MEDIA ROOM NOVEL CORONAVIRUS (COVID–19)

PMMA’s COVID-19
Response Timeline

• May 7, 2020 – Manor of the Plains was notified an essential health care employee tested positive for COVID-19. The employee last worked April 26. The employee passed the employee screening for their shift April 26, and was not scheduled to work again until May 9. On May 6, the employee was tested for COVID-19 and the results were received May 7. Manor of the Plains contacted the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) epidemiology hotline and notified the state about the positive test. KDHE did not consider the staff member to be infectious during the last shift worked 11 days prior and recommended no further action be taken. Employees and family members were notified of the positive test and KDHE's recommended response.
  
  
• April 30, 2020 – Newton Presbyterian Manor notified an essential health care employee tested positive for COVID-19. The employee last worked April 21. The employee is in isolation and quarantined at home. The employee passed the employee screening for their shift April 21, but the employee was sent home during the shift when they started feeling unwell. The employee next reported for work April 23, but did not pass the screening and was sent home. The employee was tested April 24 for COVID-19, and the test was negative. The employee did not return to work. On April 28 when the employee was still not feeling well, the employee was tested a second time, and tested positive for COVID-19. The Harvey County Health Department advised Newton Presbyterian Manor to monitor residents in health care and memory care and other staff members for five days for any signs or symptoms of respiratory illness and signs of COVID-19.
  
  

• April 1, 2020 – Aberdeen Heights notified an independent living resident receiving treatment at a local hospital tested positive for COVID-19. The resident had been off-campus since March 25. The state of Missouri has issued guidance to hospitals and senior living communities to ensure the resident is free of COVID-19 symptoms before the resident can return to the campus. Independent living residents were notified and were strongly advised to adhere to the no visitor “rule,” and limit the number of medically non-essential appointments, events and gatherings attended off campus.

• March 23, 2020 – Parsons Presbyterian Manor notified a non-direct care staff member tested positive for COVID-19 in a neighboring county. The employee had not had a temperature and was not displaying other symptoms of COVID-19. The community acted swiftly to ensure the safety of residents and other staff members. All residents placed in isolation for the next 14 days. During that time, residents to be checked for fever and other signs and symptoms of COVID-19 at each shift change. Residents were already being checked daily for fever and symptoms of COVID-19. Families and care partners were notified. All staff members are following CDC guidelines and best practices as these are continually updated. Staff members who had direct contact with the affected staff member were placed on 14-day home quarantine and monitored for symptoms.

• March 17, 2020 – Heart and Soul Hospice, a wholly owned service of PMMA, releases statement on protocols in use to ensure health of hospice patients on service and to assure referring agencies that both locations are still accepting new patients.
• March 17, 2020 – A COVID-19 information page is added to the Heart & Soul Hospice website based on recommendations by the CDC and the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. The website is shared by the two locations. Previously, prevention information had been shared on the hospices’ Facebook pages.
• March 16, 2020 – PMMA released a new LIMITED ACCESS poster updating the in-person visitor exception to end-of-life situations only per March 13 CMS guidance. Visitor questionnaire updated to include questions about domestic travel.
• March 16, 2020 – PMMA released communications to staff about increased access to telehealth through company health plan, whether a participating employee or not, and lifted restrictions on prescription refills for maintenance medications. Separate memo addresses travel and PTO. Employees who travel domestically to places with active COVID-19 cases, on cruise ships or internationally will not be allowed to return to work and will be expected to observe a 14-day quarantine upon return.
• March 14, 2020 – PMMA communities discontinue all communal dining and group activities, per CMS guidance on March 13, 2020. Residents educated on principles of social distance (6-feet between individuals at all times), and encouraged to practice the principles in conducting activities of daily life. PMMA communities begin screening all employees and checking for fever before starting a shift.
• March 13, 2020 – PMMA moves all communities to LIMITED ACCESS in response to CMS guidance. Community websites are updated to explain LIMITED ACCESS.
• March 13, 2020 – PMMA institutes weekly COVID-19 update calls with corporate staff and PMMA community leaders.
• March 13, 2020 – PMMA’s corporate marketing team meets with community marketers to discuss marketing strategies and tactics for LIMITED ACCESS communities.
• March 13, 2020 – First case of COVID-19 is announced in Sedgwick County. Three additional communities in Sedgwick and surrounding counties are added to the LIMITED ACCESS list. Information released later reveals the case is a Butler County man who was tested at a Wichita hospital.
• March 12, 2020 – PMMA posts a blog explaining the difference between LIMITED ACCESS and Visitation Discouraged on all PMMA community site blogs and the PMMA blog.
• March 10, 2020 – PMMA adopts CMS guidelines released March 9 creating two levels of visitation for senior health care centers. Three communities are placed on LIMITED ACCESS due to confirmed COVID-19 cases in their county or a surrounding county. Under the March 9 recommendations, access was limited except in the cases of end-of-life situations and where the visitor was necessary for the care and wellbeing of the resident. All other PMMA communities are placed on discouraged visitation, meaning visitation was discouraged unless absolutely necessary.
• March 9, 2020 – PMMA launches social media communications regarding COVID-19 on all community Facebook pages as well as the PMMA and hospice Facebook pages. Updates continue there throughout the crisis.
• March 7, 2020 – COVID-19 information pages are added to all 16 community websites and the corporate website. The same information is provided to charter members at Aberdeen Ridge through a members-only area of the Aberdeen Ridge site the week of March 9.
• March 6, 2020 – PMMA distributes a family letter regarding COVID-19 to all of its 16 communities for residents, families, volunteers and guests. Posters warning against visiting campuses if displaying of signs of COVID-19 or having recent international travel are distributed to PMMA communities and hung at entrances prior to weekend visits beginning. Additional COVID-19 resources are sent to communities as well to help teams in efforts to prevent COVID-19 from entering the buildings.
• March 6, 2020 – PMMA distributes letter to employees and resources for dealing with illness via PMMA Employee newsletter. The employee letter and resources from CDC also are provided for all PRN and agency staff.
• March 3, 2020 – PMMA has first interdisciplinary novel Coronavirus 2019 call with all of its communities and corporate staff. Work begins on letters to residents, families and employees and posters for entry doors to all communities.
• Mid-January 2020 – PMMA began having dialogue with our teams and communities about the COVID 19 virus. We looked at our infection control practices and policies, reviewed hand hygiene education with staff and residents, and began the process of preparation for this pandemic.

Download PMMA COVID-19 Response Timeline as PDF.

For more information, contact Karen Harriman, Chief Marketing Officer and Senior Vice President for Public Relations and Communications, at 316-685-1100 or [email protected], or Lisa Diehl, Corporate Communications Director at 316-685-1100 or [email protected]