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.

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. 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.

Residents are now being allowed to safely go outside on our patio to enjoy some fresh air and sunshine. 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

https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/home.

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!

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 http://www.Joyforall.com and use code NYS20 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 https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/home.

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.

We are currently accepting donations of personal protective equipment and other items. For more information and donor acknowledgments, please visit our Donation of PPE page. Thank you!

UPDATED: Laundry Pickup and Delivery Times
For families who do their resident’s laundry:

Clean laundry can be dropped off at Main Reception on Mondays and Thursdays from 9 to 11 am and 5 to 6:30 pm and will be delivered to the resident. At that time you can also pick up bags of resident clothing that need to be laundered. Please place clean laundry in a plastic bag with the resident’s name and room number.

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.

March 16,2020

We know it’s difficult to refrain from visiting a loved one, even when it’s to protect their health and safety. To help our families, we provide the following options:

Virtual Visits Available!
We can provide your loved one with a tablet so you may virtually communicate face-to-face with them via Skype, Google Duo or Zoom. Please contact Barbara Bradt, Activities Director, at 518-370-4700 x160 to arrange to use the equipment and set up a virtual meeting.

Email Your Loved One
We’d also like to remind you that you 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

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

For families doing a resident’s laundry:
Clean laundry can be dropped off at Main Reception on Mondays and Thursdays from 9 to 11 am and 5 to 7 pm and will be delivered to the resident. At that time you can also pick up bags of resident clothing that need to be laundered. Please place clean laundry in a plastic bag with the resident’s name and room number.

After hours, please leave bags of clean laundry with reception and it will be delivered to the resident. Be sure to include the resident’s name and room number. Bags of resident clothing that needs to be laundered may also be picked up at this time.

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