Salina reports employee positive for COVID-19

One Salina Presbyterian Manor employee, who has not worked since August 5, has tested positive for COVID-19.

“As the Saline County positivity rate continues to climb, we remain concerned about 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 you to continue to be vigilant in protecting yourself and others from the virus.”

The employee notified the campus August 5 that a close contact had tested positive for COVID-19 and has been self-isolating since that date. The Saline County Health Department notified community leadership of the positive test August 18.

Salina Presbyterian Manor will follow health department guidance. As a precaution, all visitation in memory care, assisted living and health care remain suspended, and indoor visitation in independent living has also been suspended pending 14 days of testing with no new cases identified.

At the direction of the Saline County Health Department, we will test residents and staff in health care, memory care and assisted living every 3 to 7 days until we have 14 days without any new positive cases. We will continue with twice a week surveillance testing for the rest of our employees in compliance with the CMS requirements due to the county positivity rate for COVID-19 tests.

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.

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