Today we received the last of our COVID testing results from 10/19/20, and we are thrilled to announce that all results were negative!! This means we will continue routinely testing staff monthly. 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).

We are ready to begin limited indoor visitation in accordance with the MN Department of Health Guidance. At this time, we do not require visitors to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test, but that may change in the future. We are however required to comply with several rules to ensure the safety of the residents, our staff and you, the visitor. The following rules will be enforced:

• Visits for the Zumbrota Care Center will be available on Tuesdays from 2:00 pm to 4:30 pm and Thursday from 10:00 am to 11:30 am.

• Visits for Bridges of Zumbrota will be available Tuesday through Friday from 10 am to 2 pm, and from 6:30-7:30 pm.

• All visits must be scheduled 24-hours in advance. Appointments can be made with Lacey at lboesen@zhs.sfhs.org or (507) 732-8409 for the care center and with Virginia at (507) 732-8455 or Barb at (507) 732-8414 for BOZ.

• Up to 2 people may visit at one time. Children under the age of 12 must be under the complete control of an adult.

• All visitors will be screened at the front lobby entrance for the Bridges and the Dayroom outdoor exit door for the Care Center and agree to the visitation rules

• Visits at the Care Center will be held in Dayroom (outside door facing West side) and in Apartment 101 at the Bridges will last for up to 25 minutes

• Visitors will be expected to provide their own mask

• Visitors will agree to maintain the 6’ social distance from the residents

• All items brought in for the resident needs to be given to staff for sanitizing

Due to limited facilities for indoor visitation, we are only able to accommodate one visit per resident per week and we need to strictly enforce the time limit so others have an opportunity to see their loved one. We are very excited to welcome you back to the Zumbrota Care Center and Bridges of Zumbrota and please watch for more updates as we will hopefully expand visitation hours in the near future.

Looking for ways to help? We have a variety of positions available with flexible scheduling and on the job training. For more information or to apply, visit www.jobswithus.org and search “Zumbrota.”

Please follow our Facebook page (@Zumbrota Health Services) or our website (www.zhs.sfhs.org) for all COVID updates and information on what is happening inside our care center. Please do not hesitate to reach out to Laura Erickson, Administrator, at 507-732-8132 or by email at lerickson@zhs.sfhs.org if you have any questions or concerns.

October 14^th, 2020

On Monday, October 12^th, we conducted outbreak testing on our residents and staff. We are happy to announce that we had NO additional positive cases of COVID-19 in our care center.  We will be testing again on Monday, October 21^st. Unfortunately, we are not able to allow patio visits at this time. 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 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 17^th.  In the meantime, we remind you to take advantage of 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 outbreak 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 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 may 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 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, who have worked 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 by 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.

Looking for ways to help? We have a variety of positions available with flexible scheduling and on the job training. For more information or to apply, visit www.jobswithus.org.

Please follow our Facebook page (@Zumbrota Health Services) or our website (www.sfhs.org) for all COVID updates and information on what is happening inside our care center. Please do not hesitate to reach out to Laura Erickson, Administrator, at 507-732-8132 or by email at lerickson@zhs.sfhs.org if you have any questions or concerns.

October 7th, 2020

We regret to inform you that during our routine staff testing on Monday, October 5th, we had one staff member test positive for COVID-19. This positive case causes Zumbrota Health Services to conduct weekly entire-site testing again. Our first round of testing for all residents and staff will take place on Monday October 12th. 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).

Due to the positive case in our care center, we will discontinue patio visits at this time. As a reminder, we must have two consecutive weeks with no additional cases to resume outdoor visitation. We deeply appreciate the sacrifices you made to limit the impact of COVID-19 on our community and your patience as we navigate through these unprecedented times. 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 our closed window visits and the ability to connect residents and their loved ones through alternative communication, such as FaceTime, Zoom and Skype.

Looking for ways to help? We have a variety of positions available with flexible scheduling and on the job training. For more information or to apply, visit www.jobswithus.org.

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. Without a doubt, there will be more challenges ahead, and we continue to ask for your patience. Please follow our Facebook page (@Zumbrota Health Services) or our website (www.sfhs.org) for all COVID updates and information on what is happening inside our care center. Please do not hesitate to reach out to Laura Erickson, Administrator, at 507-732-8132 or by email at lerickson@zhs.sfhs.org if you have any questions or concerns.

Dear ZHS Family and Friends,

We performed our 3rd round of entire-site testing on 9/28/2020. We are excited to announce that all tests have returned negative for COVID-19. We have now gone two consecutive weeks without any additional cases allowing us to discontinue entire-site testing of our residents. Our staff will continue to be routinely tested weekly, following CMS guidelines. Our next round of routine staff testing will take place on Monday, 10/5/2020.

Following the State and Federal guidelines, we will end facility wide quarantine and resume limited communal dining. Patio visits will resume shortly. Please know we continue to offer window visits and virtual visits. Please contact Lacey Boesen, Activity Director, at lboesen@zhs.sfhs.org to schedule your visit in advance.

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.

If you or someone you know may be interested in working side by side with us as we truly make a difference in the lives of our residents, please contact our care center or visit www.jobswithus.org and search “Zumbrota” for more information.

We truly appreciate your patience as we prepare to expand visits and other activities. We all look forward to the days ahead when we’re able to enjoy the simple pleasures of hugs, handshakes, and warm in-person greetings again.

Thank you again for being partners with us in fighting the COVID-19 virus. Updated information on our planning and preparedness for Coronavirus and our activities within our care center can be found by visiting our website (www.zhs.sfhs.org) or our Facebook page. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me at 507-732-8132 or by email at lerickson@zhs.sfhs.org.

Laura Erickson

Administrator

9/23/20

Dear Family and Friends of ZHS,

Last week we learned that a second staff member at the Care Center tested positive for COVID-19. This event triggered our planned process of entire-site testing. We conducted our second round of COVID-19 testing on Monday, September 21^st. Today we received our results, and all residents AND staff were negative for COVID-19. We will be testing again on Monday, September 28^th. Please note, we will continue entire-site testing until we have gone two consecutive weeks with no additional cases.

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. All staff are equipped with surgical masks, face shields, and gowns.

Due to the COVID-19 situation in our care center, our residents are in quarantine. We have discontinued communal dining and small, social distanced, group activities. We will not be able to allow patio visits or open-widow visits at this time. We are continuing to schedule closed window visits with residents and virtual visits. Please contact our care center to schedule your visit.

We appreciate all the support, prayers, and offers of help that we’ve received. If you have specific questions or concerns, please contact me at 507-732-8132 or lerickson@zhs.sfhs.org.   

Sincerely,

Laura Erickson

Administrator

Last week we learned that one of our staff members had tested positive for COVID-19. This event triggered our planned process of entire-site testing. We conducted our first round of testing on Monday, September 14^th.  All residents were negative for COVID-19, but we have had 1 additional staff member test positive. We will be testing again on Monday, September 21^st. Please note, we will continue entire-site testing until we have gone 2 consecutive weeks with no additional cases.

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. All staff are equipped with surgical masks, face shields, and gowns.

Due to the COVID-19 situation in our care center, our residents are in quarantine. We have discontinued communal dining and small, social distanced, group activities. We will not be able to allow patio visits or open-widow visits at this time. We are continuing to schedule closed window visits with residents and virtual visits. Please contact our care center to schedule your visit.

We appreciate all the support, prayers, and offers of help that we’ve received. If you have specific questions or concerns, please contact me at 507-732-8132 or lerickson@zhs.sfhs.org.   

Sincerely,

Laura Erickson

Administrator

Dear Family and Friends,

Although not unexpected, as of 9/10/2020, we have a staff member in our care center who has tested positive for COVID-19. Our top priority is to keep everyone safe and healthy. We are collaborating with our Medical Director and the Minnesota Department of Health and are following all recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to ensure we are taking all appropriate steps at this time.

With the confirmed positive case of COVID-19 in our care center, we will move forward with entire site testing for both residents and staff. We understand that this decision may result in increased confirmed cases, but the results will allow us to accurately isolate the virus and prevent the spread in our community. We believe this is the best way to protect residents, staff and our community and track the path of the virus.

In the event we have any residents test positive, we would activate our COVID unit. The unit is segregated from the rest of our community. The designated staff that care for residents in this unit remain within the area and do not have physical contact with other non-segregated residents. Any staff who test positive will be self-quarantined at home and will not be allowed to return to work until they recover from the virus; 10 days following positive test and 72 hours from last fever without using medication. Our staff are equipped with specific training and PPE to continue to provide safe, quality care, services and support to the residents of our community.

As we’ve shared several times, in early March, we initiated proactive infection control practices, screening procedures and visitor restrictions that will help us manage this situation as effectively as possible and protect the safety and health of all who live and work here. We will continue to update you on any news, emerging issues, or additional changes in our operations via Bright Arrow, email, website, and our Facebook page.

We know that this news may concern you 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 507-732-8132 or lerickson@zhs.sfhs.org.   

Sincerely,

Laura Erickson

Administrator

As of 9/4/2020, we have no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in our care center. 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).

This week, CMS and MDH released new testing requirements for our care center’s staff and residents that are effective immediately. “Facility Staff” is defined broadly, to include employees, consultants, contractors, volunteers, and caregivers who provide care and services to residents on behalf of the facility, and students in the facility’s nurse aide training programs or from affiliated academic institutions.  The requirements outline routine testing depending on our county positivity rate:

• Low: Monthly testing in counties with less than 5% positivity
• Medium: Weekly testing in counties with 5-10% positivity
• High: Bi-weekly testing in counties with greater than 10% positivity

The rule also requires testing in three scenarios: (i) symptomatic individual identified; (ii) outbreak (new case arises in facility); and (iii) routine testing.  While CMS does not recommend routine testing of residents unless the resident leaves the facility regularly, it does require routine testing of staff.

As providers of senior care, we know how important family and friends are in supporting the physical and mental health of our residents. We continue to review our visitation policy on a weekly basis. In the meantime, we welcome patio visits, open and closed window visits, and virtual visits. As a reminder, you can help limit exposure in our community through appropriate hand hygiene, mask use, and social distancing.

If you or someone you know is looking for ways to help, our residents and staff enjoy receiving letters and cards from the community. We also have a variety of open positions that can be found at www.jobswithus.org.

Updated information on our planning and preparedness for Coronavirus and our activities within our care center can be found by visiting our website (www.sfhs.org) or our Facebook page. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Laura Erickson, Administrator, at 507-732-8132 or by email at lerickson@zhs.sfhs.org.

On July 14^th, the Trump Administration announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) would be distributing diagnostic antigen testing equipment that are authorized for use at our care centers. This technology will enable our care centers to administer tests on-site as needed and receive those results quickly. We are expecting to receive this equipment soon. Watch for more information on this in the coming weeks.

As of 8/28/2020, we have no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in our care center. 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).

Our doors are not yet open to the public but there are a number of options for meaningful social interactions between residents and their loved ones. Residents enjoy socially distanced dining and activities with each other and outdoor visits, window visits, and virtual visits with family and friends.

Outside of our care setting, we urge our community members to practice social distancing, wear a mask, and wash your hands frequently. You continue to be a key partner in limiting the spread of the virus and protecting our seniors. If you are looking for other ways you can help protect our seniors, please visit www.jobswithus.org or call our care center for more information.

Updated information on our planning and preparedness for Coronavirus and our activities within our care center can be found by visiting our website (www.sfhs.org) or our Facebook page. Please do not hesitate to reach out to Laura Erickson, Administrator, at 507-732-8132 or lerickson@zhs.sfhs.org with any questions or concerns.

As of today, we have no known cases of Coronavirus in our care centers. We continue to follow the recommended guidance from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and the Minnesota Department of Health. We carefully monitor all residents for symptoms, screen all staff at the beginning of each shift, use PPE, and conduct audits of our infection control practices, providing further education as needed. 

COVID-19 is still being contagiously transmitted throughout our state. It’s important to keep in mind that our residents are highly vulnerable to the virus and are the most at risk if they are infected.  It is our policy to continually evaluate the presence of positive COVID-19 cases in our communities and nearby counties. We are carefully considering our options regarding visitation, evaluating our policies and protocols and will update you weekly. In the meantime, please contact Laura Erickson at 507-732-8132 or by email at lerickson@zhs.sfhs.org with any questions or concerns.

Currently, visiting with your loved one can be done through scheduled patio visits, open window visits, and closed window visits. We also encourage alternative means of communicating with residents such as phone calls, Facebook, Skype, etc. To schedule your visit, call Lacey Boesen at lboesen@zhs.sfhs.org.

Looking for ways to help? We have a variety of positions available with flexible scheduling and training. Please contact Heather at 507-732-8401 for more information or visit www.jobswithus.org to apply.

Updated information on our planning and preparedness for Coronavirus and our activities within our care centers can be found by visiting our website (www.sfhs.org) or our Facebook page. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us with any questions or concerns.