Important Coronavirus Update

Coronavirus Disease 2019, or COVID-19, is a new respiratory virus first identified in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.  The World Health Organization (WHO) recently declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. If you develop a fever or cough or have difficulty breathing, or have had close contact with someone who has had a presumptive positive or confirmed positive COVID-19 test result, please seek medical attention by calling your provider’s office. For more information regarding the coronavirus, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website.

As leaders in mental healthcare, we are making every effort to avoid inciting unnecessary panic or anxiety among our clients and families, and we are taking every measure to protect them – along with our employees – during this dynamic situation. We are closely monitoring information provided by key government, regulatory and local entities. In the interest of protecting the health and safety of our patients, staff and our community, the following have been implemented.

Facility Services and Programs

• Our facility is fully operational. We are monitoring for symptoms in patients and staff. We are taking proactive steps to keep our patients and team members safe while serving the needs of our community. We are actively monitoring and responding to all recommendations made by the CDC and our local regulatory and health authorities.
• Community education programs may be cancelled/postponed; please see event details and follow us on Facebook for updates.
• We have implemented additional training for all employees on handwashing and hand sanitization, and strict employee and client compliance with washing/sanitizing hands thoroughly and often.
• We have increased the frequency of the required cleaning and sanitization of our facility, including intake rooms, surfaces and common areas.

Hand-Sewn Face Mask Donation

Our staff of healthcare providers is currently equipped to keep patients and our workers safe. However, it is expected that over the next few weeks, we will experience a shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) including non-surgical face masks. If you are interested in providing hand-sewn masks to our facility, kindly follow the user-friendly instructions here. We thank you for your generosity and your time.

• Community Face Mask Instructions – Click here to download
• Community Face Mask Instructions Video (11 min) – Click here to watch
  Provided by Providence St. Joseph Health

Visitation — New Temporary Policy

The following is in effect until further notice:

• All in-person visitation has been suspended (with limited critical exceptions). We strongly encourage the use of electronic methods to stay connected with loved ones including telemedicine, zoom, and extended phone time.

Prevention

The CDC recommends individuals and families follow everyday preventive measures:

• Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue, then dispose of the tissue.
• Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds; especially after using the bathroom, before eating, and after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing.
• If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with 60–95% alcohol.
• Routinely clean frequently touched surfaces and objects.
• Stay home when you are sick with respiratory disease symptoms.
• The CDC does not recommend that people who are well wear a facemask to protect themselves from respiratory illnesses, including coronavirus. You should only wear a mask if a health care professional recommends it or if you have the virus and are showing symptoms.

Thank you for your cooperation and for being an advocate for the health of your loved ones and all patients in our care.