Bucktail Medical Center Issues Response Update to Community

From staff reports

SOUTH RENOVO – The Bucktail Medical Center on Monday released an extensive update on its status during the coronavirus pandemic. Foremost among the contents was word from Tim Reeves, BMC’s chief executive officer/administrator, that there have not been any COVID-19 positive cases on its South Renovo campus.

The Reeves report said all residents and staff have been tested and no positive results were found. The multi-page report said the state Health Department visited the medical center June 15 for an “infection control inspection” and no citations were received and BMC “was found to be in substantial compliance with infection control practices.”

While many hospitals and clinics have reduced their workforce, the South Renovo facility has not reduced staff hours or eliminated any positions.
Reeves closed with: “Know that we are doing everything we can to keep the facility and your loved ones safe.”

The complete Bucktail Medical Center COVID-19 Response report from CEO Reeves:

I’ll answer the two big questions first:

o There are not, and have not been, any COVID-19 positives in the facility.

o So far, we have seen no COVID-19 positives anywhere on campus, including the hospital, nursing home, ER, clinic, and laboratory.

Bucktail Medical Center (BMC) began addressing COVID-19 concerns on March 12, 2020 by restricting visitors to immediate family only, as recommended by PA Department of Health (PA DOH), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Since then we have created and implemented a robust plan to keep our facility as safe as possible. The plan is multifaceted and affects every department in the facility. While parts of the plan are in response to guidance provided by the PA DOH, the CDC, and the CMS, other parts of the plan have been developed by BMC to address our specific facility.

o Visitation and non-essential personnel

o All visits to the facility are restricted, video and telephonic visits are encouraged.

 We have a cell phone available for many video chat programs.

 Visits at windows is encouraged. If the window is open, masks must be worn. Screens must stay in place.

o Only essential employees will be allowed to enter the facility when scheduled for work.

o Deliveries will be made to the outside of the facility and will be sanitized as necessary before being brought in by facility staff.

o Every item that comes into the facility is either sanitized or quarantined for a minimum of 24 hours before it is distributed to residents or staff.

o Outpatients are restricted to only the area(s) they need to visit for treatment and may not go to other areas of the building.

o Outpatients are screened before entering the facility.

o Staff are screened before every shift.

o Screenings includes:

 Temperature.

 Questions about COVID-19 exposure.

 Questions about respiratory status.

 Questions about symptoms.

• Cough.

• Shortness of breath.

• Loss of taste/smell.

o Staff who are ill:

o Staff who are ill from any illness should not report to work.

o Staff who present ill at screening will be sent home and will need to be released for return to work by the clinic
o For a staff person with a positive COVID-19 test, that individual will self-quarantine for 14 days. After 14 days tests, staff may return to work once symptom free for 72 hours and they have a negative test.

o Staff with exposure to a known COVID-19 patient, directly or indirectly, of staff who believe they may have been exposed, directly or indirectly, will either:
 Self-quarantine for 14 days and may return to work once symptom free for 72 hours and have 1 negative COVID-19 test, or,
 Return to work after 2 negative COVID-19 tests

Testing

o We are, and will continue to, collect samples for resident, patient, staff, and community testing as necessary.

o A prescription is necessary for all outpatient COVID-19 testing.

o BMC laboratory, ER, and clinic staff have been trained to properly collect the sample.

o Currently, Samples are sent to a reference laboratory or other commercial laboratory under existing agreements for lab services.

o Testing outpatients who are symptomatic but not in acute distress have, and can be, tested by hospital staff outside the facility or in the parking lot.

o Test results are generally returned within 48 hours.

o BMC is working to be able to do some COVID-19 testing in-house using Point Of Care equipment that we already have.

o Test results will be reported as follows:

 Patient and resident results will go to the Director of Nursing for the unit. Results will be reported to the ordering physician, the resident, if the resident is capable, the Power of Attorney (POA), or an individual that has been appointed as patient liaison by the patient or resident.

 Staff results will be reported to the individual tested and the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO).

 Outpatient results will be reported to the ordering practitioner.

o All residents and all staff have been tested; there have been no positive results and the facility is, and has been, COVID-19 free.

o BMC will continue surveillance by testing twenty percent (20%) of staff and 20% of residents weekly.

o If there is a confirmed or suspected COVID-19 case in the facility, BMC will test one hundred percent (100%) of staff and residents weekly, provided this volume of testing is feasible.

o Infection control measures

o Traffic in and out of the building is restricted to two (2) doors.

o A buffer zone has been created in the main lobby; neither outpatients nor residents or patients, cross through the lobby area.

o ER 3 has been set up for respiratory patients so that, if needed, we can isolate a patient with any suspected respiratory infection.

o Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

 BMC is working to maintain at least a 2 week supply of PPE for all essential employees.

 We have developed a plan to implement new levels of PPE use based on community and facility metrics and guidance from PA DOH, CMS, and the CDC.

o Use of PPE

 Staff have been instructed on what PPE is necessary to safely perform their tasks.

 Staff will be issued PPE necessary to safely perform their tasks.

 Staff have been trained in the proper usage of PPE.

 Staff have been instructed where and when to don and doff PPE properly.

 Staff have been instructed how to dispose used PPE or instructed how to preserve the PPE for sanitizing.

o Masking

 Any person entering the building for any reason must wear a mask.

 All staff are required to use cloth masks while working. Bandanas or other face coverings are not permitted.

 All residents and patients have been provided with, and asked to use, cloth masks.

 Clinical staff interacting with outpatients have either a surgical mask or N95 mask to wear during patient interactions.

 When there is known or suspected infection in the facility, staff with direct resident or patient contact will wear N95 masks. Non-clinical staff who do not have direct patient contact will continue to wear cloth masks.

 The frequency of discarding masks and getting new ones will be determined by the clinical staff and will be based on current supply and the availability to replenish our supply.

o Resident activities

 While there is no confirmed or suspected infection in the facility:

• Resident groupings are limited to no more than 5 residents at any time.

• Group members will remain consistent, to minimize the number of people residents have contact with.

• Impromptu groups of five or fewer residents will not be discouraged.

• Each group will meet at the same time every day.

o Social distancing will be maintained.

• Residents and staff will follow recommended masking guidelines implemented by the facility.

• Residents have been issued masks that they should wear anytime they are out of their room.

 When there is confirmed or suspected infection in the facility, residents will be restricted to their room.

o Preventive and surveillance measures we have in place to evaluate residents.

 Temperatures taken every shift or day as appropriate.

 Initial respiratory assessments have been completed for all residents.

 Respiratory assessments are completed on every resident daily.

o We have rearranged resident rooms to create isolation spaces at the end of the halls so that, if we need to, we are able to separate positive and suspected positives from other residents.

o Meetings with EMS and local Emergency Managers to review and update resources and response plans.

o On Monday, June 15, 2020, the PA DOH was at BMC to conduct a COVID-19 infection control inspection to determine if we have implemented the policies, practices, and protocols necessary to decrease the potential for COVID-19: BMC received no citations and was found to be in substantial compliance with infection control practices.

Information

o It is important that we have accurate information about the pandemic. I have seen and heard so much misinformation on social media and from news outlets, so we monitor information sources daily, to get the most accurate and up to date information available. The sources we monitor include:

 PA DOH

 CMS

 CDC

o We have meetings twice every week day to provide new information, track virus movement in our region, address questions, discuss how we keep ourselves and our families safe, and to review our mantra: Wear a mask everywhere outside your home, wash your hands every time you pass a sink, and maintain social distancing. Practicing these three safeguards is effective.

o We have additional information on our website, www.bucktailmedicalcenter.org, as well as links to the CDC and the PA DOH.

Telehealth

o We have, at least temporarily, added a telemedicine module to our website. The automated assistant is currently COVID-19 specific, but you can have a telehealth visit for any reason.

o Once connected with you phone, tablet, or computer and if you have video capabilities, you can have a video visit. If you do not have video capabilities, you can still have a telephone visit.

Some Points to Remember

o Masking, hand washing, and social distancing together does work. While you may be healthy, you can easily spread the virus to others who may not be healthy.

o If you believe you are having COVID-19 symptoms, please call ahead to the clinic or the ER.

o While many hospitals and clinics have reduced their workforce, we have not reduced hours or eliminated any positions.

o Know that we are doing everything we can to keep the facility and your loved ones safe.