April 15, 2020
April 15, 2020
Update to H&TS Families:
Greetings families. I hope this message finds you well. I am writing to share updates with you from Health and Transition Services…
On behalf of myself as well as the rest of the Health & Transition Service Leadership team we would like to extend a huge thank you to the St.Amant Parent Association and all of the families involved in yesterday’s McDonald’s coffee delivery for the staff. I have heard from numerous staff that the gesture meant a lot to them at this extremely challenging time and really hit the spot! All of the staff at Health & Transition continue to work hard to provide the best service and support to all of those in our care so the coffee time created a great opportunity to take a few minutes and relax. Thank you again.
We are pleased to continue to report that there have been no staff or people supported test positive for COVID-19 within Health & Transition Services. We continue to screen all staff for symptoms of COVID-19, including taking temperatures, before they enter the building at 440 River Road. Some have you have shared concerns around the process of family notification if a loved one is being tested for COVID-19 or if they need to be transferred out of our facility if they become ill. We have processes in place to ensure that the listed family contacts are made aware of any testing or transfers. If you are experiencing any challenges with this communication, please connect with the manager of the area where your loved one is supported. We continue to implement the recommendations from Manitoba Shared Health as quickly as possible to ensure the safety of your family members, and we are actively engaged with WRHA Leadership on a daily basis to ensure the needs and rights of our community are being considered.
With the ever-changing work environment during this time we are looking at different ways to maintain our services including the weekly rounds by our physician group. Dr. Ashleigh Sprange, Medical Director for Health and transitional Service has initiated virtual rounds on a weekly basis for all of the service areas. Please read the following update on behalf of Dr. Sprange:
As an additional measure to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 within long term care facilities, Manitoba Health and Shared Health Manitoba have advised all long term care facilities to transition to virtual primary care rounds via telephone or video call, and to limit the number of on-site visits to one primary care provider (physician or nurse practitioner) per week per facility. The designated on-site primary care provider will be available once per week for all individuals with issues that require an in-person assessment. All other issues will be looked after virtually on a weekly basis by the resident’s usual primary care provider. Virtual care is currently being provided in the community at this time and has been effective in meeting most primary care needs while decreasing the risk of transmission for COVID-19. Please be assured that this will not negatively impact the quality of care the residents receive, and if a resident at St.Amant, Health & Transition Services requires an on-site assessment by a medical practitioner they will receive one in a timely fashion. A memo with further information is being mailed out and will require a signature to acknowledge you are aware of these changes. Your cooperation in returning the form in a timely fashion is appreciated. This is a challenging time with rapid changes and we appreciate your patience and understanding as we navigate this together.
– Dr. Ashleigh Sprange, Medical Director, St. Amant, Health & Transition Services
And finally, a note from Andrew Terhoch, Spiritual Health Practitioner:
You can follow this news column for details of some of the group spiritual experiences each week. If you have any questions related to Spiritual Health Services or require support, please contact me at aterhoch@stamant.ca.
Once again, thank you for your kindness this week. We understand how hard this time is for you too, and so we appreciate you making space for us in your hearts alongside your loved ones. Everyone here continues to hold you in our hearts as well each day.
Kind regards,
Todd MacDonald
Senior Manager