For the past 100 days, a leadership team of 23 staff leaders and I have started our mornings with a virtual call to talk about the coronavirus and the campus. We discuss the latest information about the virus, the latest and ever-changing guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Medicare and medicaid Services, the Arizona Department of Health Services and the Maricopa County of Public Health. We talk about masks, personal protective equipment, testing and the lack of it. We discuss how to keep our residents and our staff safe. We virtually high-five each other and high-five the community who supports us. We challenge and support each other. We talk about restrictions, lockdowns, and adjustments. We hold our colleagues across the country in prayer. I know that the campus is in good hands with the collective knowledge, wisdom and judgment from this group of people.
This morning's meeting was very sobering. We opened the meeting in prayer. Not only is Arizona seeing very troubling trends in the numbers of COVID-19 cases, so is Beatitudes Campus. Currently, four residents (3 in Skilled Nursing/Advanced Memory Support and one in Early Memory Support) have COVID-19. Seventeen staff have tested positive – eight direct health care staff in the Health Care Center/Advanced Memory Support, one Health Care Center support staff, two Assisted Living/Early Memory Support direct health care workers, one support staff in Assisted Living/Early Memory Support, four Independent Living staff (including Home Services) and one contracted health care worker.
Coronavirus testing capacity has begun to strain as the pandemic continues to spread in Arizona. The virus has spread very quickly in our state, and as a result, health care providers and medical labs are challenged to meet testing demands. Even so, this week, Beatitudes Campus was able to test 58 dining services and other staff for COVID-19, thanks to the generosity of donors to the Beatitudes Campus Foundation. We just received all the results, and all are negative. We re-tested the residents on the fourth floor of the Health Care Center (vermilion cliffs ) last night and are awaiting results. We are currently negotiating for re-testing the rest of the residents in the Health Care Center. We are re-testing staff in the Health Care Center next Wednesday, July 1. Our goal is to give COVID-19 tests to the entire staff and all residents who wish to be tested.
The coronavirus is relentless. It doesn't matter who you are, the color of your skin, your philosophical beliefs or the size of your bank account. This virus attacks indiscriminately. But, our team is relentless, too. We will work together, we will fight for our residents and for each other. We are Beatitudes Strong!
As Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey said at his press conference yesterday, the best thing we can do as a community to contain the spread of COVID-19 is to stay at home as much as possible. Although he didn't issue an executive order, he was very directive, saying “Right now, Arizonans are safer at home. And when you're away from home, don't forget to limit social gatherings, stay six feet from others, wash your hands and wear a mask. These simple steps can make a big difference.”
Thank you, once again, for trusting Beatitudes Campus to keep you and your loved ones safe.
My best to you all.
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