Dear Residents, Family, and Friends,

We are currently experiencing a significant Covid outbreak in the building. Currently H2, H3, S2 and HB have Covid positive residents. If you choose to visit, please be aware that Covid is highly contagious and can be life threatening to some people. CDC recommends avoiding contact with a covid positive person. Any visit during a covid outbreak, especially with a Covid positive resident, may result in you contracting Covid and spreading the infection to other family members or people you come in contact with.

While you are visiting, please always wear your facemask and face shield, try to keep socially distant especially from the covid positive person. Please wash your hands at the end of your visit with your loved one.  Please discard your mask and face shield when leaving the building. Visits are required to occur in the resident room only, please stay in the room until you are leaving the building, at the end of your visit. If you have any questions, please ask to see or speak to a nursing supervisor.

Please enjoy your visit.

How to Protect Yourself and Others | CDC

Thank you,
Tony Alotta, Administrator

Dear Residents, Family, and Friends,

Sadly, we had an employee test positive for COVID-19 last night.  We are distraught about having to halt all in house visitation, but have no choice.  This is not something anyone wanted.

We contacted the Department of Health first thing this morning.  Per the Department of Health, we must close visitation to all units immediately. We will be beginning the process of testing all residents. If no residents test positive and there are no further staff positives, we will be open for visitation on all units – EXCEPT S3 – starting Monday April 12.  Unfortunately, since S3 was the unit where the positive staff member worked, they will now be required  to go through a 14-day precautionary quarantine period.

At this time we are also unable to do door visits due to the potential exposure. In the meantime, you can still contact our Activities Department (x195) to schedule a virtual visit with your loved one.

Please stay safe,
Tony Alotta, Administrator

Dear Residents, Family, and Friends,

Tomorrow at 8am we will be open to visitors on all units for any resident that is not currently on a precautionary quarantine. We are excited to see everyone!  

Although the visitor restrictions are lifting, the threat of COVID 19 is still very real.

We appreciate that many of you have made the decision to get vaccinated. However, your vaccination status does change any of the guidelines established for us by NYSDOH.

It is imperative that all visitors follow the rules to keep everyone safe. We cannot allow individuals unable to follow the rules into the building. All revised or additional rules are as follows:

• Visitors must enter through the main front door (N1 Lobby).  You must be screened. There are NO EXCEPTIONS.
• Visitors must wear a mask that covers both their mouth and nose at all times. There are NO EXCEPTIONS.
• Visitors must visit with only their loved ones. You must remain 6 feet away from ALL other residents and staff members while you are in the building.
• Visitation times will be available Monday through Friday from 8AM-8PM and Saturday through Sunday from 11AM-7PM.
• If those times do not allow you an opportunity for a visit, please call the facility and speak to a Nursing Supervisor to make other arrangements.
• Only residents who have been fully vaccinated may choose to have close contact, including touch, with their visitors. The resident must be wearing a well-fitting mask and perform hand hygiene before and after.
• Only two visitors will be allowed per resident at any one time.
• Visitors under the age of 16 years must be accompanied by an adult. 
• Please limit your visit to one hour to assist in assuring that all residents are able to receive visits without violating capacity limitations.
• We encourage you to take your loved one outside for the visit when able. Outdoor visits generally pose a lower risk of transmission due to increased space and airflow. There is access to our back patio through the main dining room on the first floor.
• If your loved one shares a room, you will not be able to visit in the room if other residents are present. Please ask a staff member to assist your loved one to the area where you can safely visit. Remember you must socially distance from all other residents, visitors and staff members.
  
• Indoor visits in private rooms are allowed.
• If your loved one requires care during your visit, you will be asked to remove yourself from the area so that care can be provided while social distancing is maintained.
• Visitors will not be allowed to visit other units or wander in the hallways. There are NO EXCEPTIONS!
• If any visitor fails to adhere to the protocol, they will be asked to leave the property and not be allowed back to visit in person unless cleared by Administration.

We wish to reiterate our appreciation for your continued support and understanding as we adjust. We must keep everyone as safe as possible.

Again, please be aware that The NYS Department of Health can halt visitation at the nursing home at any time due to community or facility spread of infection, or when the Department identifies that the NH has failed to comply with requirements listed above. We cannot guarantee advance notice if and when visitation is again suspended.

Sincerely,
Tony Alotta, Administrator

Dear Residents, Family, and Friends,

We are excited to be able to welcome familiar faces back.

Yesterday evening, we learned of new nursing home visitation guidance issued by the Department of Health.  We are happy to announce that tomorrow we can offer in person visitation to residents meeting a certain criteria. 

Currently, the following units are open for visitation:

• Residents currently residing on H1, H2 or S2 units

All other units are currently on precautionary quarantine and are not open to visitation per NYSDOH regulation.

Residents on all other units remain on transmission-based precautions through April 6^th.  If there are no further COVID positives, visitations on those units can begin on April 7^th.  Any residents that transferred from a hospital, the community, or another facility, are automatically placed on precautionary quarantine for 14 days.

The New York State Department of Health has many regulations we must comply with to ensure everyone’s safety.  Please understand that everyone must follow these regulations in order for us to continue to offer in person visits:

• Visitors will need to enter through the main lobby area. Push doorbell for receptionist. 
• Upon arrival all visitors will be screened for signs and symptoms of COVID-19. Visitation will be refused if the individual exhibits any COVID-19 symptoms, does not pass the screening questions or refuses the screening process.
• Visitors will be asked to provide their name, address, phone number and email address, in case contact tracing is required at a later date.
• Visitation times will be available Monday through Friday from 8AM-8PM and Saturday through Sunday from 11AM-7PM.
• If those times do not allow you an opportunity for a visit, please call the facility and speak to a Nursing Supervisor to make other arrangements.
• All visitors and residents must wear a face mask or face covering which covers both the nose and mouth at all times. Visitors are welcome and encouraged to wear their personal face covering. A supply of masks will be on hand for visitors who lack an acceptable face covering.
• Visitors and residents must maintain social distancing. ONLY residents who have been fully vaccinated may choose to have close contact, including touch, with visitors. The resident must be wearing a well-fitting mask and perform hand hygiene before and after.
• The Facility will provide alcohol-based hand rub to both visitors and residents.
• Only two visitors will be allowed per resident at any one time. Please keep each visit to one hour to allow time for others to visit safely.
• Pets are not currently allowed.
• Visitors under the age of 16 years must be accompanied by an adult.
• If any visitor fails to adhere to the protocol, he/she/they will be asked to leave the property and not be allowed back to visit in person unless cleared by Administration.
• We ask that you limit you visit to 1 hour to assist in assuring that all residents are able to receive visits without violating capacity limitations.
• We encourage you to take your loved one outside for the visit when able. Outdoor visits generally pose a lower risk of transmission due to increased space and airflow.
• Indoor visits in private rooms are allowed.
• If you loved one shares a room, you will not be able to visit if other residents are present. Please bring your resident to an area on the unit where you can socially distance from all other residents, visitors and staff members.  Space will be provided for your visit.
• If your loved one requires care during your visit, you will be asked to remove yourself from the area so that care can be provided while social distancing is maintained.
• Visitors will not be allowed to visit other units or wander in the hallways.

We appreciate your continued support and understanding as we begin this new process.

Please be aware that The NYS Department of Health can halt visitation at the nursing home at any time due to community or facility spread of infection, or when the Department identifies that the NH has failed to comply with requirements listed above. We cannot guarantee advance notice if and when visitation is again suspended.

Sincerely,
Tony Alotta, Administrator

Dear Family Members and Responsible Parties,

We are very happy to share that the New York State Department of Health has given us the go ahead to expand visitation and activities in the facility as early as next week.  There will be more details coming by weeks end, but I wanted to give you all a heads up. In addition to door visits and virtual visits we can soon offer in person visits again under strict NYSDOH guidelines.

Visitation will be conducted in a dedicated visitation space and outdoors (weather permitting).

All nursing homes will have to meet certain criteria to allow visitation:

There has been no new onset of COVID-19 cases in the last 14 days and county COVID-19 positivity rate must be lower than 10% (In our case Schenectady County).

Visits will be limited to residents who are not experiencing any concerning symptoms and who are not in the midst of their 14-day quarantine period.

Visits will have to be prescheduled for a specified length of time to ensure all residents are able to receive visitors.  State regulations limit the total number of visitors in the facility at one time.

Visitors will be screened for signs and symptoms of COVID-19 when entering the building.  Anyone with signs or symptoms will be asked to leave.  At this time, there is no need for proof of a negative COVID test.

The New York State Department of Health has placed a lot of restrictions on visitations to ensure the safest visit possible for everyone. As you can imagine, we have a lot of details to work out.  As soon as I have more information, I will share it.  Expect an update from me by Friday with all of the details!

Thank you for your continued support and understanding during these challenging times. 

Be Well,

Erica O’Brien, Director of Social Work

Dear Family Members and Responsible Parties,

 We are very excited to announce that we can begin in person visits in our first floor dining area. We still have many guidelines set by the New York State Department of Health that we must adhere to though. Please understand that everyone must follow all of the guidelines in order for us to continue to offer in person visits. We are ecstatic to finally be able to welcome familiar faces back.

Visitation has been approved by the Department of Health and will begin on Tuesday October 6th!

 Important things that you should know about visits:

• Visitors will need to park in the back of the building and access the dining room visitation area through the patio gate. The gate will clearly be identified as a visitor entrance and a path to the appropriate entrance door will be obvious.
• Upon arrival to the dining room entrance you will be greeted by a staff member for screening. We ask that you arrive 10 minutes prior to your scheduled visit to allow time for screening. 
• All visitors must present a verified negative COVID test result within the last week (7 days) of the visit. Visitation must be refused if the individual(s) fails to present such negative test result.
• All visitors will be screened for signs and symptoms of COVID-19 prior to resident access. Visitation must be refused if the individual exhibits any COVID-19 symptoms, does not pass the screening questions, or refuses the screening process.
• Visitation will be limited to times where adequate staff are present to help with the transition of residents, monitoring of visitation, and cleaning and disinfecting areas used for visitation.
• Packages cannot be brought to the visits and must continue to be dropped off at the front desk for delivery.
• All visitors and residents must wear a face mask or face covering which covers both the nose and mouth at all times. Visitors are welcome and encouraged to wear their personal face covering. A supply of masks will be on hand for visitors who lack an acceptable face covering.
• Visitors and residents must maintain social distancing.  Physical touch will not be allowed.
• The Facility will provide alcohol-based hand rub to both visitors and residents.
• Only two visitors will be allowed per resident at any one time.
• Visitors under the age of 18 years must be accompanied by an adult.
• Current COVID-19 positive residents, residents with COVID-19 signs or symptoms, and residents in a 14-day quarantine or observation period are not eligible for visits.
• There will be a staff observer in the room during all visits assuring that all COVID guidelines are followed.  The observer will not be available to discuss concerns or answers resident specific questions.  Please use your time to visit with your loved one and handle other matters with the appropriate staff members at another time.
• If any visitor fails to adhere to the protocol, he/she/they will be prohibited from visiting for the duration of the COVID-19 state declared public health emergency.

Hours of Visitation Are:
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday during the following time slots:

• 10:30AM-11:00AM
• 11:30AM-12:00PM
• 1:00PM-1:30PM
• 2:00PM-2:30PM

To schedule your visit, please contact Erica O’Brien, LMSW, directly at 518-881-4630 or obriene@bapthealth.com.

You will need to provide the following information when you call:

1. First and Last Name of the Visitor
2. Street Address of the Visitor
3. Daytime and Evening Telephone Number
4. Email Address, if Available

 We appreciate your continued support and understanding as we begin this new process in this uncertain time.  We will do our very best to accommodate your requests, but please realize we are juggling the requests of over 200 families. 

Please be aware that The NYS Department of Health can halt visitation at the nursing home at any time due to community or facility spread of infection, or when the Department identifies that the NH has failed to comply with requirements listed above.  We cannot guarantee advance notice if and when visitation is again suspended.

Thank You,

Antonio Alotta, Administrator

Dear Family Members,

You have probably heard that the NY State Department of Health has issued new guidelines which will allow nursing homes to let visitors back into their facilities under very limited conditions:  DOH guidance requires that all residents and staff of the facility be COVID free for 28 days before reopening to visitors in phase three or higher regions.

Baptist Health Nursing and Rehabilitation Center does not currently meet this criteria.  We had two employees test positive for COVID in the last week. We test approximately 275 employees or contract staff per week to comply with DOH guidance and keep our residents and staff safe.  We continue to have NO confirmed cases of COVID in our resident population.

We will continue to keep families informed as this situation evolves. We thank you for your continued patience.

Sincerely,

Antonio Alotta, Administrator

Dear Family Members,

We hope you all had a good July 4th holiday.

Now that summer is here, we are continuing to help residents and patients get outside onto the patio during good weather, accompanied by staff from Activities and Social Services.

We continue to facilitate virtual and window visits among family members to help loved ones stay connected. Contact your social worker if you would like to schedule an appointment.

We have had zero confirmed positive Covid-19 cases among our residents as we continue to adhere to the directives placed upon nursing homes by both the Governor’s Office as well as the New York State Department of Health. Until we are instructed otherwise, we will continue to have restrictions on visitors. Thank you for your enduring patience. We are now in Phase 4 and hope there will be forthcoming guidance from the Dept. of Health on when and how we can safely allow visitors back into our facility.

Did you know that Baptist Health is a certified Music & Memory™ provider? This personalized music program is scientifically proven to help unlock memories and improve quality of life for older adults. If you would like more information about the program, or would like to request a personalized music playlist and MP3 player for a resident, please contact Nancy McKiernan.

For the latest news and information on COVID-19 please visit https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/home.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Antonio Alotta, Administrator

Dear Family Members,

As we approach the end of June, we hope that everyone had an enjoyable Father’s Day. We continue to facilitate virtual and window visits here among families to help loved ones stay connected.

We have had zero positive cases among our residents. The latest round of testing for staff resulted in two positive cases. These employees were asymptomatic, and were notified to stay home to quarantine for 14 days. We continue to adhere to the directives placed upon nursing homes by both the Governor’s Office as well as the New York State Department of Health.

Until we are instructed otherwise, we continue to have restrictions on visitors. Thank you for your patience and understanding regarding restrictions; we know they are challenging, but they’re an essential part of keeping our patients and residents safe.

Also, we’d like to remind you that residents and patients may ask activities staff to schedule them to go outside onto our patio for fresh air and sunshine while maintaining safe social distancing.

As always, please reach out to your social worker if you have any questions or need assistance with digital or window visits.

For the latest news and information on COVID-19 please visit https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/home.

Thank you.

Antonio Alotta, Administrator

Dear Family Members,

I want to take this opportunity to express our continued gratitude to our families and the community for the support that you have shown to our caring staff

Some examples of the community’s generosity in recent weeks include a staff lunch provided by First National Bank of Scotia; a donation of blankets for residents from Andre Porter of the Schenectady and Rotterdam Redemption Centers, and a donation of masks from Michael Hockenatta of the Mooncatcher Project. These contributions from the community we serve are deeply appreciated by our staff and residents.

<strong>As always, our primary goal is to ensure the safety of our residents and our staff. We currently have had zero positive cases among our residents.</strong> The latest round of testing for staff resulted in one positive case. This employee was asymptomatic, has been sent home and will quarantine for 14 days. We continue to adhere to the directives placed upon us by both the Governor’s Office as well as the New York State Department of Health. Until we are instructed otherwise, we continue to have restrictions on visitors.

<strong>Residents are now being allowed to safely go outside on our patio to enjoy some fresh air and sunshine.</strong> Our activities department is accompanying residents to see that proper social distancing is maintained. Residents may ask staff to schedule them for patio visits.

In addition our team continues to work diligently on providing virtual and window visits for residents and families. Please reach out to your social worker if you have any questions or need assistance with digital or window visits.

For the latest news and information on COVID-19 please visit

<a href=”https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/home.”>https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/home.</a>

Thank you.

Antonio Alotta, Administrator

Dear Family Members,

During the latest round of employee testing, we had a small number of staff test positive for COVID-19 and they were put on home quarantine by the health department.  They cannot return to work until cleared by the health department.

We have not been advised by the NY State Dept. of Health to retest residents at this time.  The testing and infection control procedures that we are currently implementing are working well to keep residents and staff safe.

We will continue to keep you informed of any new developments.

Are you looking for gift ideas for your loved one that will help them feel less isolated? Consider a robotic pet!

<img class=”alignright wp-image-1845″ src=”https://www.bapthealth.com/new/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/joy-for-all-companion-pets-1562782726-300×300.jpg” alt=”” width=”205″ height=”205″ />Realistic robotic cats and dogs allow socially isolated older adults to receive similar gratification and comfort that they would from live pets by calming anxiety, decreasing loneliness, and providing a better quality of life—without needing to worry about food or vet bills.

AgingNY, NYSOFA, and Ageless Innovation is offering a 20% discount to all families facing the challenges of social isolation during this time. Those interested in learning more about these pets can visit <strong><a href=”http://www.joyforall.com/” rel=”nofollow”>http://www.Joyforall.com</a></strong> and use code <strong>NYS20</strong> at checkout between now and June 30, 2020.

Please reach out to your social worker if you have any questions.

For the latest news and information on COVID-19, visit<strong> <a href=”https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/home” rel=”nofollow”>https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/home</a></strong>.

We thank our family members and community for the continued outpouring of caring and support during this time.

Sincerely,

Antonio Alotta
Administrator

Dear Family Members,

It’s with great pleasure that I can share some very good news this week!

I am extremely happy to report that all of the resident COVID-19 tests done on May 22 are complete and the results are in:  ALL of our residents have tested negative for COVID19!  (We were waiting on five tests that had to be redone due to damage in transport to the lab)

Additionally, all results from staff tests for last Thursday and Friday have come back negative.

Finally, we recently had a NYS Department of Health Infection Control Survey, which was mandatory for all nursing homes in the state. I am pleased to share with you that we received our official notification from the Dept. of Health, and we have received ZERO deficiencies. I want to sincerely thank our staff for doing such a great job at keeping our residents and each other safe!

Full time staff continue to be tested twice weekly. Staff working three days per week or less are tested once weekly. All staff are screened for temperature and symptoms before entering the building each day.

Our activities staff and social workers are continuing their efforts to connect as many residents with family members as possible, through Skype and window visits.

If you have summer clothing that you would like to bring in for a resident in exchange for their winter wardrobe, please contact Barbara Bradt in Activities, 518-370-4700 ext. 160, to make arrangements to drop it off. Barbara will pack up your loved one’s winter clothing for you and bring the summer clothes to the resident’s room.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to reach out to your Social Worker.

Thank you for your continued support, patience and understanding.

Sincerely,

Antonio Alotta
Administrator

Dear Family Members,

We have not had any residents test positive for COVID-19 to date.

As we previously reported, we do have some COVID-19 positive staff and contract staff.  These staff members are quarantined at home until released to come back to work by the Dept. of Health.

Full time staff continue to be tested twice weekly. Staff working three days per week or less are tested once weekly. All staff are screened for temperature and symptoms before entering the building each day.

Residents on most units may resume window visits with their families, come down to the gift shop, or use the patio during designated times.  Please contact your Social Worker to see if a window visit can be arranged.

We are extremely proud of the incredible job our nearly 350 employees and contract staff are doing to keep our residents and each other safe. Everyone takes their responsibilities very seriously.

We are currently putting together a page of Frequently Asked Questions for family members. If you have questions that you would like us to include, please forward them to mckiernann@bapthealth.com.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to reach out to your Social Worker.

Thank you for your continued support, patience and understanding.

Sincerely,

Antonio Alotta
Administrator

Dear Family Members,

As ongoing testing of employees here continues, we have identified 6 additional staff who have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of affected employees to 12. Every employee who tested positive was immediately sent home and will remain in quarantine until the NY State Dept. of Health releases them back to work.

As we reported recently, the resident COVID-19 test results came back from the laboratory.  5 tests were damaged in transit to the lab and are being redone.  ALL other resident tests were NEGATIVE.  Your social worker will contact you over the next several days with an update.

Thank you for your continued patience, support, and understanding.

Sincerely,

Antonio Alotta
Administrator

Dear Family Members,

As a result of ongoing testing of employees, 6 staff here have been identified with COVID-19. These employees have been sent home and will remain in quarantine until the NY State Dept. of Health releases them back to work.

Antonio Alotta
Administrator

Dear Family Members,

We have received the resident COVID-19 test results back from the laboratory.  5 tests were damaged in transit to the lab and will have to be redone.  ALL other resident tests were NEGATIVE.  Your social worker will contact you over the next several days with an update.

Thank you for your patience.

Antonio Alotta
Administrator

Dear Family Members,

As a result of mandatory testing,we have learned today that four members of Baptist staff have tested positive for COVID-19. These employees were immediately sent home, and will not return to work in the facility until they have fulfilled the quarantine and testing requirements per the NYS Department of Health.

Currently, we have no known cases of COVID-19 among our residents. We are working with the Dept. of Health to get all of our residents tested, and anticipate it will be completed in the next few days. If your loved one tests positive, has capacity and would like us to share the test results with you, someone from Baptist will contact you to discuss the results.  If your loved one does not have capacity to make their own decisions, the designated health care proxy will be notified.

Family members will also be notified if there are any positive cases among residents at the facility.

To further ensure safety, residents will now be restricted to their units, and door visits will be discontinued until further notice. We will continue to provide virtual communication such as email, Skype, and FaceTime.  Please contact your Social Worker to schedule a virtual visit.

We continue to practice all infection control measures required by the Department of Health, including the use of masks and PPE, cleaning and disinfecting of all areas, and safe social distancing practices among staff and residents.

Please continue to check this page for updates; we will add new information as it becomes available, including whether any Baptist residents have tested positive.

If you would like to have future updates automatically sent to your inbox, please contact Nancy McKiernan to sign up for our email list.

As always, please contact us with any questions and concerns.  Thank you again for your patience and support during this difficult time.  All of the staff are incredibly appreciative of your kind wishes and prayers.

Sincerely,

Antonio Alotta
Administrator

Dear Family Members,

We are pleased to inform you that as of today, we continue to have no confirmed cases of COVID-19 among residents and employees at this time.  Thank you all for your continued patience and cooperation, which is helping to keep our residents safe and healthy.

Many of you are enjoying virtual visits with your loved ones via Skype or FaceTime. If you’re not sure if you have the right device to communicate, or need some technical advice, please see our Connecting with Skype page. Our Activities and Social Work personnel will be happy to advise and assist you.

With the warmer weather coming, plans are underway for our Activities staff to enable appropriate residents to safely get some fresh air and sunshine on our enclosed patio. Stay tuned for more information soon.

Beginning next week, we will begin COVID-19 testing of facility personnel, including all employees, contract staff, medical staff, administrators and operators, per Executive Order 202.30.  The above will be tested one or two times per week, depending on how many days per week they work.

Thank you again to the many individuals and organizations that have helped out with donations of masks, supplies and food. Our Sunshine Fund has been created to help any employees who have been financially impacted by recent events. For more information, including how to donate to the fund, please visit our Sunshine Fund page.

We are also keeping updated educational information about COVID-19 on our What is COVID-19? page.

You can continue to find informative up-to-date information about COVID-19 on the links below:

www.cdc.gov
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/communication/factsheets.html 
http://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/home

As always, please do not hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,
Antonio Alotta
Administrator

Dear Family Members,

Thank you once again for your continued understanding and support during these recent weeks. Here are some updates:

There are no confirmed cases of COVID19 among residents and employees at this time.

Residents and their families are enjoying the window visits and video chats. We had a record number of them this week! To keep up with the increased demand for virtual visits, we have acquired additional tablets.

Thank you for supporting our employees through the Sunshine Fund.  Your donations are greatly appreciated and will do so much to help those employees in need.

While maintaining social distancing and safe practices, our Activities department held a Cinco de Mayo celebration on Tuesday for our residents to enjoy.

This is National Nursing Week! Thank all of you for your kind words of support for our CNAs, LPNs and RNs. They’re doing a great job and have shown their true dedication to their profession.

Best wishes for a safe and happy Mother’s Day.

You can continue to find informative up-to-date information about COVID-19 on the links below:

www.cdc.gov 
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/communication/factsheets.html 
http://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/home

As always, please do not hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,
Antonio Alotta
Administrator

Dear Family Members,

We want to take this opportunity to express our thanks to the community for the outpouring of support we’ve been shown. In the past few weeks, Baptist has been blessed with donations of protective masks, gowns, and supplies from numerous businesses, organizations and individuals. All of us at Baptist are incredibly grateful for the outpouring of support and prayers.

This experience clearly demonstrates the dedication of the families and friends of our residents. We appreciate everyone’s willingness to adapt to new ways of visiting, and are inspired by their passion and determination to be with their loved ones (and there is nothing that we want more!)  Window visits, skype/facetime meetings, and care package deliveries from families are occurring every day, and undoubtedly lift the spirits of your loved ones.

To make things a little easier for our employees, we have partnered with Sodexo to implement an employee food co-op which provides essential grocery items at cost to staff.  We have also offered free meals and hand sanitizer to our employees.  Finally, for staff experiencing difficult times, Baptist has created a Sunshine Fund as a way for them to apply for financial assistance.  More information about this fund can be found here.  We believe helping our staff with some of their basic needs and keeping them safe also keeps our residents safe.

True to our mission, Baptist staff provide compassionate, individualized care to your loved ones, while following DOH and CDC guidelines to keep everyone safe from COVID-19.

As of 5/1/20, we continue to have no laboratory confirmed cases of COVID-19 for any resident or staff member. Per Dept. of Health guidelines, if we were to have a confirmed positive case of COVID-19 in the facility, families and residents will be notified.

You can continue to find informative up-to-date information about COVID-19 on the links below:

www.cdc.gov 
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/communication/factsheets.html 
http://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/home

Please do not hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,
Antonio Alotta
Administrator

Dear Family Members,

We continue to strictly follow guidelines from DOH & CDC to keep all residents and staff safe.

As of 4/21/20,  we have no laboratory confirmed cases of COVID-19 for any residents or staff members. Per recent NYSDOH notification, if we were to have a confirmed positive case of COVID-19 in the facility, families and residents will be notified.

You can continue to find informative up-to-date information about COVID-19 on links below:

www.cdc.gov 
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/communication/factsheets.html 
http://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/home

Here are some suggestions to connect with your loved ones:

• We have skype (video calling) ability. Please see instructions on website or contact our Social Services Department
• Load familiar photos onto an electronic picture frame (available at Walmart, Target, Amazon, etc.)
• You may arrange through-window calls or visits so you can see your loved ones
• You may send care package that includes a note and/or a photo

Thank you for your cooperation as we work together to keep our residents safe from COVID-19.

Sincerely,
Antonio Alotta
Administrator

Our Chaplin, Mark Chaffin, is available to staff and family members who could use some spiritual comfort during this time. He can be reached at 518-370-4700 ext. 119 or at chaffinm@bapthealth.com..

An update from Tony Alotta, Administrator

• Baptist Health Nursing and Rehab Center has suspended all visitation until further notice. We do allow for limited visitation for end-of-life situations.
• We have daily meetings to ensure we are up to date and complying with all CDC and DOH requirements for infection control and prevention.
• We have instituted all Dept. of Health (DOH) recommended screening procedures for every entrant into our facility. This applies to all employees, vendors and visitors. Screening includes a temperature scan and DOH-required questions on virus-related symptoms. Persons are not allowed into the building if they fail this screening. All persons entering the building are required to wear masks, starting at the point of entry. Masks are worn when assisting residents or at any time an employee could come within 6 feet of a resident when going about their duties.
• We provide ongoing staff education and training of infection control and prevention techniques.
• We have instituted social distancing measures in every element of our residents’ daily activity. This includes closure of dining rooms and elimination of all group activities. Gathering of employees is limited in numbers whenever possible.
• We use approved cleaning and disinfectant chemicals.
• We provide for remote visitation, using phone and iPad, so residents can connect with their loved ones. Please contact your social worker at 518-370-4700 if you would like to utilize these services.
  Instructions on how to set up a Skype visit can be found at this link: https://www.bapthealth.com/new/stay-connected-with-skype/
• We are conducting as many business processes as possible by mail and phone, thus limiting the need for employees to meet or make unnecessary trips through the building.
• Each new admission is carefully screened prior to coming into the facility. They are closely monitored for symptoms multiple times per day.
• Isolation protocols are well established, and procedures for handling any suspected cases of viral infection have been reviewed and comply with the latest guidance from state and federal authorities.
• We are working with Schenectady County Office of Emergency Preparedness and our vendors to ensure we have personal protective equipment (also known as PPE).
• While we haven’t experienced any unusual staff shortages, we do have a staffing contingency plan in place.

Based on new CMS guidelines to protect nursing home residents from coronavirus, all volunteers are restricted from entering the facility until further notice.

CMS Announces New Visitor Restrictions
At 8:52 p.m. on March 13, CMS issued a revised memorandum related to visitor restrictions in nursing homes which is effective immediately. This was alluded to earlier today in a press conference where CMS Administrator Verma shared that visitation would be restricted “to all visitors and non-essential personnel, with a few exceptions,such as end-of-life personnel.”

New Directive on Visitors
In the new guidance, CMS directs ALL Facilities nationwide to restrict visitation of all visitors and non-essential health care personnel, except for certain compassionate care situations, such as an end-of-life situation.

Health Screening Tool
Here the screening tool Baptist Health Nursing and Rehabilitation Center is using for all employees, job applicants and any visitors that fall under the exceptions as defined in the March 11 letter.
Communicable Diseases Screening (pdf)

Communicating with Residents
For those who are unable to visit at this time due to the restrictions, we’d like to remind you that may send email messages via our email portal (click on the link below). Your messages will be delivered to your loved one as soon as possible, and we will help them respond if they wish.

Send an Email to a Resident or Patient

Dear Family Member or Responsible Party:

You are receiving this letter as a follow-up to a telephone call you should have received from your social worker today. The NYS Department of Health, CDC and CMS have issued strict guidelines on visiting hours in nursing homes. Effective March 11, 2020 there will be a temporary restriction on visiting hours. Per the guidance we received, visitation will be limited to only family members that have a loved one at “end-of-life” or when “a visitor is essential for the resident’s well-being and care.” The facility’s interdisciplinary team will determine who meets these criteria. For those meeting the criteria, visiting hours will be restricted to the following days/times:

Monday through Friday
8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Saturday and Sunday
11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

You will be screened when you arrive at the facility. The following screening tool will be used:

• Are experiencing mild cold/respiratory symptoms?
• Have been in close contact with someone with confirmed novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the past 14 days?
• Do you currently have a fever at or higher than 100.5°, cough or shortness of breath.

If you answer “yes” to any of these questions you will be asked to leave.

All visitors meeting the above criteria must enter the building through the N-1 main lobby entrance. All other doors will be locked. Any visitor allowed in will be provided with personal protective equipment which must be worn while in the facility. Visitors must go directly to their loved ones room and remain there until their departure. While in the facility, try to maintain a social distance of six feet or more, avoid touching surfaces, use proper coughing etiquette, and practice correct hand washing technique. Please go to the CDC website for additional precautions and details ( www.cdc.gov).

These restrictions will continue until we are given further guidance by our regulatory authority (NYSDOH). Additional restrictions may also occur as guidance is issued on a regular basis. We will update you as the situation evolves.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact your social worker for more information. We are currently working on alternative ways to communicate with your loved one while this temporary restriction exists.

Thank you for your cooperation as we work together to keep our residents safe from COVID-19.

Sincerely,

Antonio Alotta
Administrator

Dear Family Member or Responsible Party:

This message is to keep you informed on what Baptist Health is doing to keep your loved one safe from the Novel Coronavirus outbreak you’ve been hearing so much about through news outlets.

In addition to our everyday infection control practices (Standard Precautions), we are implementing additional policies and  procedures based on guidance coming from the local Public Health Department, New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). We have immediate access to their recommendations, which allow us to implement additional procedures as they are released from these federal, state and local authorities. Because the situation continues to evolve daily, we will continue to make the appropriate changes to our infection control practices based on ongoing direction from these regulatory agencies.

We have been directed by NYSDOH to post signs at the entrances to our facility. The signs posted at the doors will be asking you not to visit if:

• You are experiencing mild cold/respiratory symptoms.
• If you have visited China, Iran, Italy, Japan or South Korea. This list may change per Centers for Disease Control.
• If you have been in close contact with someone with confirmed Coronavirus
  (COVID-19) in the past 14 days.
• If you have a fever at or higher than 100°, cough or shortness of breath.

What can you do to prevent the spread of Coronavirus? Follow these recommendations from CDC:

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
• Follow CDC’s recommendations for using a facemask.
  – CDC does not recommend that people who are well wear a facemask to protect themselves from respiratory diseases, including COVID-19.
  – Facemasks should be used by people who show symptoms of COVID-19 to help prevent the spread of the disease to others. The use of facemasks is also crucial for health workers and people who are taking care of someone in close settings (at home or in a health care facility).
•  Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to 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 at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.

Additional recommendations and information can be found at the CDC website: www.cdc.gov.

Thank you for your cooperation in helping us to keep our patients/residents and your loved ones safe.

Sincerely,

Antonio Alotta
Administrator