. These tests show results within an hour and are then confirmed by the PCR testing that usually takes between 2-7 days.
The coming cooler months will continue to challenge us in limiting the impact of COVID-19 on our community. It is important for each of us to think about how our actions affect others we come in contact with. We must protect one another. You are a key partner in the safe reopening of our care center, please remember to social distance, wear a mask, and practice proper hand hygiene. Remember to stay home if you have symptoms of COVID-19 or have had close contact with someone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19.
Due to the positive cases in our care center. We are unable to resume patio visits at this time, but we are preparing to resume them as soon as possible within MDH regulations.
Staff will continue to wear PPE and follow rigorous infection control protocols. The COVID Unit is continuing to function effectively. The staff that work on the unit have zero physical contact with the non-segregated unit/staff/residents. The unit is completely physically segregated from our buildings.
We could not fight this battle without our remarkable staff of caregivers. Every day, they risk their own health to provide our residents with the support and compassion they need.
Please follow our Facebook page (@Renville Health Services) for all COVID updates and information on what is happening inside our care center. If you have specific questions or concerns, please contact Casie, Administrator at 320-329-4373 or by email at cknoshal@renvilla.sfhs.org.
RenVilla residents and employees were tested for COVID-19 on 09/22/2020. All results have been received and are shown in the chart below. We have had 0 residents test positive for COVID-19. We had 1 employee test positive. This employee has had no contact with residents and has had extremely low contact with staff as contact is not required within the employee’s job function. We will be testing again on September 29th. Even with no new cases, community transmission rates in Renville County will require us to continue weekly testing at this point in time at skilled nursing facilities. We continue to follow all recommendations from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
Tests Positive
Tests Negative
Tests Pending
Total Tested
Residents
0
37
0
37
Staff
1
75
0
76
9/22/2020 Results
Due to the lack of exposure to positive cases for the necessary timeframe, RHS is now able to end facility wide quarantine. Residents will be able to move about in the facility and go outside much more easily. Activities will be resuming patio time for residents with music this weekend. We are unable to resume patio visits at this time, but we are preparing to resume them as soon as possible within MDH regulations. We are also preparing for indoor visits for when the weather is colder. How we will be able to facilitate indoor visits is still in process.
Staff will continue to wear PPE and follow rigorous infection control protocols. The COVID Unit is continuing to function effectively. The staff that work on the unit have zero physical contact with the non-segregated unit/staff/residents. The unit is completely physically segregated from our buildings. Over the course of the summer, the unit has been open and taking care of positive case for 40 days. In this time, 0 staff working the unit have tested positive and 0 concerns of transmission related to the unit have occurred.
We continue to be concerned with the overwhelming amount of new cases in Renville County, surrounding counties, and across Minnesota. Thankfully, we have experience, and we have a proven process to keep residents as safe as possible. This puts us in a unique position to help our community’s most vulnerable if they test positive with our currently operational segregated unit.
Please follow our Facebook page (@Renville Health Services) for all COVID updates and information on what is happening inside our care center. If you have specific questions or concerns, please contact Casie, Administrator at 320-329-4373 or by email at cknoshal@renvilla.sfhs.org.
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