06/09/2020 Letter to Family and Friends
6/9/2020
Dear Resident & Family,
The Pines at Philadelphia is concerned for the ongoing welfare, safety, and health of our residents. The Pennsylvania Department of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and local health departments are monitoring the outbreak of a new virus, COVID-19. The people most likely to become severely ill from COVID-19 are older adults and those with underlying medical conditions.
This letter is to inform you that there has been one new death in the hospital of a patient who was COVID positive in the building. There has been a total of 25 patients who tested positive for COVID-19 while they were in the building and four deaths. We have 7 staff members who tested positive and are self-quarantining until they meet the CDC guidelines on returning to work. The most recent positive result of a staff member was on 5/1/20.
We are actively monitoring our staff and residents for signs and symptoms of COVID-19 and are working with our local and state health departments. The facility will be doing universal testing of our staff as per the PA DOH guidelines.
All our staff members continue to follow public health recommendations to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19. These include strict handwashing procedures, wearing facemasks, gowns, and gloves when interacting with residents who are sick.
To minimize the risk of our residents becoming sick with COVID-19, we are suspending all visits to The Pines at Philadelphia. This decision is being made in accordance with recommendations from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). We understand that connecting with family members is important. Other ways to connect include telephone, email, text, or through Skype or Facebook.
For the most up-to-date information of the ongoing situation in the facility, there will be a weekly conference call for families to call in and hear from the Administrator. The number is 701 802-5345 and the access code is 8459621. The call will be on Tuesdays at 12 PM.
Thank you for your patience and understanding.
Sincerely,
Moshe Moskowitz, NHA
Administrator