Seneca View Team Has Taken Steps to Contain
December 21, 2020 Montour Falls, NY – Schuyler Hospital officials announced today that they are experiencing an increase in COVID-19 positive cases at the Seneca View Skilled Nursing Facility. Currently there are 18 known positive cases at Seneca View, 14 of these residents are experiencing no symptoms.
The positive cases were detected due to the rigorous testing that Schuyler Hospital has been doing since the pandemic started earlier this year. In addition, all Seneca View employees are tested twice weekly when active cases are identified on a specific unit. Residents which have tested positive are separated from other residents and remain in comfortable rooms that have special air filters. All Seneca View employees are in full PPE at all times. Additional safety measures include restricting visitation, continuous washing of hands, the installation of plexiglass shields in key areas, social distancing in all areas, hand sanitizing stations, enhanced cleaning throughout the facility, and more.
Since the beginning of the first local cases of COVID-19, Seneca View leadership has been working in partnership with Schuyler County Public Health to increase testing and conduct thorough contact tracing in the community. In addition, Seneca View has been in continuous contact with the families of its residents to keep them informed and to answer any questions.
Since then, The New York State Department of Health has conducted five on-site visits and found no deficiencies by the team. The Seneca View and Schuyler Hospital teams have been working closely with its partner hospital, Cayuga Medical Center, to transfer patients that require hospitalization.
“Schuyler Hospital and Seneca View Skilled Nursing Facility have implemented and continue to maintain stringent safety measures in compliance with the New York State Department of Health and the CDC guidelines to protect patients, residents of Seneca View Skilled Nursing Facility, and our employees,” states Rebecca Gould, President & Chief Financial Officer Schuyler Hospital. “It is through these protocols and the testing of staff and residents, that we identified a recent increase in positive COVID-19 cases of our residents. We have been in continuous communication with our residents and their families to keep them informed.”
“We continue to maintain the highest level of infection control and prevention measures at Seneca View, and across the entire health system, for the protection of our patients, residents, and staff,” states Dr. Martin Stallone, President & CEO of Cayuga Health. “We are working closely with Schuyler County Public Health and the New York State Department of Health for response coordination and follow-up contact tracing.”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: John Turner, Vice President, Public Relations
Cayuga Health
(607) 274-4498
jturner@cayugamed.org
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About Cayuga Health
Cayuga Health (CH) has two hospitals, Cayuga Medical Center and Schuyler Hospital, as well as a multispecialty group, Cayuga Medical Associates. Combined employment, including affiliated organizations, is over 2,200 employees. CH is clinically linked to Mayo Medical Laboratories, Rochester Regional Health for cardiac services, Roswell Park for cancer services, and the University of Rochester for neurosciences.