Volunteers and Equipment Needed for Second Cayuga Health Production Site
Schuyler Hospital is setting up a procedural mask production site in Montour Falls, and volunteers are needed.
Volunteers and Equipment Needed for Second Cayuga Health Production Site
Schuyler Hospital is setting up a procedural mask production site in Montour Falls, and volunteers are needed.
Beginning Monday, April 6, 2020, Schuyler Hospital will be adjusting hours at the Montour Falls Walk-In Clinic until further notice due to the COVID-19 crisis. New hours will be Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m.- 12 p.m.
We apologize for any inconvenience.
With questions, please call (607) 535-7154 or email info@schuylerhospital.org.
April 2, 2020
To our Residents and Family Members:
COVID-19 Containment Efforts Update
Thank you all for your patience and assistance with our adoption of the stringent COVID-19 enhanced precautions at Seneca View. As you likely already know, these are required by the Centers for Disease Control, and the NY State Department of Health, and serve to protect our residents and staff.
Our region of the state continues to see a rise in COVID-19 cases, as expected. Seneca View has had no cases of the virus amongst our residents or staff to date, and none currently suspected. If that were to change you will be notified, and advised of the additional steps we will be taking.
Schuyler Hospital and our affiliate Cayuga Medical Center have implemented a plan that directs the majority of COVID-19 testing, and any required treatment, to the Cayuga Medical Center campus in Ithaca. This channels care needs to where they can best be addressed and ensures that we limit any potential introduction of the virus to our campus. This is an extra level of protection for our Seneca View community.
In addition to the various steps in place as reported in our prior communications, we wanted to let you know that we continue to innovate and respond to the challenges imposed under the global protective measures. Our activities department continues to enhance in-room activities and has been creative in maintaining family connections with window visits, Facetime and Skype video conference calls, and telephone assistance.
All of our staff have masks in place while in the presence of our residents and we believe we have adequate formal supply levels at this time. “Social Distancing” is in place and routine staff meetings are now being held via conference calls, as are the resident care conferences, etc. These efforts add an extra layer of prevention.
We have also added increased infection prevention measures in the form of a UV Light Sanitizer Station for hand held object (phones, keys, name tags, etc). Local distilleries are providing us great volumes of FDA Approved hand sanitizer, and local sewing teams are donating hundreds and hundreds of approved face masks to us week after week. Our community continues to prove how wonderful it is.
Our update wouldn’t be complete if we didn’t take the time to recognize the massive team effort underway here to keep our residents happy, safe, and comfortable. We have seen great compassion and hard work amongst our team as we adjust to the volumes of new requirements. They have done a great job and we continue to recognize their dedication. We are all proud to be part of this community.
Please continue to monitor our SCHUYLERHOSPITAL.ORG website, and the Seneca View page, for updates. We very much look forward to bringing families back together. Until then, if you have any questions please feel free to contact our nursing units, our Director of Nursing, or me, at 607-535-8611.
My Best Regards,
Patrick Ryan Administrator
March 23, 2020 Ithaca, New York –– Cayuga Health (CH) and Tompkins County officials announced today that they are opening a new COVID-19 sampling center location for patients who meet screening criteria for testing to handle more widespread screening. The Sampling Center will be open starting Tuesday, March 24 from 10am-3pm, Monday-Friday.
Effective Friday March 20, 2020, at 5 p.m., all non-essential surgeries have been postponed by 60 days due to COVID-19. Cayuga Medical Center will continue to provide availability for emergent/urgent surgeries.
March 19, 2020
To our Residents and Family Members: COVID-19 Containment Efforts Update
During these uncertain times I wanted to take a moment to provide you with an update of all the extra steps we have put in place to help prevent the spread of the COVID-19, to Seneca View. Following guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control, and the NY State Department of Health, our facility has implemented many initiatives that reduce and prevent the potential spreading of illness. All of these efforts have one goal – protecting the health of our residents and the staff that care for them. These additional steps include:
• All non-essential staff, visitors, and vendors are prohibited from entering the nursing home, except families and hospice staff necessary for residents with end of life needs;
• All staff have been instructed to remain home if they have any fever or flu-like illness symptoms;
• All staff entering the nursing home receive a shift by”shift health screening prior to entering facility;
• All staff in the nursing home will be wearing masks when caring for, or in the presence of, residents;
• All group activities have been postponed and residents are encouraged to remain in their rooms;
• We have started a “Resident Visitors” program where all residents are assigned a current staff member who visits them periodically to socialize and learn of any additional needs or preferences;
• We started an “Activities Room Service” program to obtain resident requests for in-room entertainment and activities supplies;
• We have placed five computer tablets in service for residents and families to enjoy video phone calls;
• The Schuyler Hospital Auxiliary has begun providing additional activities supplies and materials;
• Numerous local organizations are sending greeting cards so that visiting staff can share well-wishes from the community with our residents while these temporary measures are in place.
The worldwide pandemic continues to present challenges for health systems around the world and ours here at home. As new information becomes available the directives we receive from the Centers for Disease Control, and NY State Department of Health, include changes to our practices. All of these changes enhance our existing efforts to prevent the further spread of this outbreak.
Currently we have had no suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19 at Seneca View. If at any time a case of COVID-19 were to occur amongst our residents or staff you will be notified, and advised of the additional steps we will be taking. Please also monitor schuylerhospital.org for updates, and the Seneca View pages.
Thank you for your understanding and patience with these enhanced measures, and for helping us to take greater care of our Seneca View community. If at any time you have questions please feel free to contact our nursing units, our Director of Nursing, or me, at 607-535-8611.
My Best Regards,
Patrick Ryan
Administrator
Based on NYS Department of Health guidance, all visitation has been restricted for Seneca View Skilled Nursing Facility, except in limited situations.
Due to the increased risk to the elderly population for contracting COVID-19 (coronavirus), Seneca View Skilled Nursing Facility and Schuyler Hospital have implemented enhanced measures for visitors, effective Friday, March 13, 2020, at 5 a.m.