POSTED May 14, 2020
Dear Kei-Ai Residents, Families, and Friends:
In our continuing efforts to keep you apprised of the conditions at Kei-Ai Los Angeles, please note the following as of today’s date: the total number of patients who have tested positive forCOVID-19 is 63; the total number of staff who have tested positive is 25. Staff who have tested positive will return to work only after they meet CDC and Public Health return-to-work criteria. Most of our patients and staff who have tested positive were and remain asymptomatic.
We are continuing our aggressive testing regimen, with tests being administered daily, consistent with our goal to test all staff and patients at least once every week, or as much as is practicable.
In addition, we are partnering with a group that specializes in infection prevention using state-of-the-art, real-time data analytics coupled with rapid response clinical testing. This is part of our overall long-term infection control strategy to combat all infectious diseases, including COVID.
We join you in celebrating our outstanding staff during National Nurses Week. Thank you for your heartfelt messages of support and appreciation and donations to our staff and patients.
We believe our testing strategy and the measures listed below will continue to help us contain the spread in our facility:
- Conducting screening of all patients at least twice each shift by taking vital signs, including temperature, and closely monitoring for symptoms of respiratory illness; suspected or confirmed positive but asymptomatic patients are being evaluated at least every twohours.
- Conducting employee health screenings, including temperature checks prior to the start of the work shift and at the end of their shift. Employees have been instructed to self monitor for symptoms of respiratory illness while off-duty and to immediately report any signs of fever, cough, and/or shortness of breath to the Infection Preventionist or Department Supervisor.
- In addition to following our strict sanitation, infection control, and isolation protocols, we have purchased and deployed 15 hospital-grade HyperHEPA air filtration systems.
- Installed temporary wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling plastic containment walls to cordon off zones within the facility.
- Employees throughout the facility have been assigned to work in specific zones of the facility and will remain in their work zone throughout their shifts.
- All staff throughout the facility have been required to wear facemasks and gloves and will continue to do so, as well as wearing other personal protective equipment (PPE) when necessary and according to current guidelines. N95 masks for those interacting with patients.
- Monitoring employee compliance with use of appropriate PPE and handwashing.
- Sanitizing and cleaning high touch surfaces hourly.
- Increased frequency of general cleaning throughout the facility.
- Daily communication with Public Health about our facility testing results and protocols.
- Additional pay or “Hero Pay” for those employees who are working with COVID+ patients.
- Daily staff conference calls in English and Spanish to communicate with staff about the facility updates.
Please contact us to connect with your loved ones via FaceTime or other means. We are thrilled to help maintain your special relationships. Please also feel free to provide any feedback or suggestions by emailing us at KALAupdates@aspenskilledhealth.com.
Thank you,
Tanner Mitchell