We take very seriously our responsibility for your loved one’s safety and well-being. We are also very thankful that a great percentage of our residents, their families and our staff have received the vaccine.
COVID boosters and flu shots are recommended as well for your safety and your loved ones. This week we sent a special email blast as well as mailed consent forms for boosters to the resident representative of residents who have had Pfizer vaccine. If your loved one has had Pfizer, we request that you respond back related to the boosters no later than October 15, 2021. If you have questions related to COVID 19 boosters or flu shots please contact Denise Skrzysowski RN, Infection Preventionist at 570-344-6177 extension 1173 or email dskrzysowski@jhep.org.
Vaccinations curb the spread of the variant and are a matter of safety as well as compliance with the federal government’s mandated vaccines for health care workers at Medicare and Medicaid facilities. The pandemic has taken a toll on healthcare workers. We are grateful to all who have worked diligently to make our residents’ lives better.
For information about vaccination rates at nursing homes, please refer to CMS’s Care Compare site through Medicare.gov. Learn about vaccines near you and the CDC’s fact sheet.
As of October 8, 2021, our vaccination rate for our active residents is 94% and staff is 95%, for a total of 94.7% of our facility fully vaccinated. We have eight (8) additional staff who have already have their first series of the vaccine that are not included in our completion stats.
Our non-vaccinated staff were last tested on Monday October 4, 2021, and all were negative. We are awaiting the results of the second weekly test for this group which was taken on Thursday October 7, 2021.
We appreciate your understanding and cooperation with keeping your mask on and staying in the designated spaces for visiting in our facility. Our up to date visitation guidelines are posted on our website at jhep.org in the COVID section. To schedule a visit please email Gayle MacDonald at gmacdonald@jhep.org or call her at 570-344-6177 ext. 1103. Gayle is available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. We do ask for visits to be scheduled one day in advance.
Please schedule visits occurring on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, no later than the Friday before at 1 p.m. so schedules can be provided to reception staff.
We are following guidance from (CDC), Department of Health (DOH) and CMS as well as the latest COVID-19 infection control guidance with relation to its impact on our residents and visitors. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation with our masking and social distancing protocols for our facility. Our utmost priority is to protect the residents and staff and their families.
Our Facility’s Resident Impact (Since March 30, 2020, through October 7, 2021)
0 – Residents currently in our building with a confirmed active case of COVID 19
57 – CONFIRMED: Residents with laboratory positive COVID-19
0 – SUSPECTED: Residents with new suspected COVID-19
54 – Confirmed Staff Total: with a positive COVID-19
- Please note that test results are reported on our daily call-in line at 570-207-6711. Family members and all others impacted by the virus will be contacted directly and provided with results and updates.
Other Updates: Please note, we are scheduled to pave the parking lot immediately behind our building that is accessed through Clay Avenue. This lot will be closed on Tuesday and Wednesday October 12 & 13. Parking is available in our lot on Webster Ave. We will be using the front entrance on Vine Street. The front entrance can be accessed from Vine or Webster Avenue. There are no steps if you come in from Webster Avenue. Please plan accordingly and pardon the inconvenience so that we can make some necessary improvements.
Face Time calls: We are transitioning the contact to schedule Face Time calls for residents in our yellow zones from Sherri Collins to Samantha DePaul in Life Enrichment. Samantha can be reached at sdepaul@jhep.org.
As always, we appreciate that you entrust us with the care of your loved ones. We take very seriously our responsibility for your loved one’s safety and well-being. If you have any questions, we are always available for you. Thank you again.
Sincerely,
Mary Rose Applegate, MBA, RD, NHA
Administrator
