Covid-19 Outbreak Response Plan

Updated 8/9/2023
 

St. John Neumann Center currently has 0 COVID-19 cases in house.

*Please check back here for updates on COVID-19 in our facility, or contact the building at 215-698-5600. 

Visitation Update: Good news, visitors are welcome back to the facility!  Due to the recent outbreak of COVID-19 virus at our facility, St. John Neumann Center in collaboration with Philadelphia Department of Health, had temporarily paused visitation.  Although we are still in an outbreak, we are allowing visitors to return with the following restrictions.  We are requesting ALL visitors to follow the following guidance for the safety of our residents and visitors.

• Proper PPE must be worn during the visit
• Social distancing of 6 feet must be maintained during the visit
• Visitors must stay in the resident room during the visit
• Only 2 visitors at a time in the room
• Visits are limited to 30 minutes 

We are also encouraging all visitors to schedule visits as this allows us to ensure safe visits.  If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the facility or you may email the Administrator at tthomas@stjnrehab.org

ST JOHN NEUMANN CENTER OUTBREAK PLAN (REV.NOV.2022)

Introduction

It is our goal to protect our residents, staff, and families from potential exposure to a communicable disease. 

Outbreak management will be initiated when there is a rise in the number of cases of a communicable disease in the community, facility, or upon recommendation of federal, state or local authorities.

St John Neumann Center follows all CMS, CDC, Federal, State and Local DOH regulations regarding isolating and cohorting infected and at-risk residents from a communicable disease including Covid 19. Education regarding infection control practices including disease specific isolation, vaccination(s), PPE requirements and source control, is provided to all staff upon hire, yearly, prn and with any updates to infection control practices.  Housekeeping protocols are in place for disease specific organisms and staff is educated upon hire, yearly, prn and with any updates to infection control practices. 

St John Neumann Center includes random Infection control audits, review of testing results, symptom monitoring, and review of vaccination statuses to aide in Infection Control Quality Assurance Performance Improvement Plan (QAPI) process.  St John Neumann Center is contracted with a laboratory for any disease specific testing as needed.

Communication plan

St John Neumann Center has a clear procedure for communicating with staff, residents, and families regarding any outbreak of a communicable disease at the facility. Daily statistics of staff and residents affected by a communicable disease is posted daily at the facility as well as facility social media website (if applicable).

St John Neumann Center has signs posted alerting visitors and staff of signs and symptoms of illness and the importance of not visiting or working with residents. Staff are screened for symptoms of illness at the beginning of each shift and are educated on decreasing their risk of contracting communicable disease while not working as part of their infection control education.  If a staff member is symptomatic or tests positive, staff are sent home with education including following up with PMD and are followed up by IC staff to aid in deciding return to work date.

St John Neumann Center reports all required reportable communicable diseases to local and/or state doh as required per regulations. Facility Administrator monitors all PPE inventory, and inputs that information as well as any data reporting requirements in the NHSN Covid-10 module as required.

Emergency Staffing

St John Neumann Center has a procedure for mitigating staffing shortage due to an outbreak.

Specific to Covid 19 pandemic: 

Lessons Learned

· Teamwork really does make the dream work, our employees are our greatest commodity 

· Ensure one person (ICP) and a designee oversees monitoring for ever changing regulations and disseminating information to staff, residents and families as needed

·  Education is paramount to great resident outcomes and shortening the length of a Covid 19 outbreak

· Testing and quick cohorting is a significant aide to mitigating risk of exposure to others