Salina employee tests positive for COVID-19

One Salina Presbyterian Manor employee has tested positive for COVID-19 this week.

“As the Saline County positivity rate remains high, we continue our efforts to protect the health and safety of our residents and our staff,” said Jeanne Gerstenkorn, PMMA’s vice president for health and wellness and infection preventionist. “I strongly encourage everyone to follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendations to protect themselves and others from the virus.”

The essential health care worker notified the campus today that they had tested positive for the virus. The employee last worked September 8, passing pre-shift screening and wearing personal protective equipment as required.

Visitation has been suspended in the health care center as a precaution. Earlier this week, Salina Presbyterian Manor was cleared to resume visitation when follow-up testing related to two employees who had tested positive for COVID-19 on August 24 and August 28 revealed no new cases of COVID-19. Indoor and outdoor visitation will continue for assisted living, memory care and independent living residents.

Salina Presbyterian Manor will follow health department guidance. Employee surveillance testing will continue twice a week in compliance with Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) requirements for testing based on county positivity rates.

We will follow CDC and KDHE guidelines for when the employee may return to work. Under the current guidelines, symptomatic individuals may return to work when at least 72 hours have passed since resolution of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and their symptoms have improved and at least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared. Asymptomatic positive employees or contractors will quarantine for at least 10 days. Upon their return to work, we will follow CDC recommendations related to work practices and restrictions.

We encourage all staff members and residents to follow CDC guidelines and best practices as these are continually updated.  We have been screening employees as they enter the community building for a shift and before employees have any direct contact with residents.  We educate all staff to stay at home if they are experiencing symptoms of a respiratory illness or not feeling well.

Every person who receives the vaccine will strengthen the protection for all residents, staff and the community at-large. PMMA continues to strongly encourage our families, employees and residents to carefully consider obtaining a vaccine for themselves as well as their loved ones.

For more information about Salina Presbyterian Manor’s response, go to PMMA’s (Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America’s) website, presbyterianmanors.org/media-room.

‍