The McLean County Health Department (MCHD) reported no additional cases of COVID-19 in McLean County on Monday leaving the total of cases at 121.
Of the 121 cases, 5 are from a reported outbreak at the Bloomington Rehabilitation and Health Care Center, a Petersen Health Care facility, according to MCHD.
Melissa Graven, Communicable Disease Coordinator at the McLean County Health Department, says that the 5 individuals are all residents of the facility, two of which are currently hospitalized in good condition.
“McLean County Health Department is working with the facility to ensure appropriate infection control measures are in place and to identify any other residents or staff at risk,” Graven said
“Long-term care facilities continue to be a high priority,” Graven added, “And as the community moves through the phases of Restore Illinois, protecting this vulnerable population will be key.”
Tonya Hill, Corporate Director of Census Development; Petersen Health Care provides information on the preventative actions and infection control policies Petersen Health Care has put in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19 within their Skilled Care Centers and Senior Living Communities.
In a statement, Hill said, “Since the very beginning of the Global outbreak of Covid-19, the safety of our Residents, Staff and the community has been the top priority for the entire Petersen Health Care Organization. We are committed to doing everything we can to prevent the spread of COVID-19 within our facilities and are working closely with local and state health officials to ensure that we are taking all the appropriate, precautionary steps and recommended preventative actions to contain the virus and protect the safety and well- being of our residents and staff. Further, we have taken extraordinary steps in all facets of our daily operations to keep our residents safe and we have done everything in our power to educate all our staff on the best ways to remain safe and avoid contracting the Coronavirus while out in the community, or at home.
Unfortunately, it is still possible that some may not be able to avoid community transmission which is why Petersen Health Care has been vigilant in assessing and monitoring our Residents and staff daily to protect our most vulnerable population and we will continue to do so.
At the onset of the global Coronavirus outbreak, through strong leadership, we quickly responded by immediately and effectively activating resources across our entire organization and were the first Skilled Care Organization in Illinois to take decisive steps 3 weeks before any official recommendations by local, state or federal authorities to restrict visitation of all non-essential visitors into our buildings. At that time, we also implemented enhanced infection control protocols, increased training, and canceled all internal and external events that could put residents or staff at risk of exposure. Although disruptive and uncomfortable and thought to be premature by some, our efforts were effective, swift, and resolute with the singular goal of keeping our residents safe.
We continue to stay in very close communication with local and state health officials to ensure we are taking all the appropriate steps to contain the virus, with symptom screening for all Residents, Staff, essential health care workers, medical professionals, vendors, and anyone who enters a facility. All are required to follow the recommended preventative actions and adhere to all CDC guidelines.
Petersen Health Care’s COVID-19 response in its facilities includes screening staff and all essential health care workers for illness before entry and at the end of shifts, social distancing during meals and activities, enhanced infection control procedures and increased sanitization, increased use of telemedicine with virtual physician visits, and postponement of routine doctor’s appointments, as well as other measures outlined on facility websites.
All Petersen Health Care Facilities have strong infection control and emergency preparedness programs in place and have further enhanced the screening protocol that includes active, frequent, and close monitoring of all current Residents and staff. We’ve implemented symptom screening at the beginning and end of shifts, and Staff is not allowed to work if they are showing any symptoms. We also have plans in place for immediately segregating Residents that may show any symptoms.
We want the public to know that we have taken and continue to take comprehensive measures to mitigate the risk of exposure and to protect the safety and well-being of our Residents and team members. We’re dedicated to providing a safe and secure environment for everyone in all PHC owned properties and together, along with the CDC, IDPH, AHCA, HFS, NCAL, local Health Departments, local hospitals, and healthcare professionals, we are well prepared for COVID-19.”
Long-term care (LTC) facilities such as nursing homes are considered high-risk locations for COVID-19 because their residents are older and often have underlying health conditions. LTC facilities have been a focus of the Illinois Department of Public Health’s (IDPH) response to the virus, with recent efforts including increased access to testing in ‘hot spot’ areas and making additional resources available to local health departments as needed. IDPH currently updates data for cases of COVID-19 at LTC facilities on a weekly basis on their website.
