Dear Patients, Families, and Community:
I hope you are enjoying your summer so far. On behalf of Radford Health & Rehab Center, I want to provide you with an update for this week.
COVID-19
As of the date of this letter, we continue to have no patients or employees that have tested positive for COVID-19. I am pleased to share this good news with you.
Mitigation
In a previous update, I shared that we have begun working on the center’s plan for reopening in accordance with the newly released Virginia Department of Health’s (VDH) phased reopening plan for nursing homes. I previously shared information about some of the required elements that were in place at the Center prior to the release of the reopening guidance. The Center is reviewing the requirements from the VDH and will be submitting our attestation to be able to enter Phase 1. Once we do we must remain in that phase for 14 days without a positive COVID-19 test result before advancing to Phase 2.
Testing
We successfully conducted prevalence testing on July 1st and expect to receive test results soon. We anticipate delays in lab processing due to the volume of testing that is occurring in nursing facilities around the state. We will notify patients, and their representatives, of positive test results first, followed by notification of negative results to those patients and representatives. A cumulative notification will be provided to via email and text messaging, which will also include staff test results. We will plan for our second round of testing required by the VDH for reopening soon.
PPE 
We continue to consult the most current CDC and VDH guidance on the effective use of PPE. As part of the COVID-19 reporting through NHSN, we include an update on our supply of PPE and utilization strategies. Our supply of PPE continues to be adequate, and we have back-up supplies available to us.
Visitation
We are beginning to schedule outdoor visits on a more regular basis, which is good news. In order to ensure we have staff available to assist with visitation, we are scheduling these visits in advance and will make an effort to try to accommodate your schedule where possible. All visitors must be screened by a staff member, which includes having their temperature taken and answering questions about travel and COVID-19 mitigation behavior when out in the community. Visitors and patients are required to wear a mask during screening and the visit unless a medical condition prevents the use of a mask or other acceptable face covering. Please make our staff aware of any medical limitations relative to masking when scheduling the visit so that we may adequately prepare. At this time, each outdoor visit is limited to 2 visitors. Should you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to the Social Services or Activities Department.
Communication
As a reminder, we are still scheduling video calls, which can supplement outdoor visits. With visitation inside the center still under federal and state restrictions, it is important that patients and their families remain connected. We are committed to assisting you in making that happen.
Thank You
Thank you for your continued support of the center and entrusting the care of your loved ones to our team of dedicated staff members.
As always, please feel free to reach out to me directly with concerns or questions.
Sincerely,
Kemet Scott, LNHA
Administrator
