CORONAVIRUS INFORMATION

Bethany Retirement Living FAQs and COVID-19 Cases as of 1/12/21 11:30am:

Dear families and friends of Bethany Retirement Living:

We are moving to the second phase of our vaccination clinics.  Skilled Care Residents, Gables Residents and Bethany employees who consented to the vaccination will receive their 2^nd dose on January 19^th, 20^th and 21^st.  Towers I &II and Bethany Grace Pointe residents received the first dose of the vaccination on Thursday, January 7^th and we anticipate the second dose around January 28^th.  Vaccination priority is determined by the North Dakota Department of Health.

Bethany conducted standard surveillance Covid-19 testing on Thursday (1/7/21), Friday (1/8) and Monday (1/11).  During these testing events 935 swab tests were conducted for residents and staff at both Bethany on 42^nd and Bethany on University.  We had no new positive resident cases.  We had 2 new staff positive cases, 1 at Bethany on University Skilled Care and 1 at Bethany on 42^nd Skilled Care.  Please review our FAQs below for answers to questions you may have.

Bethany Towers I & II and Bethany Gables are allowing limited visitation.  Bethany on 42^nd Skilled Care and Bethany on University Skilled Care are allowing limited compassionate care visits.  Please see visitation section on our website.

To keep residents safe, please bring proof of current Covid-19 testing results with you.  We prefer proof of a negative COVID-19 test that was taken within the past 7 days.  To get on a regular visitation pattern, we recommend that you get tested on the same day every week so you get an idea of when you will be receiving the test results from the Department of Health in either ND or MN.  Free testing is available at the following locations:

• Faith Journey Lutheran Church, 650 40^th Avenue SE, West Fargo. (some map programs list it as East-not SE) The church is directly West of Sheyenne High School.

This site is open from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday, and no appointment is necessary.

• Former Thomas Edison Elementary School, 1110 14th Street South, Moorhead.

This is saliva testing and the site is open Monday/Tuesday/Friday from 12:00 pm to 7:00 pm and Saturday/Sunday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.  Schedule Appointment with Vault Health

We also encourage virtual visits (Facetime, etc.) for residents.  For Bethany on University Skilled Care, please contact Ann, Director of Community Life, at 701-239-3246.  For Bethany on 42^nd Skilled Care, please contact Laurie, Director of Community Life, at 701-478-8904.  For Bethany Gables please call 478-8970 and for Towers please call 239-3424.

We will be conducting once-a-week COVID-19 surveillance swab testing on skilled care, basic care, and assisted living residents and staff.  Resident testing is conducted each Monday.  Resident testing will take place in the residents’ rooms and will be coordinated by the Skilled Care and Assisted Living/Basic Care nursing teams.  The test is free of charge.

Bethany employees will contact all residents with positive test results.  If you have any questions or concerns about the test, please contact the social worker or unit manager in Skilled Care or the Nurse in Assisted Living/Basic Care.

At Bethany, if an employee tests positive for COVID-19, they are immediately removed from the schedule and told to quarantine at home.  A positive resident is moved to a confined COVID-19 skilled care area with designated staff.

Bethany will continue to provide updates via e-mail and our website as our COVID-19 cases change.  You are also able to call us with any questions.  We are providing this link to the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) COVID19 website for your convenience https://www.health.nd.gov/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/north-dakota-coronavirus-cases .  As we update our information, here are a few guidelines we will be following.

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the North Dakota Department of Health.
• We will not be identifying employees, residents or patients who test positive due to confidentiality.
• All employees who are ill are not allowed to work for 14 days and will need two negative COVID-19 tests prior to return to work.
• We will not give information on resident deaths due to confidentiality.

Here are the latest COVID-19 numbers.  We may add or subtract cases as new test results arrive or as cases are resolved.  Due to the timing of the results, they may not be reflected on the State website at the time of this posting.

Sincerely, Shawn Stuhaug, CEO

Frequently Asked Questions:

What have you done to decrease the risk of COVID-19 for residents and educate family members?

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), American Health Care Association (AHCA) and the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH).
• Among the first acts undertaken to limit potential exposure was to restrict visitors and lock the entrances to Bethany buildings. Only limited visitation is allowed.  Please visit our website for visiting hours.
• All visitors are screened as they enter the buildings. Visitors are also encouraged to get regular COVID testing that is offered in our community.  Please wait in your car until your scheduled visiting times to help reduce the number of people in the lobby area.
• The Bethany website has been enhanced by adding a “Coronavirus Information” tab to share up-to-date information about the pandemic in general and at Bethany Retirement Living.
• Numerous emails have been sent to families from our Social Services team. Please contact a member of the social service team if you would like to be added to the e-mail list.
• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages have been distributed by the CEO for education to family member primary contact.
• Letters have been mailed to primary Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) resident contacts, SNF residents without dementia/memory issues, and residents of Towers, Gables and Grace Pointe.
• All potential admissions are screened for symptoms and fever.
• All SNF admissions are initially processed through one unit (TCU) with increased monitoring of potential symptoms.
• A negative COVID test is required within 24 hours prior to a skilled care admission or return from hospital. Even with a negative COVID test, we still quarantine all new admissions and hospital/ER returns for 14 days.
• Bethany may admit COVID positive residents periodically if we have a COVID-positive area set up.
• Screening of all SNF residents occurs daily and at times two or three times/day. Symptoms monitored include a full set of vital signs along with the observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Screening of all Assisted Living and Basic Care residents occurs daily and, at times, two times/day. Symptoms to monitor include temperature, pulse and O2 stats along with observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Resident Activities of Daily Living (ADL) sheets are updated to include prompts for hand sanitizing of resident hands and resident mask placement.
• Non-emergent resident appointments are being decreased, if able.
• Limiting resident group activities to no more than 10 people while also practicing social distancing and use of facemasks. Activities are also live streamed.
• Residents are encouraged to remain in their room when not attending an activity, therapy or exercise.
• Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy is being conducted in both the resident rooms and in the therapy/wellness center as long as the resident/patient is not in isolation.
• No communal dining for SNF residents unless the resident eating in their room is a safety risk. This is a National Best Practice for limiting the spread of COVID within LTC Facilities.
• No communal dining for Towers or Gables assisted living/basic care residents. This is a National Best Practice for limiting the spread of COVID within LTC Facilities.
• Use of hand sanitizer is encouraged for each resident interaction.
• Use of masks is encouraged for all residents.
• Each Bethany campus has a designated Infection Preventionist to provide surveillance and oversight.
• Visual alerts such as signage and posters have been added throughout the facility to encourage hand sanitizing for both residents and staff.

What have you done to educate staff and decrease the risk of COVID-19?

• See questions above as some information applies to both questions.
• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages to staff related to education.
• Many YouTube Videos have been produced and sent to ALL staff cell phones.
• Educational videos and verbal education are reviewed at shift change/daily huddles etc.
• Mandatory Healthcare Academy Education on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Hand Hygiene, COVID-19 and infection prevention have been assigned and made mandatory for all employees.
• Surveillance and auditing of employees is being conducted to ensure proper use of PPE and handwashing is occurring.
• Hand sanitizer is required for all nursing staff to have on the person (this is not new, but an uncommon practice for most SNFs).
• Surgical or N95 Facemasks and face shields are required for staff when in resident areas.
• Facemask and face shield requirements have been enhanced as guidance has evolved.
• All employees are required to wear face masks when outside of their office spaces. Staff may wear a cloth, surgical or N95 mask when outside of resident areas.
• High touch surfaces are sanitized multiple times per day in office spaces, common areas, etc.
• Educational resources from the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) that pertain to COVID-19 have been provided to employees.
• Employees are monitored for Covid-19 symptoms at the start of each shift, as well as with staff that call in ill prior to their shift. A detailed spreadsheet enables close tracking of all employees with symptoms and tracks adherence to the Return-to-Work guidance from the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH).
• Employees that have been taken off the schedule due to COVID-19 Symptoms, close contact, or having received a positive COVID-19 test result are contacted frequently to monitor symptoms and to determine a safe timeline for return.
• ALL employees are requested to limit employment to “Bethany Only” unless the additional job is approved after review, and considered low risk for exposure to COVID-19 by the COVID-19 leadership team members. This was a difficult decision for both Bethany and our staff, but the risk of infection when working many different jobs and coming in contact with many different people works against the concept of social distancing to limit the spread.
• A COVID-19 Leadership team meets regularly to discuss PPE supply and to analyze additional vendors for increased PPE supply, new guidance on COVID-19, etc.
• Meetings are held 2 days a week to discuss employees who are furloughed and their plans for return to work.
• Leadership team members are on-call 24 hours per day/7 days a week to deal with employee and family questions and concerns.
• Weekly meetings and/or conference calls/webinars/education reviews are held with the NDDoH, Centers for Disease Control, Public Health, ND Long Term Care Association, and American Health Care Association.
• Contact tracing if/when applicable is coordinated with the ND Department of Health.
• Excess chairs have been removed in break room areas to limit tables to two staff members at a table only. Additional space has been opened up for employee breaks to allow for social distancing.
• Visual alerts such as signs and posters have been added throughout all buildings that encourage staff hand hygiene, resident hand hygiene and proper use of PPE.
• Increased hand hygiene stations have been installed throughout all buildings.
• Staff competencies are routinely completed to establish/verify adherence to infection prevention.

We have received notification that a resident at Bethany has tested positive for COVID-19 and we have the following questions.

Will all residents now be tested?

• Resident testing (mass surveillance testing of all residents) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health. A resident that is symptomatic is tested at the direction of the resident’s physician.

Will all staff be tested?

• Bethany employees complete a health screening at the start of their shift. If an employee triggers a concern on the health screening, they are immediately removed from the schedule.   A Bethany staff member then works with the employee on symptom monitoring, communication with their physician and return to work protocol.
• Staff testing (mass surveillance testing of all staff) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health. Staff testing occurs weekly.

Will COVID-19 positive residents be taken to the hospital?

• A transfer to the hospital is coordinated by the resident’s physician and Bethany staff. Residents who are in a declining in health status may be transferred to the hospital as directed by their physician.  Bethany would call 911 in an emergency situation.

Bethany Retirement Living FAQs and COVID-19 Cases as of 1/5/21 11:30am:

Dear families and friends of Bethany Retirement Living:

The first phase of our vaccination process is progressing well.  Skilled Care Residents, Gables Residents and Bethany staff that consented to the vaccination have received their first of two doses.  We anticipate the 2^nd dose will be given January 19^th, 20^th and 21^st.  Towers I &II and Bethany Grace Pointe residents will receive the first dose of the vaccination on Thursday, January 7^th.  Vaccination priority is determined by the North Dakota Department of Health.

Bethany conducted standard surveillance Covid-19 testing on Thursday (12/31/20) and Monday (1/4/21).  During these testing events 1,240 swab tests were conducted for residents and staff at both Bethany on 42^nd and Bethany on University.  We had 1 new positive resident case at Bethany on University Skilled Care.  We had 3 new staff positive cases at Bethany on University Skilled Care, 1 at Bethany on 42^nd Skilled Care and 1 at Towers II.  There were no new positive staff cases at Bethany Gables or Towers I.  Please review our FAQs below for answers to questions you may have.

Bethany Towers I & II and Bethany Gables are allowing limited visitation.  Bethany on 42^nd Skilled Care and Bethany on University Skilled Care are allowing limited compassionate care visits.  Please see visitation section on our website.

To keep residents safe, please bring proof of current Covid-19 testing results with you.  We prefer proof of a negative COVID-19 test that was taken within the past 7 days.  To get on a regular visitation pattern, we recommend that you get tested on the same day every week so you get an idea of when you will be receiving the test results from the Department of Health in either ND or MN.  Free testing is available at the following locations:

• Faith Journey Lutheran Church, 650 40^th Avenue SE, West Fargo. (some map programs list it as East-not SE) The church is directly West of Sheyenne High School.

This site is open from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday, and no appointment is necessary.

• Former Thomas Edison Elementary School, 1110 14th Street South, Moorhead.

This is saliva testing and the site is open Monday/Tuesday/Friday from 12:00 pm to 7:00 pm and Saturday/Sunday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.  Schedule Appointment with Vault Health

We also encourage virtual visits (Facetime, etc.) for residents.  For Bethany on University Skilled Care, please contact Ann, Director of Community Life, at 701-239-3246.  For Bethany on 42^nd Skilled Care, please contact Laurie, Director of Community Life, at 701-478-8904.  For Bethany Gables please call 478-8970 and for Towers please call 239-3424.

We will be conducting once-a-week COVID-19 surveillance swab testing on skilled care, basic care, and assisted living residents and staff.  Resident testing is conducted each Monday.  Resident testing will take place in the residents’ rooms and will be coordinated by the Skilled Care and Assisted Living/Basic Care nursing teams.  The test is free of charge.

Bethany staff will contact all residents with positive test calls.  If you have any questions or concerns about the test, please contact the social worker or unit manager in Skilled Care or the Nurse in Assisted Living/Basic Care.

At Bethany, if an employee tests positive for COVID-19, they are immediately removed from the schedule and told to quarantine at home.  A positive resident is moved to a confined COVID-19 skilled care area with designated staff.

Bethany will continue to provide updates via e-mail and our website as our COVID-19 cases change.  You are also able to call us with any questions.  We are providing this link to the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) COVID19 website for your convenience https://www.health.nd.gov/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/north-dakota-coronavirus-cases .  As we update our information, here are a few guidelines we will be following.

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the North Dakota Department of Health.
• We will not be identifying employees, residents or patients who test positive due to confidentiality.
• All employees who are ill are not allowed to work for 14 days and will need two negative COVID-19 tests prior to return to work.
• We will not give information on resident deaths due to confidentiality.

Here are the latest COVID-19 numbers.  We may add or subtract cases as new test results arrive or as cases are resolved.  Due to the timing of the results, they may not be reflected on the State website at the time of this posting.

Sincerely, Shawn Stuhaug, CEO

Frequently Asked Questions:

What have you done to decrease the risk of COVID-19 for residents and educate family members?

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), American Health Care Association (AHCA) and the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH).
• Among the first acts undertaken to limit potential exposure was to restrict visitors and lock the entrances to Bethany buildings. Only limited visitation is allowed.  Please visit our website for visiting hours.
• All visitors are screened as they enter the buildings. Visitors are also encouraged to get regular COVID testing that is offered in our community.  Please wait in your car until your scheduled visiting times to help reduce the number of people in the lobby area.
• The Bethany website has been enhanced by adding a “Coronavirus Information” tab to share up-to-date information about the pandemic in general and at Bethany Retirement Living.
• Numerous emails have been sent to families from our Social Services team. Please contact a member of the social service team if you would like to be added to the e-mail list.
• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages have been distributed by the CEO for education to family member primary contact.
• Letters have been mailed to primary Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) resident contacts, SNF residents without dementia/memory issues, and residents of Towers, Gables and Grace Pointe.
• All potential admissions are screened for symptoms and fever.
• All SNF admissions are initially processed through one unit (TCU) with increased monitoring of potential symptoms.
• A negative COVID test is required within 24 hours prior to a skilled care admission or return from hospital. Even with a negative COVID test, we still quarantine all new admissions and hospital/ER returns for 14 days.
• Bethany may admit COVID positive residents periodically if we have a COVID-positive area set up.
• Screening of all SNF residents occurs daily and at times two or three times/day. Symptoms monitored include a full set of vital signs along with the observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Screening of all Assisted Living and Basic Care residents occurs daily and, at times, two times/day. Symptoms to monitor include temperature, pulse and O2 stats along with observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Resident Activities of Daily Living (ADL) sheets are updated to include prompts for hand sanitizing of resident hands and resident mask placement.
• Non-emergent resident appointments are being decreased, if able.
• Limiting resident group activities to no more than 10 people while also practicing social distancing and use of facemasks. Activities are also live streamed.
• Residents are encouraged to remain in their room when not attending an activity, therapy or exercise.
• Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy is being conducted in both the resident rooms and in the therapy/wellness center as long as the resident/patient is not in isolation.
• No communal dining for SNF residents unless the resident eating in their room is a safety risk. This is a National Best Practice for limiting the spread of COVID within LTC Facilities.
• No communal dining for Towers or Gables assisted living/basic care residents. This is a National Best Practice for limiting the spread of COVID within LTC Facilities.
• Use of hand sanitizer is encouraged for each resident interaction.
• Use of masks is encouraged for all residents.
• Each Bethany campus has a designated Infection Preventionist to provide surveillance and oversight.
• Visual alerts such as signage and posters have been added throughout the facility to encourage hand sanitizing for both residents and staff.

What have you done to educate staff and decrease the risk of COVID-19?

• See questions above as some information applies to both questions.
• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages to staff related to education.
• Many YouTube Videos have been produced and sent to ALL staff cell phones.
• Educational videos and verbal education are reviewed at shift change/daily huddles etc.
• Mandatory Healthcare Academy Education on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Hand Hygiene, COVID-19 and infection prevention have been assigned and made mandatory for all employees.
• Surveillance and auditing of employees is being conducted to ensure proper use of PPE and handwashing is occurring.
• Hand sanitizer is required for all nursing staff to have on the person (this is not new, but an uncommon practice for most SNFs).
• Surgical or N95 Facemasks and face shields are required for staff when in resident areas.
• Facemask and face shield requirements have been enhanced as guidance has evolved.
• All employees are required to wear face masks when outside of their office spaces. Staff may wear a cloth, surgical or N95 mask when outside of resident areas.
• High touch surfaces are sanitized multiple times per day in office spaces, common areas, etc.
• Educational resources from the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) that pertain to COVID-19 have been provided to employees.
• Employees are monitored for Covid-19 symptoms at the start of each shift, as well as with staff that call in ill prior to their shift. A detailed spreadsheet enables close tracking of all employees with symptoms and tracks adherence to the Return-to-Work guidance from the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH).
• Employees that have been taken off the schedule due to COVID-19 Symptoms, close contact, or having received a positive COVID-19 test result are contacted frequently to monitor symptoms and to determine a safe timeline for return.
• ALL employees are requested to limit employment to “Bethany Only” unless the additional job is approved after review, and considered low risk for exposure to COVID-19 by the COVID-19 leadership team members. This was a difficult decision for both Bethany and our staff, but the risk of infection when working many different jobs and coming in contact with many different people works against the concept of social distancing to limit the spread.
• A COVID-19 Leadership team meets regularly to discuss PPE supply and to analyze additional vendors for increased PPE supply, new guidance on COVID-19, etc.
• Meetings are held 2 days a week to discuss employees who are furloughed and their plans for return to work.
• Leadership team members are on-call 24 hours per day/7 days a week to deal with employee and family questions and concerns.
• Weekly meetings and/or conference calls/webinars/education reviews are held with the NDDoH, Centers for Disease Control, Public Health, ND Long Term Care Association, and American Health Care Association.
• Contact tracing if/when applicable is coordinated with the ND Department of Health.
• Excess chairs have been removed in break room areas to limit tables to two staff members at a table only. Additional space has been opened up for employee breaks to allow for social distancing.
• Visual alerts such as signs and posters have been added throughout all buildings that encourage staff hand hygiene, resident hand hygiene and proper use of PPE.
• Increased hand hygiene stations have been installed throughout all buildings.
• Staff competencies are routinely completed to establish/verify adherence to infection prevention.

We have received notification that a resident at Bethany has tested positive for COVID-19 and we have the following questions.

Will all residents now be tested?

• Resident testing (mass surveillance testing of all residents) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health. A resident that is symptomatic is tested at the direction of the resident’s physician.

Will all staff be tested?

• Bethany employees complete a health screening at the start of their shift. If an employee triggers a concern on the health screening, they are immediately removed from the schedule.   A Bethany staff member then works with the employee on symptom monitoring, communication with their physician and return to work protocol.
• Staff testing (mass surveillance testing of all staff) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health. Staff testing occurs weekly.

Will COVID-19 positive residents be taken to the hospital?

• A transfer to the hospital is coordinated by the resident’s physician and Bethany staff. Residents who are in a declining in health status may be transferred to the hospital as directed by their physician.  Bethany would call 911 in an emergency situation.

Bethany Retirement Living FAQs and COVID-19 Cases as of 12/29/20 4:30pm:

Dear families and friends of Bethany Retirement Living:

We are happy to announce that our vaccination process is underway.  Skilled Care Residents and Bethany employees are getting vaccinated Tuesday (12/29) through Thursday (12/31) of this week.  Towers I &II and Bethany Gables residents will be vaccinated on January 7^th.  Once Thrifty White Pharmacy has enough vaccination allocation we will announce a vaccination date for Grace Pointe residents.  We anticipate this may be around the middle of January, but hopefully sooner.  Vaccination priority is determined by the North Dakota Department of Health.

Bethany conducted standard surveillance Covid-19 testing on Wednesday (12/23) and Monday (12/28).  During these testing events 1,232 swab tests were conducted for residents and staff at both Bethany on 42^nd and Bethany on University.  We had no new positive resident cases.  We had 2 new staff positive cases at Bethany on University Skilled Care.  There were no new positive staff cases at Bethany Gables, Bethany on 42^nd Skilled Care, Bethany Towers I or II.  Please review our FAQs below for answers to questions you may have.

Bethany Towers I & II and Bethany Gables are allowing limited visitation.  Bethany on 42^nd Skilled Care and Bethany on University Skilled Care are allowing limited compassionate care visits.  Please see visitation section on our website.

To keep residents safe, you must have proof of current testing results with you.  To visit you will need to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test that was taken within the past 7 days.  To get on a regular visitation pattern, we recommend that you get tested on the same day every week so you get an idea of when you will be receiving the test results from the Department of Health in either ND or MN.  Free testing is available at the following locations:

• Faith Journey Lutheran Church, 650 40^th Avenue SE, West Fargo. (some map programs list it as East-not SE) The church is directly West of Sheyenne High School.

This site is open from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday, and no appointment is necessary.

• Former Thomas Edison Elementary School, 1110 14th Street South, Moorhead.

This is saliva testing and the site is open Monday/Tuesday/Friday from 12:00 pm to 7:00 pm and Saturday/Sunday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.  Schedule Appointment with Vault Health

We also encourage virtual visits (Facetime, etc.) for residents.  For Bethany on University Skilled Care, please contact Ann, Director of Community Life, at 701-239-3246.  For Bethany on 42^nd Skilled Care, please contact Laurie, Director of Community Life, at 701-478-8904.  For Bethany Gables please call 478-8970 and for Towers please call 239-3424.

This week we continued twice-a-week COVID-19 surveillance swab testing for resident and staff.  Starting next week, we will be conducting once-a-week COVID-19 surveillance swab testing on skilled care, basic care, and assisted living residents and staff.  Resident testing is conducted each Monday.  Resident testing will take place in the residents’ rooms and will be coordinated by the Skilled Care and Assisted Living/Basic Care nursing teams.  The test is free of charge.

Bethany staff will contact all residents with positive test calls.  If you have any questions or concerns about the test, please contact the social worker or unit manager in Skilled Care or the Nurse in Assisted Living/Basic Care.

At Bethany, if an employee tests positive for COVID-19, they are immediately removed from the schedule and told to quarantine at home.  A positive resident is moved to a confined COVID-19 skilled care area with designated staff.

Bethany will continue to provide updates via e-mail and our website as our COVID-19 cases change.  You are also able to call us with any questions.  We are providing this link to the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) COVID19 website for your convenience https://www.health.nd.gov/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/north-dakota-coronavirus-cases .  As we update our information, here are a few guidelines we will be following.

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the North Dakota Department of Health.
• We will not be identifying employees, residents or patients who test positive due to confidentiality.
• All employees who are ill are not allowed to work for 14 days and will need two negative COVID-19 tests prior to return to work.
• We will not give information on resident deaths due to confidentiality.

Here are the latest COVID-19 numbers.  We may add or subtract cases as new test results arrive or as cases are resolved.  Due to the timing of the results, they may not be reflected on the State website at the time of this posting.

Sincerely, Shawn Stuhaug, CEO

Frequently Asked Questions:

What have you done to decrease the risk of COVID-19 for residents and educate family members?

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), American Health Care Association (AHCA) and the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH).
• Among the first acts undertaken to limit potential exposure was to restrict visitors and lock the entrances to Bethany buildings. Only limited visitation is allowed.  Please visit our website for visiting hours.
• All visitors are screened as they enter the buildings. Visitors are also encouraged to get regular COVID testing that is offered in our community.  Please wait in your car until your scheduled visiting times to help reduce the number of people in the lobby area.
• The Bethany website has been enhanced by adding a “Coronavirus Information” tab to share up-to-date information about the pandemic in general and at Bethany Retirement Living.
• Numerous emails have been sent to families from our Social Services team. Please contact a member of the social service team if you would like to be added to the e-mail list.
• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages have been distributed by the CEO for education to family member primary contact.
• Letters have been mailed to primary Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) resident contacts, SNF residents without dementia/memory issues, and residents of Towers, Gables and Grace Pointe.
• All potential admissions are screened for symptoms and fever.
• All SNF admissions are initially processed through one unit (TCU) with increased monitoring of potential symptoms.
• A negative COVID test is required within 24 hours prior to a skilled care admission or return from hospital. Even with a negative COVID test, we still quarantine all new admissions and hospital/ER returns for 14 days.
• Bethany may admit COVID positive residents periodically if we have a COVID-positive area set up.
• Screening of all SNF residents occurs daily and at times two or three times/day. Symptoms monitored include a full set of vital signs along with the observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Screening of all Assisted Living and Basic Care residents occurs daily and, at times, two times/day. Symptoms to monitor include temperature, pulse and O2 stats along with observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Resident Activities of Daily Living (ADL) sheets are updated to include prompts for hand sanitizing of resident hands and resident mask placement.
• Non-emergent resident appointments are being decreased, if able.
• Limiting resident group activities to no more than 10 people while also practicing social distancing and use of facemasks. Activities are also live streamed.
• Residents are encouraged to remain in their room when not attending an activity, therapy or exercise.
• Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy is being conducted in both the resident rooms and in the therapy/wellness center as long as the resident/patient is not in isolation.
• No communal dining for SNF residents unless the resident eating in their room is a safety risk. This is a National Best Practice for limiting the spread of COVID within LTC Facilities.
• No communal dining for Towers or Gables assisted living/basic care residents. This is a National Best Practice for limiting the spread of COVID within LTC Facilities.
• Use of hand sanitizer is encouraged for each resident interaction.
• Use of masks is encouraged for all residents.
• Each Bethany campus has a designated Infection Preventionist to provide surveillance and oversight.
• Visual alerts such as signage and posters have been added throughout the facility to encourage hand sanitizing for both residents and staff.

What have you done to educate staff and decrease the risk of COVID-19?

• See questions above as some information applies to both questions.
• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages to staff related to education.
• Many YouTube Videos have been produced and sent to ALL staff cell phones.
• Educational videos and verbal education are reviewed at shift change/daily huddles etc.
• Mandatory Healthcare Academy Education on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Hand Hygiene, COVID-19 and infection prevention have been assigned and made mandatory for all employees.
• Surveillance and auditing of employees is being conducted to ensure proper use of PPE and handwashing is occurring.
• Hand sanitizer is required for all nursing staff to have on the person (this is not new, but an uncommon practice for most SNFs).
• Surgical or N95 Facemasks and face shields are required for staff when in resident areas.
• Facemask and face shield requirements have been enhanced as guidance has evolved.
• All employees are required to wear face masks when outside of their office spaces. Staff may wear a cloth, surgical or N95 mask when outside of resident areas.
• High touch surfaces are sanitized multiple times per day in office spaces, common areas, etc.
• Educational resources from the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) that pertain to COVID-19 have been provided to employees.
• Employees are monitored for Covid-19 symptoms at the start of each shift, as well as with staff that call in ill prior to their shift. A detailed spreadsheet enables close tracking of all employees with symptoms and tracks adherence to the Return-to-Work guidance from the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH).
• Employees that have been taken off the schedule due to COVID-19 Symptoms, close contact, or having received a positive COVID-19 test result are contacted frequently to monitor symptoms and to determine a safe timeline for return.
• ALL employees are requested to limit employment to “Bethany Only” unless the additional job is approved after review, and considered low risk for exposure to COVID-19 by the COVID-19 leadership team members. This was a difficult decision for both Bethany and our staff, but the risk of infection when working many different jobs and coming in contact with many different people works against the concept of social distancing to limit the spread.
• A COVID-19 Leadership team meets regularly to discuss PPE supply and to analyze additional vendors for increased PPE supply, new guidance on COVID-19, etc.
• Meetings are held 2 days a week to discuss employees who are furloughed and their plans for return to work.
• Leadership team members are on-call 24 hours per day/7 days a week to deal with employee and family questions and concerns.
• Weekly meetings and/or conference calls/webinars/education reviews are held with the NDDoH, Centers for Disease Control, Public Health, ND Long Term Care Association, and American Health Care Association.
• Contact tracing if/when applicable is coordinated with the ND Department of Health.
• Excess chairs have been removed in break room areas to limit tables to two staff members at a table only. Additional space has been opened up for employee breaks to allow for social distancing.
• Visual alerts such as signs and posters have been added throughout all buildings that encourage staff hand hygiene, resident hand hygiene and proper use of PPE.
• Increased hand hygiene stations have been installed throughout all buildings.
• Staff competencies are routinely completed to establish/verify adherence to infection prevention.

We have received notification that a resident at Bethany has tested positive for COVID-19 and we have the following questions.

Will all residents now be tested?

• Resident testing (mass surveillance testing of all residents) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health. A resident that is symptomatic is tested at the direction of the resident’s physician.

Will all staff be tested?

• Bethany employees complete a health screening at the start of their shift. If an employee triggers a concern on the health screening, they are immediately removed from the schedule.   A Bethany staff member then works with the employee on symptom monitoring, communication with their physician and return to work protocol.
• Staff testing (mass surveillance testing of all staff) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health. Staff testing occurs weekly.

Will COVID-19 positive residents be taken to the hospital?

• A transfer to the hospital is coordinated by the resident’s physician and Bethany staff. Residents who are in a declining in health status may be transferred to the hospital as directed by their physician.  Bethany would call 911 in an emergency situation.

Bethany Retirement Living FAQs and COVID-19 Cases as of 12/23/20 1:00pm:

Dear families and friends of Bethany Retirement Living:

As you all know, Bethany residents, patients and staff have been battling the COVID-19 virus every day since March, 2020.  Many of our staff and residents have been swab tested over 50 times.  We are happy to announce that all Skilled Care Residents and Bethany staff will be vaccinated on Tuesday (12/29) and Wednesday 12/30).  We are extremely excited that this day is finally here and we hope this will lead to reduced regulations on visitation restrictions in the near future as more people get vaccinated.  As soon as Thrifty White Pharmacy has enough vaccine allocation we will schedule a testing event for all Assisted Living, Basic Care and Grace Pointe residents.  We anticipate this may be around the middle of January, but hopefully sooner.  Vaccination priority is determined by the North Dakota Department of Health.

Bethany conducted standard surveillance Covid-19 testing on Thursday (12/17), Monday (12/21) and today, Wednesday (12/23).  During these three testing events 2,456 swab tests were conducted for residents and staff at both Bethany on 42^nd and Bethany on University.  We had no new positive resident cases.  We had 10 new staff positive cases broken down as follows:  3 at Bethany on 42^nd Skilled Care, 1 at Bethany Towers and 7 at Bethany on University Skilled Care.  There were no new positive staff cases at Bethany Gables.  We are still waiting for a few staff results from the State lab for Monday (12/21) and I will reflect any new cases in my next update.  Please review our FAQs below for answers to questions you may have.

Bethany Towers I & II and Bethany Gables are allowing limited visitation.  Bethany on 42^nd Skilled Care and Bethany on University Skilled Care are allowing limited compassionate care visits.  Please see visitation section on our website.

To keep residents safe, you must have proof of current testing results with you.  To visit you will need to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test that was taken within the past 7 days.  To get on a regular visitation pattern, we recommend that you get tested on the same day every week so you get an idea of when you will be receiving the test results from the Department of Health in either ND or MN.  Free testing is available at the following locations:

• Faith Journey Lutheran Church, 650 40^th Avenue SE, West Fargo. (some map programs list it as East-not SE) The church is directly West of Sheyenne High School.

This site is open from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday, and no appointment is necessary.

• Former Thomas Edison Elementary School, 1110 14th Street South, Moorhead.

This is saliva testing and the site is open Monday/Tuesday/Friday from 12:00 pm to 7:00 pm and Saturday/Sunday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.  Schedule Appointment with Vault Health

We also encourage virtual visits (Facetime, etc.) for residents.  For Bethany on University Skilled Care, please contact Ann, Director of Community Life, at 701-239-3246.  For Bethany on 42^nd Skilled Care, please contact Laurie, Director of Community Life, at 701-478-8904.  For Bethany Gables please call 478-8970 and for Towers please call 239-3424.

We will are conducting twice-a-week COVID-19 surveillance swab testing on skilled care, basic care, and assisted living residents and staff.  Resident testing is conducted each Monday and Thursday.  Resident testing will take place in the residents’ rooms and will be coordinated by the Skilled Care and Assisted Living/Basic Care nursing teams.  The test is free of charge.

Test results are usually returned within 48-72 hours.  Bethany staff will contact all residents with positive test calls.  If you have any questions or concerns about the test, please contact the social worker or unit manager in Skilled Care or the Nurse in Assisted Living/Basic Care.

At Bethany, if an employee tests positive for COVID-19, they are immediately removed from the schedule and told to quarantine at home.  A positive resident is moved to a confined COVID-19 skilled care area with designated staff.

Bethany will continue to provide updates via e-mail and our website as our COVID-19 cases change.  You are also able to call us with any questions.  We are providing this link to the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) COVID19 website for your convenience https://www.health.nd.gov/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/north-dakota-coronavirus-cases .  As we update our information, here are a few guidelines we will be following.

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the North Dakota Department of Health.
• We will not be identifying employees, residents or patients who test positive due to confidentiality.
• All employees who are ill are not allowed to work for 14 days and will need two negative COVID-19 tests prior to return to work.
• We will not give information on resident deaths due to confidentiality.

Here are the latest COVID-19 numbers.  We may add or subtract cases as new test results arrive or as cases are resolved.  Due to the timing of the results, they may not be reflected on the State website at the time of this posting.

Sincerely, Shawn Stuhaug, CEO

Frequently Asked Questions:

What have you done to decrease the risk of COVID-19 for residents and educate family members?

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), American Health Care Association (AHCA) and the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH).
• Among the first acts undertaken to limit potential exposure was to restrict visitors and lock the entrances to Bethany buildings. Only limited visitation is allowed.  Please visit our website for visiting hours.
• All visitors are screened as they enter the buildings. Visitors are also encouraged to get regular COVID testing that is offered in our community.  Please wait in your car until your scheduled visiting times to help reduce the number of people in the lobby area.
• The Bethany website has been enhanced by adding a “Coronavirus Information” tab to share up-to-date information about the pandemic in general and at Bethany Retirement Living.
• Numerous emails have been sent to families from our Social Services team. Please contact a member of the social service team if you would like to be added to the e-mail list.
• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages have been distributed by the CEO for education to family member primary contact.
• Letters have been mailed to primary Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) resident contacts, SNF residents without dementia/memory issues, and residents of Towers, Gables and Grace Pointe.
• All potential admissions are screened for symptoms and fever.
• All SNF admissions are initially processed through one unit (TCU) with increased monitoring of potential symptoms.
• A negative COVID test is required within 24 hours prior to a skilled care admission or return from hospital. Even with a negative COVID test, we still quarantine all new admissions and hospital/ER returns for 14 days.
• Bethany may admit COVID positive residents periodically if we have a COVID-positive area set up.
• Screening of all SNF residents occurs daily and at times two or three times/day. Symptoms monitored include a full set of vital signs along with the observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Screening of all Assisted Living and Basic Care residents occurs daily and, at times, two times/day. Symptoms to monitor include temperature, pulse and O2 stats along with observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Resident Activities of Daily Living (ADL) sheets are updated to include prompts for hand sanitizing of resident hands and resident mask placement.
• Non-emergent resident appointments are being decreased, if able.
• Limiting resident group activities to no more than 10 people while also practicing social distancing and use of facemasks. Activities are also live streamed.
• Residents are encouraged to remain in their room when not attending an activity, therapy or exercise.
• Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy is being conducted in both the resident rooms and in the therapy/wellness center as long as the resident/patient is not in isolation.
• No communal dining for SNF residents unless the resident eating in their room is a safety risk. This is a National Best Practice for limiting the spread of COVID within LTC Facilities.
• No communal dining for Towers or Gables assisted living/basic care residents. This is a National Best Practice for limiting the spread of COVID within LTC Facilities.
• Use of hand sanitizer is encouraged for each resident interaction.
• Use of masks is encouraged for all residents.
• Each Bethany campus has a designated Infection Preventionist to provide surveillance and oversight.
• Visual alerts such as signage and posters have been added throughout the facility to encourage hand sanitizing for both residents and staff.

What have you done to educate staff and decrease the risk of COVID-19?

• See questions above as some information applies to both questions.
• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages to staff related to education.
• Many YouTube Videos have been produced and sent to ALL staff cell phones.
• Educational videos and verbal education are reviewed at shift change/daily huddles etc.
• Mandatory Healthcare Academy Education on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Hand Hygiene, COVID-19 and infection prevention have been assigned and made mandatory for all employees.
• Surveillance and auditing of employees is being conducted to ensure proper use of PPE and handwashing is occurring.
• Hand sanitizer is required for all nursing staff to have on the person (this is not new, but an uncommon practice for most SNFs).
• Surgical or N95 Facemasks and face shields are required for staff when in resident areas.
• Facemask and face shield requirements have been enhanced as guidance has evolved.
• All employees are required to wear face masks when outside of their office spaces. Staff may wear a cloth, surgical or N95 mask when outside of resident areas.
• High touch surfaces are sanitized multiple times per day in office spaces, common areas, etc.
• Educational resources from the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) that pertain to COVID-19 have been provided to employees.
• Employees are monitored for Covid-19 symptoms at the start of each shift, as well as with staff that call in ill prior to their shift. A detailed spreadsheet enables close tracking of all employees with symptoms and tracks adherence to the Return-to-Work guidance from the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH).
• Employees that have been taken off the schedule due to COVID-19 Symptoms, close contact, or having received a positive COVID-19 test result are contacted frequently to monitor symptoms and to determine a safe timeline for return.
• ALL employees are requested to limit employment to “Bethany Only” unless the additional job is approved after review, and considered low risk for exposure to COVID-19 by the COVID-19 leadership team members. This was a difficult decision for both Bethany and our staff, but the risk of infection when working many different jobs and coming in contact with many different people works against the concept of social distancing to limit the spread.
• A COVID-19 Leadership team meets regularly to discuss PPE supply and to analyze additional vendors for increased PPE supply, new guidance on COVID-19, etc.
• Meetings are held 2 days a week to discuss employees who are furloughed and their plans for return to work.
• Leadership team members are on-call 24 hours per day/7 days a week to deal with employee and family questions and concerns.
• Weekly meetings and/or conference calls/webinars/education reviews are held with the NDDoH, Centers for Disease Control, Public Health, ND Long Term Care Association, and American Health Care Association.
• Contact tracing if/when applicable is coordinated with the ND Department of Health.
• Excess chairs have been removed in break room areas to limit tables to two staff members at a table only. Additional space has been opened up for employee breaks to allow for social distancing.
• Visual alerts such as signs and posters have been added throughout all buildings that encourage staff hand hygiene, resident hand hygiene and proper use of PPE.
• Increased hand hygiene stations have been installed throughout all buildings.
• Staff competencies are routinely completed to establish/verify adherence to infection prevention.

We have received notification that a resident at Bethany has tested positive for COVID-19 and we have the following questions.

Will all residents now be tested?

• Resident testing (mass surveillance testing of all residents) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health. A resident that is symptomatic is tested at the direction of the resident’s physician.

Will all staff be tested?

• Bethany employees complete a health screening at the start of their shift. If an employee triggers a concern on the health screening, they are immediately removed from the schedule.   A Bethany staff member then works with the employee on symptom monitoring, communication with their physician and return to work protocol.
• Staff testing (mass surveillance testing of all staff) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health. Staff testing occurs weekly.

Will COVID-19 positive residents be taken to the hospital?

• A transfer to the hospital is coordinated by the resident’s physician and Bethany staff. Residents who are in a declining in health status may be transferred to the hospital as directed by their physician.  Bethany would call 911 in an emergency situation.

Bethany Retirement Living FAQs and COVID-19 Cases as of 12/16/20 2:30pm:

Dear families and friends of Bethany Retirement Living:

Bethany conducted standard surveillance Covid-19 testing on Thursday (12/10) and Monday (12/14).  During these two testing events 1,584 swab tests were conducted for residents and staff at both Bethany on 42^nd and Bethany on University.  We had 4 new positive resident cases broken down as follows:  1-Bethany on University Skilled Care, 1-Bethany Towers I Basic Care and 2 at Bethany Gables.  We had no new cases in Towers II or Bethany on 42^nd Skilled Care.  We had 12 new staff positive cases broken down as follows:  3 at Bethany on 42^nd Skilled Care, 2 at Bethany Towers and 7 at Bethany on University Skilled Care.  There were no new positive staff cases at Bethany Gables.  Please review our FAQs below for answers to questions you may have.

Bethany Towers I & II and Bethany Gables are allowing limited visitation.  Bethany on 42^nd Skilled Care and Bethany on University Skilled Care are allowing limited compassionate care visits.  Please see visitation section on our website.

To keep residents safe, you must have proof of current testing results with you.  To visit you will need to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test that was taken within the past 7 days.  To get on a regular visitation pattern, we recommend that you get tested on the same day every week so you get an idea of when you will be receiving the test results from the Department of Health in either ND or MN.  Free testing is available at the following locations:

• Faith Journey Lutheran Church, 650 40^th Avenue SE, West Fargo. (some map programs list it as East-not SE) The church is directly West of Sheyenne High School.

This site is open from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday, and no appointment is necessary.

• Former Thomas Edison Elementary School, 1110 14th Street South, Moorhead.

This is saliva testing and the site is open Monday/Tuesday/Friday from 12:00 pm to 7:00 pm and Saturday/Sunday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.  Schedule Appointment with Vault Health

We also encourage virtual visits (Facetime etc.) for residents.  For Bethany on University Skilled Care, please contact Ann, Director of Community Life, at 701-239-3246.  For Bethany on 42^nd Skilled Care, please contact Laurie, Director of Community Life, at 701-478-8904.  For Bethany Gables please call 478-8970 and for Towers please call 239-3424.

We will are conducting twice-a-week COVID-19 surveillance swab testing on skilled care, basic care, and assisted living residents and staff.  Resident testing is conducted each Monday and Thursday.  Resident testing will take place in the residents’ rooms and will be coordinated by the Skilled Care and Assisted Living/Basic Care nursing teams.  The test is free of charge.

Test results are usually returned within 48-72 hours.  Bethany staff will contact all residents with positive test calls.  If you have any questions or concerns about the test, please contact the social worker or unit manager in Skilled Care or the Nurse in Assisted Living/Basic Care.

At Bethany, if an employee tests positive for COVID-19, they are immediately removed from the schedule and told to quarantine at home.  A positive resident is moved to a confined COVID-19 skilled care area with designated staff.

Bethany will continue to provide updates via e-mail and our website as our COVID-19 cases change.  You are also able to call us with any questions.  We are providing this link to the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) COVID19 website for your convenience https://www.health.nd.gov/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/north-dakota-coronavirus-cases .  As we update our information, here are a few guidelines we will be following.

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the North Dakota Department of Health.
• We will not be identifying employees, residents or patients who test positive due to confidentiality.
• All employees who are ill are not allowed to work for 14 days and will need two negative COVID-19 tests prior to return to work.
• We will not give information on resident deaths due to confidentiality.

Here are the latest COVID-19 numbers.  We may add or subtract cases as new test results arrive or as cases are resolved.  Due to the timing of the results, they may not be reflected on the State website at the time of this posting.

Sincerely, Shawn Stuhaug, CEO

Frequently Asked Questions:

What have you done to decrease the risk of COVID-19 for residents and educate family members?

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), American Health Care Association (AHCA) and the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH).
• Among the first acts undertaken to limit potential exposure was to restrict visitors and lock the entrances to Bethany buildings. Only limited visitation is allowed.  Please visit our website for visiting hours.
• All visitors are screened as they enter the buildings. Visitors are also encouraged to get regular COVID testing that is offered in our community.  Please wait in your car until your scheduled visiting times to help reduce the number of people in the lobby area.
• The Bethany website has been enhanced by adding a “Coronavirus Information” tab to share up-to-date information about the pandemic in general and at Bethany Retirement Living.
• Numerous emails have been sent to families from our Social Services team. Please contact a member of the social service team if you would like to be added to the e-mail list.
• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages have been distributed by the CEO for education to family member primary contact.
• Letters have been mailed to primary Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) resident contacts, SNF residents without dementia/memory issues, and residents of Towers, Gables and Grace Pointe.
• All potential admissions are screened for symptoms and fever.
• All SNF admissions are initially processed through one unit (TCU) with increased monitoring of potential symptoms.
• A negative COVID test is required within 24 hours prior to a skilled care admission or return from hospital. Even with a negative COVID test, we still quarantine all new admissions and hospital/ER returns for 14 days.
• Bethany may admit COVID positive residents periodically if we have a COVID-positive area set up.
• Screening of all SNF residents occurs daily and at times two or three times/day. Symptoms monitored include a full set of vital signs along with the observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Screening of all Assisted Living and Basic Care residents occurs daily and, at times, two times/day. Symptoms to monitor include temperature, pulse and O2 stats along with observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Resident Activities of Daily Living (ADL) sheets are updated to include prompts for hand sanitizing of resident hands and resident mask placement.
• Non-emergent resident appointments are being decreased, if able.
• Limiting resident group activities to no more than 10 people while also practicing social distancing and use of facemasks. Activities are also live streamed.
• Residents are encouraged to remain in their room when not attending an activity, therapy or exercise.
• Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy is being conducted in both the resident rooms and in the therapy/wellness center as long as the resident/patient is not in isolation.
• No communal dining for SNF residents unless the resident eating in their room is a safety risk. This is a National Best Practice for limiting the spread of COVID within LTC Facilities.
• No communal dining for Towers or Gables assisted living/basic care residents. This is a National Best Practice for limiting the spread of COVID within LTC Facilities.
• Use of hand sanitizer is encouraged for each resident interaction.
• Use of masks is encouraged for all residents.
• Each Bethany campus has a designated Infection Preventionist to provide surveillance and oversight.
• Visual alerts such as signage and posters have been added throughout the facility to encourage hand sanitizing for both residents and staff.

What have you done to educate staff and decrease the risk of COVID-19?

• See questions above as some information applies to both questions.
• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages to staff related to education.
• Many YouTube Videos have been produced and sent to ALL staff cell phones.
• Educational videos and verbal education are reviewed at shift change/daily huddles etc.
• Mandatory Healthcare Academy Education on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Hand Hygiene, COVID-19 and infection prevention have been assigned and made mandatory for all employees.
• Surveillance and auditing of employees is being conducted to ensure proper use of PPE and handwashing is occurring.
• Hand sanitizer is required for all nursing staff to have on the person (this is not new, but an uncommon practice for most SNFs).
• Surgical or N95 Facemasks and face shields are required for staff when in resident areas.
• Facemask and face shield requirements have been enhanced as guidance has evolved.
• All employees are required to wear face masks when outside of their office spaces. Staff may wear a cloth, surgical or N95 mask when outside of resident areas.
• High touch surfaces are sanitized multiple times per day in office spaces, common areas, etc.
• Educational resources from the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) that pertain to COVID-19 have been provided to employees.
• Employees are monitored for Covid-19 symptoms at the start of each shift, as well as with staff that call in ill prior to their shift. A detailed spreadsheet enables close tracking of all employees with symptoms and tracks adherence to the Return-to-Work guidance from the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH).
• Employees that have been taken off the schedule due to COVID-19 Symptoms, close contact, or having received a positive COVID-19 test result are contacted frequently to monitor symptoms and to determine a safe timeline for return.
• ALL employees are requested to limit employment to “Bethany Only” unless the additional job is approved after review, and considered low risk for exposure to COVID-19 by the COVID-19 leadership team members. This was a difficult decision for both Bethany and our staff, but the risk of infection when working many different jobs and coming in contact with many different people works against the concept of social distancing to limit the spread.
• A COVID-19 Leadership team meets regularly to discuss PPE supply and to analyze additional vendors for increased PPE supply, new guidance on COVID-19, etc.
• Meetings are held 2 days a week to discuss employees who are furloughed and their plans for return to work.
• Leadership team members are on-call 24 hours per day/7 days a week to deal with employee and family questions and concerns.
• Weekly meetings and/or conference calls/webinars/education reviews are held with the NDDoH, Centers for Disease Control, Public Health, ND Long Term Care Association, and American Health Care Association.
• Contact tracing if/when applicable is coordinated with the ND Department of Health.
• Excess chairs have been removed in break room areas to limit tables to two staff members at a table only. Additional space has been opened up for employee breaks to allow for social distancing.
• Visual alerts such as signs and posters have been added throughout all buildings that encourage staff hand hygiene, resident hand hygiene and proper use of PPE.
• Increased hand hygiene stations have been installed throughout all buildings.
• Staff competencies are routinely completed to establish/verify adherence to infection prevention.

We have received notification that a resident at Bethany has tested positive for COVID-19 and we have the following questions.

Will all residents now be tested?

• Resident testing (mass surveillance testing of all residents) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health. A resident that is symptomatic is tested at the direction of the resident’s physician.

Will all staff be tested?

• Bethany employees complete a health screening at the start of their shift. If an employee triggers a concern on the health screening, they are immediately removed from the schedule.   A Bethany staff member then works with the employee on symptom monitoring, communication with their physician and return to work protocol.
• Staff testing (mass surveillance testing of all staff) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health. Staff testing occurs weekly.

Will COVID-19 positive residents be taken to the hospital?

• A transfer to the hospital is coordinated by the resident’s physician and Bethany staff. Residents who are in a declining in health status may be transferred to the hospital as directed by their physician.  Bethany would call 911 in an emergency situation.

Bethany Retirement Living FAQs and COVID-19 Cases as of 12/10/20 1:30pm:

Dear families and friends of Bethany Retirement Living:

Bethany conducted standard surveillance Covid-19 testing on Thursday (12/3) and Monday (12/7).  During these two testing events 1,803 swab tests were conducted for residents and staff at both Bethany on 42^nd and Bethany on University.  We had 4 new positive resident cases broken down as follows:  3-Bethany on University Skilled Care and 1-Bethany Towers I Basic Care.  We had no new cases in Towers II, Bethany Gables or Bethany on 42^nd Skilled Care.  We had 4 new staff positive cases broken down as follows:  1 at Bethany on 42^nd Skilled Care, 2 at Bethany Towers I Basic Care, 1 at Bethany on University Skilled Care.  There were no new positive staff cases at Bethany Towers II or Bethany Gables.  Please review our FAQs below for answers to questions you may have.

Bethany Towers I & II and Bethany Gables are allowing limited visitation.  Bethany on 42^nd Skilled Care and Bethany on University Skilled Care are allowing limited compassionate care visits.  Please see visitation section on our website.

To keep residents safe, you must have proof of current testing results with you.  To visit you will need to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test that was taken within the past 7 days.  To get on a regular visitation pattern, we recommend that you get tested on the same day every week so you get an idea of when you will be receiving the test results from the Department of Health in either ND or MN.  Free testing is available at the following locations:

• Faith Journey Lutheran Church, 650 40^th Avenue SE, West Fargo. (some map programs list it as East-not SE) The church is directly West of Sheyenne High School.

This site is open from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday, and no appointment is necessary.

• Former Thomas Edison Elementary School, 1110 14th Street South, Moorhead.

This is saliva testing and the site is open Monday/Tuesday/Friday from 12:00 pm to 7:00 pm and Saturday/Sunday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.  Schedule Appointment with Vault Health

We also encourage virtual visits (Facetime etc.) for residents.  For Bethany on University Skilled Care, please contact Ann, Director of Community Life, at 701-239-3246.  For Bethany on 42^nd Skilled Care, please contact Laurie, Director of Community Life, at 701-478-8904.  For Bethany Gables please call 478-8970 and for Towers please call 239-3424.

We will are now conducting twice-a-week COVID-19 surveillance swab testing on all skilled care, basic care, and assisted living residents and staff.  Resident and employee testing is conducted each Monday and Thursday.  Resident testing will take place in the residents’ rooms and will be coordinated by the Skilled Care and Assisted Living/Basic Care nursing teams.  The test is free of charge.

Test results are usually returned within 48-72 hours.  Bethany staff will contact all residents with positive test calls.  If you have any questions or concerns about the test, please contact the social worker or unit manager in Skilled Care or the Nurse in Assisted Living/Basic Care.

At Bethany, if an employee tests positive for COVID-19, they are immediately removed from the schedule and told to quarantine at home.  A positive resident is moved to a confined COVID-19 skilled care area with designated staff.

Bethany will continue to provide updates via e-mail and our website as our COVID-19 cases change.  You are also able to call us with any questions.  We are providing this link to the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) COVID19 website for your convenience https://www.health.nd.gov/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/north-dakota-coronavirus-cases .  As we update our information, here are a few guidelines we will be following.

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the North Dakota Department of Health.
• We will not be identifying employees, residents or patients who test positive due to confidentiality.
• All employees who are ill are not allowed to work for 14 days and will need two negative COVID-19 tests prior to return to work.
• We will not give information on resident deaths due to confidentiality.

Here are the latest COVID-19 numbers.  We may add or subtract cases as new test results arrive or as cases are resolved.  Due to the timing of the results, they may not be reflected on the State website at the time of this posting.

Sincerely, Shawn Stuhaug, CEO

Frequently Asked Questions:

What have you done to decrease the risk of COVID-19 for residents and educate family members?

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), American Health Care Association (AHCA) and the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH).
• Among the first acts undertaken to limit potential exposure was to restrict visitors and lock the entrances to Bethany buildings. Only limited visitation is allowed.  Please visit our website for visiting hours.
• All visitors are screened as they enter the buildings. Visitors are also encouraged to get regular COVID testing that is offered in our community.  Please wait in your car until your scheduled visiting times to help reduce the number of people in the lobby area.
• The Bethany website has been enhanced by adding a “Coronavirus Information” tab to share up-to-date information about the pandemic in general and at Bethany Retirement Living.
• Numerous emails have been sent to families from our Social Services team. Please contact a member of the social service team if you would like to be added to the e-mail list.
• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages have been distributed by the CEO for education to family member primary contact.
• Letters have been mailed to primary Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) resident contacts, SNF residents without dementia/memory issues, and residents of Towers, Gables and Grace Pointe.
• All potential admissions are screened for symptoms and fever.
• All SNF admissions are initially processed through one unit (TCU) with increased monitoring of potential symptoms.
• A negative COVID test is required within 24 hours prior to a skilled care admission or return from hospital. Even with a negative COVID test, we still quarantine all new admissions and hospital/ER returns for 14 days.
• Bethany may admit COVID positive residents periodically if we have a COVID-positive area set up.
• Screening of all SNF residents occurs daily and at times two or three times/day. Symptoms monitored include a full set of vital signs along with the observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Screening of all Assisted Living and Basic Care residents occurs daily and, at times, two times/day. Symptoms to monitor include temperature, pulse and O2 stats along with observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Resident Activities of Daily Living (ADL) sheets are updated to include prompts for hand sanitizing of resident hands and resident mask placement.
• Non-emergent resident appointments are being decreased, if able.
• Limiting resident group activities to no more than 10 people while also practicing social distancing and use of facemasks. Activities are also live streamed.
• Residents are encouraged to remain in their room when not attending an activity, therapy or exercise.
• Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy is being conducted in both the resident rooms and in the therapy/wellness center as long as the resident/patient is not in isolation.
• No communal dining for SNF residents unless the resident eating in their room is a safety risk. This is a National Best Practice for limiting the spread of COVID within LTC Facilities.
• No communal dining for Towers or Gables assisted living/basic care residents. This is a National Best Practice for limiting the spread of COVID within LTC Facilities.
• Use of hand sanitizer is encouraged for each resident interaction.
• Use of masks is encouraged for all residents.
• Each Bethany campus has a designated Infection Preventionist to provide surveillance and oversight.
• Visual alerts such as signage and posters have been added throughout the facility to encourage hand sanitizing for both residents and staff.

What have you done to educate staff and decrease the risk of COVID-19?

• See questions above as some information applies to both questions.
• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages to staff related to education.
• Many YouTube Videos have been produced and sent to ALL staff cell phones.
• Educational videos and verbal education are reviewed at shift change/daily huddles etc.
• Mandatory Healthcare Academy Education on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Hand Hygiene, COVID-19 and infection prevention have been assigned and made mandatory for all employees.
• Surveillance and auditing of employees is being conducted to ensure proper use of PPE and handwashing is occurring.
• Hand sanitizer is required for all nursing staff to have on the person (this is not new, but an uncommon practice for most SNFs).
• Surgical or N95 Facemasks and face shields are required for staff when in resident areas.
• Facemask and face shield requirements have been enhanced as guidance has evolved.
• All employees are required to wear face masks when outside of their office spaces. Staff may wear a cloth, surgical or N95 mask when outside of resident areas.
• High touch surfaces are sanitized multiple times per day in office spaces, common areas, etc.
• Educational resources from the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) that pertain to COVID-19 have been provided to employees.
• Employees are monitored for Covid-19 symptoms at the start of each shift, as well as with staff that call in ill prior to their shift. A detailed spreadsheet enables close tracking of all employees with symptoms and tracks adherence to the Return-to-Work guidance from the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH).
• Employees that have been taken off the schedule due to COVID-19 Symptoms, close contact, or having received a positive COVID-19 test result are contacted frequently to monitor symptoms and to determine a safe timeline for return.
• ALL employees are requested to limit employment to “Bethany Only” unless the additional job is approved after review, and considered low risk for exposure to COVID-19 by the COVID-19 leadership team members. This was a difficult decision for both Bethany and our staff, but the risk of infection when working many different jobs and coming in contact with many different people works against the concept of social distancing to limit the spread.
• A COVID-19 Leadership team meets regularly to discuss PPE supply and to analyze additional vendors for increased PPE supply, new guidance on COVID-19, etc.
• Meetings are held 2 days a week to discuss employees who are furloughed and their plans for return to work.
• Leadership team members are on-call 24 hours per day/7 days a week to deal with employee and family questions and concerns.
• Weekly meetings and/or conference calls/webinars/education reviews are held with the NDDoH, Centers for Disease Control, Public Health, ND Long Term Care Association, and American Health Care Association.
• Contact tracing if/when applicable is coordinated with the ND Department of Health.
• Excess chairs have been removed in break room areas to limit tables to two staff members at a table only. Additional space has been opened up for employee breaks to allow for social distancing.
• Visual alerts such as signs and posters have been added throughout all buildings that encourage staff hand hygiene, resident hand hygiene and proper use of PPE.
• Increased hand hygiene stations have been installed throughout all buildings.
• Staff competencies are routinely completed to establish/verify adherence to infection prevention.

We have received notification that a resident at Bethany has tested positive for COVID-19 and we have the following questions.

Will all residents now be tested?

• Resident testing (mass surveillance testing of all residents) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health. A resident that is symptomatic is tested at the direction of the resident’s physician.

Will all staff be tested?

• Bethany employees complete a health screening at the start of their shift. If an employee triggers a concern on the health screening, they are immediately removed from the schedule.   A Bethany staff member then works with the employee on symptom monitoring, communication with their physician and return to work protocol.
• Staff testing (mass surveillance testing of all staff) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health. Staff testing occurs weekly.

Will COVID-19 positive residents be taken to the hospital?

• A transfer to the hospital is coordinated by the resident’s physician and Bethany staff. Residents who are in a declining in health status may be transferred to the hospital as directed by their physician.  Bethany would call 911 in an emergency situation.

Bethany Retirement Living FAQs and COVID-19 Cases as of 12/3/20 10:00am:

Dear families and friends of Bethany Retirement Living:

Bethany conducted standard surveillance Covid-19 testing on Friday (11/27) and Monday (11/30).  During these two testing events 1,850 swab tests were conducted for residents and staff at both Bethany on 42^nd and Bethany on University.  We had 11 new positive resident cases.  5-Bethany on University Skilled Care, 3-Bethany Towers I Basic Care. 1-Towers II, 1-Bethany Gables and 1 at Bethany on 42^nd Skilled Care.  We had 8 new staff positive cases broken down as follows:  3 at Bethany on 42^nd Skilled Care, 1 at Bethany Towers I Basic Care, 3 at Bethany on University Skilled Care and 1 at Bethany Gables.  There were no positive staff cases at Bethany Towers II.  Please review our FAQs below for answers to questions you may have.

Bethany Towers I & II and Bethany Gables are allowing limited visitation.  Bethany on 42^nd Skilled Care and Bethany on University Skilled Care are allowing limited compassionate care visits.  Please see visitation section on our website.

To keep residents safe, you must have proof of current testing results with you.  To visit you will need to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test that was taken within the past 7 days.  To get on a regular visitation pattern, we recommend that you get tested on the same day every week so you get an idea of when you will be receiving the test results from the Department of Health in either ND or MN.  Free testing is available at the following locations:

• Faith Journey Lutheran Church, 650 40^th Avenue SE, West Fargo. (some map programs list it as East-not SE) The church is directly West of Sheyenne High School.

This site is open from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday, and no appointment is necessary.

• Former Thomas Edison Elementary School, 1110 14th Street South, Moorhead.

This is saliva testing and the site is open Monday/Tuesday/Friday from 12:00 pm to 7:00 pm and Saturday/Sunday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.  Schedule Appointment with Vault Health

We also encourage virtual visits (Facetime etc.) for residents.  For Bethany on University Skilled Care, please contact Ann, Director of Community Life, at 701-239-3246.  For Bethany on 42^nd Skilled Care, please contact Laurie, Director of Community Life, at 701-478-8904.  For Bethany Gables please call 478-8970 and for Towers please call 239-3424.

We will are now conducting twice-a-week COVID-19 surveillance swab testing on all skilled care, basic care, and assisted living residents and staff.  Resident and employee testing is conducted each Monday and Thursday.  Resident testing will take place in the residents’ rooms and will be coordinated by the Skilled Care and Assisted Living/Basic Care nursing teams.  The test is free of charge.

Test results are usually returned within 48-72 hour hours.  Bethany staff will contact all residents with positive test calls.  If you have any questions or concerns about the test, please contact the social worker or unit manager in Skilled Care or the Nurse in Assisted Living/Basic Care.

At Bethany, if an employee tests positive for COVID-19, they are immediately removed from the schedule and told to quarantine at home.  A positive resident is moved to a confined COVID-19 skilled care area with designated staff.

Bethany will continue to provide updates via e-mail and our website as our COVID-19 cases change.  You are also able to call us with any questions.  We are providing this link to the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) COVID19 website for your convenience https://www.health.nd.gov/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/north-dakota-coronavirus-cases .  As we update our information, here are a few guidelines we will be following.

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the North Dakota Department of Health.
• We will not be identifying employees, residents or patients who test positive due to confidentiality.
• All employees who are ill are not allowed to work for 14 days and will need two negative COVID-19 tests prior to return to work.
• We will not give information on resident deaths due to confidentiality.

Here are the latest COVID-19 numbers.  We may add or subtract cases as new test results arrive or as cases are resolved.  Due to the timing of the results, they may not be reflected on the State website at the time of this posting.

Sincerely, Shawn Stuhaug, CEO

Frequently Asked Questions:

What have you done to decrease the risk of COVID-19 for residents and educate family members?

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), American Health Care Association (AHCA) and the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH).
• Among the first acts undertaken to limit potential exposure was to restrict visitors and lock the entrances to Bethany buildings. Only limited visitation is allowed.  Please visit our website for visiting hours.
• All visitors are screened as they enter the buildings. Visitors are also encouraged to get regular COVID testing that is offered in our community.  Please wait in your car until your scheduled visiting times to help reduce the number of people in the lobby area.
• The Bethany website has been enhanced by adding a “Coronavirus Information” tab to share up-to-date information about the pandemic in general and at Bethany Retirement Living.
• Numerous emails have been sent to families from our Social Services team. Please contact a member of the social service team if you would like to be added to the e-mail list.
• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages have been distributed by the CEO for education to family member primary contact.
• Letters have been mailed to primary Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) resident contacts, SNF residents without dementia/memory issues, and residents of Towers, Gables and Grace Pointe.
• All potential admissions are screened for symptoms and fever.
• All SNF admissions are initially processed through one unit (TCU) with increased monitoring of potential symptoms.
• A negative COVID test is required within 24 hours prior to a skilled care admission or return from hospital. Even with a negative COVID test, we still quarantine all new admissions and hospital/ER returns for 14 days.
• Bethany may admit COVID positive residents periodically if we have a COVID-positive area set up.
• Screening of all SNF residents occurs daily and at times two or three times/day. Symptoms monitored include a full set of vital signs along with the observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Screening of all Assisted Living and Basic Care residents occurs daily and, at times, two times/day. Symptoms to monitor include temperature, pulse and O2 stats along with observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Resident Activities of Daily Living (ADL) sheets are updated to include prompts for hand sanitizing of resident hands and resident mask placement.
• Non-emergent resident appointments are being decreased, if able.
• Limiting resident group activities to no more than 10 people while also practicing social distancing and use of facemasks. Activities are also live streamed.
• Residents are encouraged to remain in their room when not attending an activity, therapy or exercise.
• Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy is being conducted in both the resident rooms and in the therapy/wellness center as long as the resident/patient is not in isolation.
• No communal dining for SNF residents unless the resident eating in their room is a safety risk. This is a National Best Practice for limiting the spread of COVID within LTC Facilities.
• No communal dining for Towers or Gables assisted living/basic care residents. This is a National Best Practice for limiting the spread of COVID within LTC Facilities.
• Use of hand sanitizer is encouraged for each resident interaction.
• Use of masks is encouraged for all residents.
• Each Bethany campus has a designated Infection Preventionist to provide surveillance and oversight.
• Visual alerts such as signage and posters have been added throughout the facility to encourage hand sanitizing for both residents and staff.

What have you done to educate staff and decrease the risk of COVID-19?

• See questions above as some information applies to both questions.
• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages to staff related to education.
• Many YouTube Videos have been produced and sent to ALL staff cell phones.
• Educational videos and verbal education are reviewed at shift change/daily huddles etc.
• Mandatory Healthcare Academy Education on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Hand Hygiene, COVID-19 and infection prevention have been assigned and made mandatory for all employees.
• Surveillance and auditing of employees is being conducted to ensure proper use of PPE and handwashing is occurring.
• Hand sanitizer is required for all nursing staff to have on the person (this is not new, but an uncommon practice for most SNFs).
• Surgical or N95 Facemasks and face shields are required for staff when in resident areas.
• Facemask and face shield requirements have been enhanced as guidance has evolved.
• All employees are required to wear face masks when outside of their office spaces. Staff may wear a cloth, surgical or N95 mask when outside of resident areas.
• High touch surfaces are sanitized multiple times per day in office spaces, common areas, etc.
• Educational resources from the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) that pertain to COVID-19 have been provided to employees.
• Employees are monitored for Covid-19 symptoms at the start of each shift, as well as with staff that call in ill prior to their shift. A detailed spreadsheet enables close tracking of all employees with symptoms and tracks adherence to the Return-to-Work guidance from the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH).
• Employees that have been taken off the schedule due to COVID-19 Symptoms, close contact, or having received a positive COVID-19 test result are contacted frequently to monitor symptoms and to determine a safe timeline for return.
• ALL employees are requested to limit employment to “Bethany Only” unless the additional job is approved after review, and considered low risk for exposure to COVID-19 by the COVID-19 leadership team members. This was a difficult decision for both Bethany and our staff, but the risk of infection when working many different jobs and coming in contact with many different people works against the concept of social distancing to limit the spread.
• A COVID-19 Leadership team meets regularly to discuss PPE supply and to analyze additional vendors for increased PPE supply, new guidance on COVID-19, etc.
• Meetings are held 2 days a week to discuss employees who are furloughed and their plans for return to work.
• Leadership team members are on-call 24 hours per day/7 days a week to deal with employee and family questions and concerns.
• Weekly meetings and/or conference calls/webinars/education reviews are held with the NDDoH, Centers for Disease Control, Public Health, ND Long Term Care Association, and American Health Care Association.
• Contact tracing if/when applicable is coordinated with the ND Department of Health.
• Excess chairs have been removed in break room areas to limit tables to two staff members at a table only. Additional space has been opened up for employee breaks to allow for social distancing.
• Visual alerts such as signs and posters have been added throughout all buildings that encourage staff hand hygiene, resident hand hygiene and proper use of PPE.
• Increased hand hygiene stations have been installed throughout all buildings.
• Staff competencies are routinely completed to establish/verify adherence to infection prevention.

We have received notification that a resident at Bethany has tested positive for COVID-19 and we have the following questions.

Will all residents now be tested?

• Resident testing (mass surveillance testing of all residents) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health. A resident that is symptomatic is tested at the direction of the resident’s physician.

Will all staff be tested?

• Bethany employees complete a health screening at the start of their shift. If an employee triggers a concern on the health screening, they are immediately removed from the schedule.   A Bethany staff member then works with the employee on symptom monitoring, communication with their physician and return to work protocol.
• Staff testing (mass surveillance testing of all staff) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health. Staff testing occurs weekly.

Will COVID-19 positive residents be taken to the hospital?

• A transfer to the hospital is coordinated by the resident’s physician and Bethany staff. Residents who are in a declining in health status may be transferred to the hospital as directed by their physician.  Bethany would call 911 in an emergency situation.

Bethany Retirement Living FAQs and COVID-19 Cases as of 11/25/20 11:00am:

Dear families and friends of Bethany Retirement Living:

Bethany conducted standard surveillance Covid-19 testing on Thursday (11/19) and Monday (11/23).  During these two testing events 1,911 swab tests were conducted for residents and staff at both Bethany on 42^nd and Bethany on University.  We had 3 new positive resident cases.  2 at Bethany on University Skilled Care and 1 at Bethany Towers I Basic Care.  We had no new cases in Towers II, Bethany on 42^nd Skilled Care or Bethany Gables.  We had 18 new staff positive cases broken down as follows:  8 at Bethany on 42^nd Skilled Care, 2 at Bethany Towers I Basic Care and 8 at Bethany on University Skilled Care.  There were no positive staff cases at Bethany Towers II or Bethany Gables.  Please review our FAQs below for answers to questions you may have.

Bethany Towers I & II and Bethany Gables are allowing limited visitation.  Bethany on 42^nd Skilled Care and Bethany on University Skilled Care are allowing limited compassionate care visits.  Please see visitation section on our website.

To keep residents safe, you must have proof of current testing results with you.  To visit you will need to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test that was taken within the past 7 days.  To get on a regular visitation pattern, we recommend that you get tested on the same day every week so you get an idea of when you will be receiving the test results from the Department of Health in either ND or MN.  Free testing is available at the following locations:

• Faith Journey Lutheran Church, 650 40^th Avenue SE, West Fargo. (some map programs list it as East-not SE) The church is directly West of Sheyenne High School.

This site is open from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday, and no appointment is necessary.

• Former Thomas Edison Elementary School, 1110 14th Street South, Moorhead.

This is saliva testing and the site is open Monday/Tuesday/Friday from 12:00 pm to 7:00 pm and Saturday/Sunday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.  Schedule Appointment with Vault Health

We also encourage virtual visits (Facetime etc.) for residents.  For Bethany on University Skilled Care, please contact Ann, Director of Community Life, at 701-239-3246.  For Bethany on 42^nd Skilled Care, please contact Laurie, Director of Community Life, at 701-478-8904.  For Bethany Gables please call 478-8970 and for Towers please call 239-3424.

We will are now conducting twice-a-week COVID-19 surveillance swab testing on all skilled care, basic care, and assisted living residents and staff.  Resident and employee testing is conducted each Monday and Thursday.  Resident testing will take place in the residents’ rooms and will be coordinated by the Skilled Care and Assisted Living/Basic Care nursing teams.  The test is free of charge.

Test results are usually returned within 48-72 hour hours.  Bethany staff will contact all residents with positive test calls.  If you have any questions or concerns about the test, please contact the social worker or unit manager in Skilled Care or the Nurse in Assisted Living/Basic Care.

At Bethany, if an employee tests positive for COVID-19, they are immediately removed from the schedule and told to quarantine at home.  A positive resident is moved to a confined COVID-19 skilled care area with designated staff.

Bethany will continue to provide updates via e-mail and our website as our COVID-19 cases change.  You are also able to call us with any questions.  We are providing this link to the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) COVID19 website for your convenience https://www.health.nd.gov/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/north-dakota-coronavirus-cases .  As we update our information, here are a few guidelines we will be following.

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the North Dakota Department of Health.
• We will not be identifying employees, residents or patients who test positive due to confidentiality.
• All employees who are ill are not allowed to work for 14 days and will need two negative COVID-19 tests prior to return to work.
• We will not give information on resident deaths due to confidentiality.

Here are the latest COVID-19 numbers.  We may add or subtract cases as new test results arrive or as cases are resolved.  Due to the timing of the results, they may not be reflected on the State website at the time of this posting.

Sincerely, Shawn Stuhaug, CEO

Frequently Asked Questions:

What have you done to decrease the risk of COVID-19 for residents and educate family members?

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), American Health Care Association (AHCA) and the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH).
• Among the first acts undertaken to limit potential exposure was to restrict visitors and lock the entrances to Bethany buildings. Only limited visitation is allowed.  Please visit our website for visiting hours.
• All visitors are screened as they enter the buildings. Visitors are also encouraged to get regular COVID testing that is offered in our community.  Please wait in your car until your scheduled visiting times to help reduce the number of people in the lobby area.
• The Bethany website has been enhanced by adding a “Coronavirus Information” tab to share up-to-date information about the pandemic in general and at Bethany Retirement Living.
• Numerous emails have been sent to families from our Social Services team. Please contact a member of the social service team if you would like to be added to the e-mail list.
• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages have been distributed by the CEO for education to family member primary contact.
• Letters have been mailed to primary Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) resident contacts, SNF residents without dementia/memory issues, and residents of Towers, Gables and Grace Pointe.
• All potential admissions are screened for symptoms and fever.
• All SNF admissions are initially processed through one unit (TCU) with increased monitoring of potential symptoms.
• A negative COVID test is required within 24 hours prior to a skilled care admission or return from hospital. Even with a negative COVID test, we still quarantine all new admissions and hospital/ER returns for 14 days.
• Bethany may admit COVID positive residents periodically if we have a COVID-positive area set up.
• Screening of all SNF residents occurs daily and at times two or three times/day. Symptoms monitored include a full set of vital signs along with the observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Screening of all Assisted Living and Basic Care residents occurs daily and, at times, two times/day. Symptoms to monitor include temperature, pulse and O2 stats along with observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Resident Activities of Daily Living (ADL) sheets are updated to include prompts for hand sanitizing of resident hands and resident mask placement.
• Non-emergent resident appointments are being decreased, if able.
• Limiting resident group activities to no more than 10 people while also practicing social distancing and use of facemasks. Activities are also live streamed.
• Residents are encouraged to remain in their room when not attending an activity, therapy or exercise.
• Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy is being conducted in both the resident rooms and in the therapy/wellness center as long as the resident/patient is not in isolation.
• No communal dining for SNF residents unless the resident eating in their room is a safety risk. This is a National Best Practice for limiting the spread of COVID within LTC Facilities.
• No communal dining for Towers or Gables assisted living/basic care residents. This is a National Best Practice for limiting the spread of COVID within LTC Facilities.
• Use of hand sanitizer is encouraged for each resident interaction.
• Use of masks is encouraged for all residents.
• Each Bethany campus has a designated Infection Preventionist to provide surveillance and oversight.
• Visual alerts such as signage and posters have been added throughout the facility to encourage hand sanitizing for both residents and staff.

What have you done to educate staff and decrease the risk of COVID-19?

• See questions above as some information applies to both questions.
• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages to staff related to education.
• Many YouTube Videos have been produced and sent to ALL staff cell phones.
• Educational videos and verbal education are reviewed at shift change/daily huddles etc.
• Mandatory Healthcare Academy Education on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Hand Hygiene, COVID-19 and infection prevention have been assigned and made mandatory for all employees.
• Surveillance and auditing of employees is being conducted to ensure proper use of PPE and handwashing is occurring.
• Hand sanitizer is required for all nursing staff to have on the person (this is not new, but an uncommon practice for most SNFs).
• Surgical or N95 Facemasks and face shields are required for staff when in resident areas.
• Facemask and face shield requirements have been enhanced as guidance has evolved.
• All employees are required to wear face masks when outside of their office spaces. Staff may wear a cloth, surgical or N95 mask when outside of resident areas.
• High touch surfaces are sanitized multiple times per day in office spaces, common areas, etc.
• Educational resources from the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) that pertain to COVID-19 have been provided to employees.
• Employees are monitored for Covid-19 symptoms at the start of each shift, as well as with staff that call in ill prior to their shift. A detailed spreadsheet enables close tracking of all employees with symptoms and tracks adherence to the Return-to-Work guidance from the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH).
• Employees that have been taken off the schedule due to COVID-19 Symptoms, close contact, or having received a positive COVID-19 test result are contacted frequently to monitor symptoms and to determine a safe timeline for return.
• ALL employees are requested to limit employment to “Bethany Only” unless the additional job is approved after review, and considered low risk for exposure to COVID-19 by the COVID-19 leadership team members. This was a difficult decision for both Bethany and our staff, but the risk of infection when working many different jobs and coming in contact with many different people works against the concept of social distancing to limit the spread.
• A COVID-19 Leadership team meets regularly to discuss PPE supply and to analyze additional vendors for increased PPE supply, new guidance on COVID-19, etc.
• Meetings are held 2 days a week to discuss employees who are furloughed and their plans for return to work.
• Leadership team members are on-call 24 hours per day/7 days a week to deal with employee and family questions and concerns.
• Weekly meetings and/or conference calls/webinars/education reviews are held with the NDDoH, Centers for Disease Control, Public Health, ND Long Term Care Association, and American Health Care Association.
• Contact tracing if/when applicable is coordinated with the ND Department of Health.
• Excess chairs have been removed in break room areas to limit tables to two staff members at a table only. Additional space has been opened up for employee breaks to allow for social distancing.
• Visual alerts such as signs and posters have been added throughout all buildings that encourage staff hand hygiene, resident hand hygiene and proper use of PPE.
• Increased hand hygiene stations have been installed throughout all buildings.
• Staff competencies are routinely completed to establish/verify adherence to infection prevention.

We have received notification that a resident at Bethany has tested positive for COVID-19 and we have the following questions.

Will all residents now be tested?

• Resident testing (mass surveillance testing of all residents) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health. A resident that is symptomatic is tested at the direction of the resident’s physician.

Will all staff be tested?

• Bethany employees complete a health screening at the start of their shift. If an employee triggers a concern on the health screening, they are immediately removed from the schedule.   A Bethany staff member then works with the employee on symptom monitoring, communication with their physician and return to work protocol.
• Staff testing (mass surveillance testing of all staff) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health. Staff testing occurs weekly.

Will COVID-19 positive residents be taken to the hospital?

• A transfer to the hospital is coordinated by the resident’s physician and Bethany staff. Residents who are in a declining in health status may be transferred to the hospital as directed by their physician.  Bethany would call 911 in an emergency situation.

Bethany Retirement Living FAQs and COVID-19 Cases as of 11/18/20 5:00pm:

Dear families and friends of Bethany Retirement Living:

Bethany conducted standard surveillance Covid-19 testing on Thursday (11/12) and Monday (11/16).  During these two testing events 1,950 swab tests were conducted for residents and staff at both Bethany on 42^nd and Bethany on University.  We had 7 new positive resident cases.  3 at Bethany on University Skilled Care and 4 at Bethany on 42^nd Skilled Care.  We had no new cases in Towers I & II or Bethany Gables.  We had 18 new staff positive cases broken down as follows:  5 at Bethany on 42^nd Skilled Care, 1 at Bethany Gables and 12 at Bethany on University Skilled Care.  There were no positive staff cases at Bethany Towers I & II.  Please review our FAQs below for answers to questions you may have.

Bethany Towers I & II and Bethany Gables are allowing limited visitation.  Bethany on 42^nd Skilled Care and Bethany on University Skilled Care are allowing limited compassionate care visits.  Please see visitation section on our website.

To keep residents safe, you must have proof of current testing results with you.  To visit you will need to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test that was taken within the past 7 days.  To get on a regular visitation pattern, we recommend that you get tested on the same day every week so you get an idea of when you will be receiving the test results from the Department of Health in either ND or MN.  Free testing is available at the following locations:

• Faith Journey Lutheran Church, 650 40^th Avenue SE, West Fargo. (some map programs list it as East-not SE) The church is directly West of Sheyenne High School.

This site is open from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday, and no appointment is necessary.

• Former Thomas Edison Elementary School, 1110 14th Street South, Moorhead.

This is saliva testing and the site is open Monday/Tuesday/Friday from 12:00 pm to 7:00 pm and Saturday/Sunday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.  Schedule Appointment with Vault Health

We also encourage virtual visits (Facetime etc.) for residents.  For Bethany on University Skilled Care, please contact Ann, Director of Community Life, at 701-239-3246.  For Bethany on 42^nd Skilled Care, please contact Laurie, Director of Community Life, at 701-478-8904.  For Bethany Gables please call 478-8970 and for Towers please call 239-3424.

We will are now conducting twice-a-week COVID-19 surveillance swab testing on all skilled care, basic care, and assisted living residents and staff.  Resident and employee testing is conducted each Monday and Thursday.  Resident testing will take place in the residents’ rooms and will be coordinated by the Skilled Care and Assisted Living/Basic Care nursing teams.  The test is free of charge.

Test results are usually returned within 48-72 hour hours.  Bethany staff will contact all residents with positive test calls.  If you have any questions or concerns about the test, please contact the social worker or unit manager in Skilled Care or the Nurse in Assisted Living/Basic Care.

At Bethany, if an employee tests positive for COVID-19, they are immediately removed from the schedule and told to quarantine at home.  A positive resident is moved to a confined COVID-19 skilled care area with designated staff.

Bethany will continue to provide updates via e-mail and our website as our COVID-19 cases change.  You are also able to call us with any questions.  We are providing this link to the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) COVID19 website for your convenience https://www.health.nd.gov/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/north-dakota-coronavirus-cases .  As we update our information, here are a few guidelines we will be following.

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the North Dakota Department of Health.
• We will not be identifying employees, residents or patients who test positive due to confidentiality.
• All employees who are ill are not allowed to work for 14 days and will need two negative COVID-19 tests prior to return to work.
• We will not give information on resident deaths due to confidentiality.

Here are the latest COVID-19 numbers.  We may add or subtract cases as new test results arrive or as cases are resolved.  Due to the timing of the results, they may not be reflected on the State website at the time of this posting.

Sincerely, Shawn Stuhaug, CEO

Frequently Asked Questions:

What have you done to decrease the risk of COVID-19 for residents and educate family members?

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), American Health Care Association (AHCA) and the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH).
• Among the first acts undertaken to limit potential exposure was to restrict visitors and lock the entrances to Bethany buildings. Only limited visitation is allowed.  Please visit our website for visiting hours.
• All visitors are screened as they enter the buildings. Visitors are also encouraged to get regular COVID testing that is offered in our community.  Please wait in your car until your scheduled visiting times to help reduce the number of people in the lobby area.
• The Bethany website has been enhanced by adding a “Coronavirus Information” tab to share up-to-date information about the pandemic in general and at Bethany Retirement Living.
• Numerous emails have been sent to families from our Social Services team. Please contact a member of the social service team if you would like to be added to the e-mail list.
• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages have been distributed by the CEO for education to family member primary contact.
• Letters have been mailed to primary Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) resident contacts, SNF residents without dementia/memory issues, and residents of Towers, Gables and Grace Pointe.
• All potential admissions are screened for symptoms and fever.
• All SNF admissions are initially processed through one unit (TCU) with increased monitoring of potential symptoms.
• A negative COVID test is required within 24 hours prior to a skilled care admission or return from hospital. Even with a negative COVID test, we still quarantine all new admissions and hospital/ER returns for 14 days.
• Bethany may admit COVID positive residents periodically if we have a COVID-positive area set up.
• Screening of all SNF residents occurs daily and at times two or three times/day. Symptoms monitored include a full set of vital signs along with the observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Screening of all Assisted Living and Basic Care residents occurs daily and, at times, two times/day. Symptoms to monitor include temperature, pulse and O2 stats along with observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Resident Activities of Daily Living (ADL) sheets are updated to include prompts for hand sanitizing of resident hands and resident mask placement.
• Non-emergent resident appointments are being decreased, if able.
• Limiting resident group activities to no more than 10 people while also practicing social distancing and use of facemasks. Activities are also live streamed.
• Residents are encouraged to remain in their room when not attending an activity, therapy or exercise.
• Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy is being conducted in both the resident rooms and in the therapy/wellness center as long as the resident/patient is not in isolation.
• No communal dining for SNF residents unless the resident eating in their room is a safety risk. This is a National Best Practice for limiting the spread of COVID within LTC Facilities.
• No communal dining for Towers or Gables assisted living/basic care residents. This is a National Best Practice for limiting the spread of COVID within LTC Facilities.
• Use of hand sanitizer is encouraged for each resident interaction.
• Use of masks is encouraged for all residents.
• Each Bethany campus has a designated Infection Preventionist to provide surveillance and oversight.
• Visual alerts such as signage and posters have been added throughout the facility to encourage hand sanitizing for both residents and staff.

What have you done to educate staff and decrease the risk of COVID-19?

• See questions above as some information applies to both questions.
• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages to staff related to education.
• Many YouTube Videos have been produced and sent to ALL staff cell phones.
• Educational videos and verbal education are reviewed at shift change/daily huddles etc.
• Mandatory Healthcare Academy Education on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Hand Hygiene, COVID-19 and infection prevention have been assigned and made mandatory for all employees.
• Surveillance and auditing of employees is being conducted to ensure proper use of PPE and handwashing is occurring.
• Hand sanitizer is required for all nursing staff to have on the person (this is not new, but an uncommon practice for most SNFs).
• Surgical or N95 Facemasks and face shields are required for staff when in resident areas.
• Facemask and face shield requirements have been enhanced as guidance has evolved.
• All employees are required to wear face masks when outside of their office spaces. Staff may wear a cloth, surgical or N95 mask when outside of resident areas.
• High touch surfaces are sanitized multiple times per day in office spaces, common areas, etc.
• Educational resources from the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) that pertain to COVID-19 have been provided to employees.
• Employees are monitored for Covid-19 symptoms at the start of each shift, as well as with staff that call in ill prior to their shift. A detailed spreadsheet enables close tracking of all employees with symptoms and tracks adherence to the Return-to-Work guidance from the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH).
• Employees that have been taken off the schedule due to COVID-19 Symptoms, close contact, or having received a positive COVID-19 test result are contacted frequently to monitor symptoms and to determine a safe timeline for return.
• ALL employees are requested to limit employment to “Bethany Only” unless the additional job is approved after review, and considered low risk for exposure to COVID-19 by the COVID-19 leadership team members. This was a difficult decision for both Bethany and our staff, but the risk of infection when working many different jobs and coming in contact with many different people works against the concept of social distancing to limit the spread.
• A COVID-19 Leadership team meets regularly to discuss PPE supply and to analyze additional vendors for increased PPE supply, new guidance on COVID-19, etc.
• Meetings are held 2 days a week to discuss employees who are furloughed and their plans for return to work.
• Leadership team members are on-call 24 hours per day/7 days a week to deal with employee and family questions and concerns.
• Weekly meetings and/or conference calls/webinars/education reviews are held with the NDDoH, Centers for Disease Control, Public Health, ND Long Term Care Association, and American Health Care Association.
• Contact tracing if/when applicable is coordinated with the ND Department of Health.
• Excess chairs have been removed in break room areas to limit tables to two staff members at a table only. Additional space has been opened up for employee breaks to allow for social distancing.
• Visual alerts such as signs and posters have been added throughout all buildings that encourage staff hand hygiene, resident hand hygiene and proper use of PPE.
• Increased hand hygiene stations have been installed throughout all buildings.
• Staff competencies are routinely completed to establish/verify adherence to infection prevention.

We have received notification that a resident at Bethany has tested positive for COVID-19 and we have the following questions.

Will all residents now be tested?

• Resident testing (mass surveillance testing of all residents) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health. A resident that is symptomatic is tested at the direction of the resident’s physician.

Will all staff be tested?

• Bethany employees complete a health screening at the start of their shift. If an employee triggers a concern on the health screening, they are immediately removed from the schedule.   A Bethany staff member then works with the employee on symptom monitoring, communication with their physician and return to work protocol.
• Staff testing (mass surveillance testing of all staff) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health. Staff testing occurs weekly.

Will COVID-19 positive residents be taken to the hospital?

• A transfer to the hospital is coordinated by the resident’s physician and Bethany staff. Residents who are in a declining in health status may be transferred to the hospital as directed by their physician.  Bethany would call 911 in an emergency situation.

Bethany Retirement Living FAQs and COVID-19 Cases as of 11/12/20 3:00pm:

Dear families and friends of Bethany Retirement Living:

On November 6^th and 7th, we tested Bethany on University staff working closest with the residents.  We also did our standard surveillance testing during the week of Monday, November 9.  During these two testing events 1,208 swab tests were conducted for residents and staff at both Bethany on 42^nd and Bethany on University.  We had no new positive resident cases at Bethany on University Skilled Care, Bethany on 42^nd Skilled Care, Towers I & II or Bethany Gables.  We had 22 new staff positive cases broken down as follows:  10 at Bethany on 42^nd Skilled Care and 12 at Bethany on University Skilled Care.  There were no positive staff cases at Bethany Towers I & II or Bethany Gables.  Please review our FAQs below for answers to questions you may have.

Bethany Towers I & II and Bethany Gables are allowing limited visitation.  Bethany on 42^nd Skilled Care and Bethany on University Skilled Care are allowing limited compassionate care visits.  Please see visitation section on our website.

To keep residents safe, you must have proof of current testing results with you.  To visit you will need to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test that was taken within the past 7 days.  To get on a regular visitation pattern, we recommend that you get tested on the same day every week so you get an idea of when you will be receiving the test results from the Department of Health in either ND or MN.  Free testing is available at the following locations:

• Faith Journey Lutheran Church, 650 40^th Avenue SE, West Fargo. (some map programs list it as East-not SE) The church is directly West of Sheyenne High School.

This site is open from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday, and no appointment is necessary.

• Former Thomas Edison Elementary School, 1110 14th Street South, Moorhead.

This is saliva testing and the site is open Monday/Tuesday/Friday from 12:00 pm to 7:00 pm and Saturday/Sunday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.  Schedule Appointment with Vault Health

We also encourage virtual visits (Facetime etc.) for residents.  For Bethany on University Skilled Care, please contact Ann, Director of Community Life, at 701-239-3246.  For Bethany on 42^nd Skilled Care, please contact Laurie, Director of Community Life, at 701-478-8904.  For Bethany Gables please call 478-8970 and for Towers please call 239-3424.

We will are now conducting twice-a-week COVID-19 surveillance swab testing on all skilled care, basic care, and assisted living residents and staff.  Resident and employee testing is conducted each Monday and Thursday.  Resident testing will take place in the residents’ rooms and will be coordinated by the Skilled Care and Assisted Living/Basic Care nursing teams.  The test is free of charge.

Test results are usually returned within 48-72 hour hours.  Bethany staff will contact all residents with positive test calls.  If you have any questions or concerns about the test, please contact the social worker or unit manager in Skilled Care or the Nurse in Assisted Living/Basic Care.

At Bethany, if an employee tests positive for COVID-19, they are immediately removed from the schedule and told to quarantine at home.  A positive resident is moved to a confined COVID-19 skilled care area with designated staff.

Bethany will continue to provide updates via e-mail and our website as our COVID-19 cases change.  You are also able to call us with any questions.  We are providing this link to the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) COVID19 website for your convenience https://www.health.nd.gov/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/north-dakota-coronavirus-cases .  As we update our information, here are a few guidelines we will be following.

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the North Dakota Department of Health.
• We will not be identifying employees, residents or patients who test positive due to confidentiality.
• All employees who are ill are not allowed to work for 14 days and will need two negative COVID-19 tests prior to return to work.
• We will not give information on resident deaths due to confidentiality.

Here are the latest COVID-19 numbers.  We may add or subtract cases as new test results arrive or as cases are resolved.  Due to the timing of the results, they may not be reflected on the State website at the time of this posting.

Sincerely, Shawn Stuhaug, CEO

Frequently Asked Questions:

What have you done to decrease the risk of COVID-19 for residents and educate family members?

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), American Health Care Association (AHCA) and the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH).
• Among the first acts undertaken to limit potential exposure was to restrict visitors and lock the entrances to Bethany buildings. Only limited visitation is allowed.  Please visit our website for visiting hours.
• All visitors are screened as they enter the buildings. Visitors are also encouraged to get regular COVID testing that is offered in our community.  Please wait in your car until your scheduled visiting times to help reduce the number of people in the lobby area.
• The Bethany website has been enhanced by adding a “Coronavirus Information” tab to share up-to-date information about the pandemic in general and at Bethany Retirement Living.
• Numerous emails have been sent to families from our Social Services team. Please contact a member of the social service team if you would like to be added to the e-mail list.
• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages have been distributed by the CEO for education to family member primary contact.
• Letters have been mailed to primary Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) resident contacts, SNF residents without dementia/memory issues, and residents of Towers, Gables and Grace Pointe.
• All potential admissions are screened for symptoms and fever.
• All SNF admissions are initially processed through one unit (TCU) with increased monitoring of potential symptoms.
• A negative COVID test is required within 24 hours prior to a skilled care admission or return from hospital. Even with a negative COVID test, we still quarantine all new admissions and hospital/ER returns for 14 days.
• Bethany may admit COVID positive residents periodically if we have a COVID-positive area set up.
• Screening of all SNF residents occurs daily and at times two or three times/day. Symptoms monitored include a full set of vital signs along with the observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Screening of all Assisted Living and Basic Care residents occurs daily and, at times, two times/day. Symptoms to monitor include temperature, pulse and O2 stats along with observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Resident Activities of Daily Living (ADL) sheets are updated to include prompts for hand sanitizing of resident hands and resident mask placement.
• Non-emergent resident appointments are being decreased, if able.
• Limiting resident group activities to no more than 10 people while also practicing social distancing and use of facemasks. Activities are also live streamed.
• Residents are encouraged to remain in their room when not attending an activity, therapy or exercise.
• Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy is being conducted in both the resident rooms and in the therapy/wellness center as long as the resident/patient is not in isolation.
• No communal dining for SNF residents unless the resident eating in their room is a safety risk. This is a National Best Practice for limiting the spread of COVID within LTC Facilities.
• No communal dining for Towers or Gables assisted living/basic care residents. This is a National Best Practice for limiting the spread of COVID within LTC Facilities.
• Use of hand sanitizer is encouraged for each resident interaction.
• Use of masks is encouraged for all residents.
• Each Bethany campus has a designated Infection Preventionist to provide surveillance and oversight.
• Visual alerts such as signage and posters have been added throughout the facility to encourage hand sanitizing for both residents and staff.

What have you done to educate staff and decrease the risk of COVID-19?

• See questions above as some information applies to both questions.
• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages to staff related to education.
• Many YouTube Videos have been produced and sent to ALL staff cell phones.
• Educational videos and verbal education are reviewed at shift change/daily huddles etc.
• Mandatory Healthcare Academy Education on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Hand Hygiene, COVID-19 and infection prevention have been assigned and made mandatory for all employees.
• Surveillance and auditing of employees is being conducted to ensure proper use of PPE and handwashing is occurring.
• Hand sanitizer is required for all nursing staff to have on the person (this is not new, but an uncommon practice for most SNFs).
• Surgical or N95 Facemasks and face shields are required for staff when in resident areas.
• Facemask and face shield requirements have been enhanced as guidance has evolved.
• All employees are required to wear face masks when outside of their office spaces. Staff may wear a cloth, surgical or N95 mask when outside of resident areas.
• High touch surfaces are sanitized multiple times per day in office spaces, common areas, etc.
• Educational resources from the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) that pertain to COVID-19 have been provided to employees.
• Employees are monitored for Covid-19 symptoms at the start of each shift, as well as with staff that call in ill prior to their shift. A detailed spreadsheet enables close tracking of all employees with symptoms and tracks adherence to the Return-to-Work guidance from the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH).
• Employees that have been taken off the schedule due to COVID-19 Symptoms, close contact, or having received a positive COVID-19 test result are contacted frequently to monitor symptoms and to determine a safe timeline for return.
• ALL employees are requested to limit employment to “Bethany Only” unless the additional job is approved after review, and considered low risk for exposure to COVID-19 by the COVID-19 leadership team members. This was a difficult decision for both Bethany and our staff, but the risk of infection when working many different jobs and coming in contact with many different people works against the concept of social distancing to limit the spread.
• A COVID-19 Leadership team meets regularly to discuss PPE supply and to analyze additional vendors for increased PPE supply, new guidance on COVID-19, etc.
• Meetings are held 2 days a week to discuss employees who are furloughed and their plans for return to work.
• Leadership team members are on-call 24 hours per day/7 days a week to deal with employee and family questions and concerns.
• Weekly meetings and/or conference calls/webinars/education reviews are held with the NDDoH, Centers for Disease Control, Public Health, ND Long Term Care Association, and American Health Care Association.
• Contact tracing if/when applicable is coordinated with the ND Department of Health.
• Excess chairs have been removed in break room areas to limit tables to two staff members at a table only. Additional space has been opened up for employee breaks to allow for social distancing.
• Visual alerts such as signs and posters have been added throughout all buildings that encourage staff hand hygiene, resident hand hygiene and proper use of PPE.
• Increased hand hygiene stations have been installed throughout all buildings.
• Staff competencies are routinely completed to establish/verify adherence to infection prevention.

We have received notification that a resident at Bethany has tested positive for COVID-19 and we have the following questions.

Will all residents now be tested?

• Resident testing (mass surveillance testing of all residents) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health. A resident that is symptomatic is tested at the direction of the resident’s physician.

Will all staff be tested?

• Bethany employees complete a health screening at the start of their shift. If an employee triggers a concern on the health screening, they are immediately removed from the schedule.   A Bethany staff member then works with the employee on symptom monitoring, communication with their physician and return to work protocol.
• Staff testing (mass surveillance testing of all staff) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health. Staff testing occurs weekly.

Will COVID-19 positive residents be taken to the hospital?

• A transfer to the hospital is coordinated by the resident’s physician and Bethany staff. Residents who are in a declining in health status may be transferred to the hospital as directed by their physician.  Bethany would call 911 in an emergency situation.

Bethany Retirement Living FAQs and COVID-19 Cases as of 11/12/20 3:00pm:

Dear families and friends of Bethany Retirement Living:

On November 6^th and 7th, we tested Bethany on University staff working closest with the residents.  We also did our standard surveillance testing during the week of Monday, November 9.  During these two testing events 1,208 swab tests were conducted for residents and staff at both Bethany on 42^nd and Bethany on University.  We had no new positive resident cases at Bethany on University Skilled Care, Bethany on 42^nd Skilled Care, Towers I & II or Bethany Gables.  We had 22 new staff positive cases broken down as follows:  10 at Bethany on 42^nd Skilled Care and 12 at Bethany on University Skilled Care.  There were no positive staff cases at Bethany Towers I & II or Bethany Gables.  Please review our FAQs below for answers to questions you may have.

Bethany Towers I & II and Bethany Gables are allowing limited visitation.  Bethany on 42^nd Skilled Care and Bethany on University Skilled Care are allowing limited compassionate care visits.  Please see visitation section on our website.

To keep residents safe, you must have proof of current testing results with you.  To visit you will need to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test that was taken within the past 7 days.  To get on a regular visitation pattern, we recommend that you get tested on the same day every week so you get an idea of when you will be receiving the test results from the Department of Health in either ND or MN.  Free testing is available at the following locations:

• Faith Journey Lutheran Church, 650 40^th Avenue SE, West Fargo. (some map programs list it as East-not SE) The church is directly West of Sheyenne High School.

This site is open from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday, and no appointment is necessary.

• Former Thomas Edison Elementary School, 1110 14th Street South, Moorhead.

This is saliva testing and the site is open Monday/Tuesday/Friday from 12:00 pm to 7:00 pm and Saturday/Sunday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.  Schedule Appointment with Vault Health

We also encourage virtual visits (Facetime etc.) for residents.  For Bethany on University Skilled Care, please contact Ann, Director of Community Life, at 701-239-3246.  For Bethany on 42^nd Skilled Care, please contact Laurie, Director of Community Life, at 701-478-8904.  For Bethany Gables please call 478-8970 and for Towers please call 239-3424.

We will are now conducting twice-a-week COVID-19 surveillance swab testing on all skilled care, basic care, and assisted living residents and staff.  Resident and employee testing is conducted each Monday and Thursday.  Resident testing will take place in the residents’ rooms and will be coordinated by the Skilled Care and Assisted Living/Basic Care nursing teams.  The test is free of charge.

Test results are usually returned within 48-72 hour hours.  Bethany staff will contact all residents with positive test calls.  If you have any questions or concerns about the test, please contact the social worker or unit manager in Skilled Care or the Nurse in Assisted Living/Basic Care.

At Bethany, if an employee tests positive for COVID-19, they are immediately removed from the schedule and told to quarantine at home.  A positive resident is moved to a confined COVID-19 skilled care area with designated staff.

Bethany will continue to provide updates via e-mail and our website as our COVID-19 cases change.  You are also able to call us with any questions.  We are providing this link to the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) COVID19 website for your convenience https://www.health.nd.gov/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/north-dakota-coronavirus-cases .  As we update our information, here are a few guidelines we will be following.

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the North Dakota Department of Health.
• We will not be identifying employees, residents or patients who test positive due to confidentiality.
• All employees who are ill are not allowed to work for 14 days and will need two negative COVID-19 tests prior to return to work.
• We will not give information on resident deaths due to confidentiality.

Here are the latest COVID-19 numbers.  We may add or subtract cases as new test results arrive or as cases are resolved.  Due to the timing of the results, they may not be reflected on the State website at the time of this posting.

Sincerely, Shawn Stuhaug, CEO

Frequently Asked Questions:

What have you done to decrease the risk of COVID-19 for residents and educate family members?

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), American Health Care Association (AHCA) and the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH).
• Among the first acts undertaken to limit potential exposure was to restrict visitors and lock the entrances to Bethany buildings. Only limited visitation is allowed.  Please visit our website for visiting hours.
• All visitors are screened as they enter the buildings. Visitors are also encouraged to get regular COVID testing that is offered in our community.  Please wait in your car until your scheduled visiting times to help reduce the number of people in the lobby area.
• The Bethany website has been enhanced by adding a “Coronavirus Information” tab to share up-to-date information about the pandemic in general and at Bethany Retirement Living.
• Numerous emails have been sent to families from our Social Services team. Please contact a member of the social service team if you would like to be added to the e-mail list.
• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages have been distributed by the CEO for education to family member primary contact.
• Letters have been mailed to primary Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) resident contacts, SNF residents without dementia/memory issues, and residents of Towers, Gables and Grace Pointe.
• All potential admissions are screened for symptoms and fever.
• All SNF admissions are initially processed through one unit (TCU) with increased monitoring of potential symptoms.
• A negative COVID test is required within 24 hours prior to a skilled care admission or return from hospital. Even with a negative COVID test, we still quarantine all new admissions and hospital/ER returns for 14 days.
• Bethany may admit COVID positive residents periodically if we have a COVID-positive area set up.
• Screening of all SNF residents occurs daily and at times two or three times/day. Symptoms monitored include a full set of vital signs along with the observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Screening of all Assisted Living and Basic Care residents occurs daily and, at times, two times/day. Symptoms to monitor include temperature, pulse and O2 stats along with observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Resident Activities of Daily Living (ADL) sheets are updated to include prompts for hand sanitizing of resident hands and resident mask placement.
• Non-emergent resident appointments are being decreased, if able.
• Limiting resident group activities to no more than 10 people while also practicing social distancing and use of facemasks. Activities are also live streamed.
• Residents are encouraged to remain in their room when not attending an activity, therapy or exercise.
• Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy is being conducted in both the resident rooms and in the therapy/wellness center as long as the resident/patient is not in isolation.
• No communal dining for SNF residents unless the resident eating in their room is a safety risk. This is a National Best Practice for limiting the spread of COVID within LTC Facilities.
• No communal dining for Towers or Gables assisted living/basic care residents. This is a National Best Practice for limiting the spread of COVID within LTC Facilities.
• Use of hand sanitizer is encouraged for each resident interaction.
• Use of masks is encouraged for all residents.
• Each Bethany campus has a designated Infection Preventionist to provide surveillance and oversight.
• Visual alerts such as signage and posters have been added throughout the facility to encourage hand sanitizing for both residents and staff.

What have you done to educate staff and decrease the risk of COVID-19?

• See questions above as some information applies to both questions.
• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages to staff related to education.
• Many YouTube Videos have been produced and sent to ALL staff cell phones.
• Educational videos and verbal education are reviewed at shift change/daily huddles etc.
• Mandatory Healthcare Academy Education on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Hand Hygiene, COVID-19 and infection prevention have been assigned and made mandatory for all employees.
• Surveillance and auditing of employees is being conducted to ensure proper use of PPE and handwashing is occurring.
• Hand sanitizer is required for all nursing staff to have on the person (this is not new, but an uncommon practice for most SNFs).
• Surgical or N95 Facemasks and face shields are required for staff when in resident areas.
• Facemask and face shield requirements have been enhanced as guidance has evolved.
• All employees are required to wear face masks when outside of their office spaces. Staff may wear a cloth, surgical or N95 mask when outside of resident areas.
• High touch surfaces are sanitized multiple times per day in office spaces, common areas, etc.
• Educational resources from the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) that pertain to COVID-19 have been provided to employees.
• Employees are monitored for Covid-19 symptoms at the start of each shift, as well as with staff that call in ill prior to their shift. A detailed spreadsheet enables close tracking of all employees with symptoms and tracks adherence to the Return-to-Work guidance from the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH).
• Employees that have been taken off the schedule due to COVID-19 Symptoms, close contact, or having received a positive COVID-19 test result are contacted frequently to monitor symptoms and to determine a safe timeline for return.
• ALL employees are requested to limit employment to “Bethany Only” unless the additional job is approved after review, and considered low risk for exposure to COVID-19 by the COVID-19 leadership team members. This was a difficult decision for both Bethany and our staff, but the risk of infection when working many different jobs and coming in contact with many different people works against the concept of social distancing to limit the spread.
• A COVID-19 Leadership team meets regularly to discuss PPE supply and to analyze additional vendors for increased PPE supply, new guidance on COVID-19, etc.
• Meetings are held 2 days a week to discuss employees who are furloughed and their plans for return to work.
• Leadership team members are on-call 24 hours per day/7 days a week to deal with employee and family questions and concerns.
• Weekly meetings and/or conference calls/webinars/education reviews are held with the NDDoH, Centers for Disease Control, Public Health, ND Long Term Care Association, and American Health Care Association.
• Contact tracing if/when applicable is coordinated with the ND Department of Health.
• Excess chairs have been removed in break room areas to limit tables to two staff members at a table only. Additional space has been opened up for employee breaks to allow for social distancing.
• Visual alerts such as signs and posters have been added throughout all buildings that encourage staff hand hygiene, resident hand hygiene and proper use of PPE.
• Increased hand hygiene stations have been installed throughout all buildings.
• Staff competencies are routinely completed to establish/verify adherence to infection prevention.

We have received notification that a resident at Bethany has tested positive for COVID-19 and we have the following questions.

Will all residents now be tested?

• Resident testing (mass surveillance testing of all residents) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health. A resident that is symptomatic is tested at the direction of the resident’s physician.

Will all staff be tested?

• Bethany employees complete a health screening at the start of their shift. If an employee triggers a concern on the health screening, they are immediately removed from the schedule.   A Bethany staff member then works with the employee on symptom monitoring, communication with their physician and return to work protocol.
• Staff testing (mass surveillance testing of all staff) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health. Staff testing occurs weekly.

Will COVID-19 positive residents be taken to the hospital?

• A transfer to the hospital is coordinated by the resident’s physician and Bethany staff. Residents who are in a declining in health status may be transferred to the hospital as directed by their physician.  Bethany would call 911 in an emergency situation.

COVID-19 Testing Update Monday, November 9, 2020, 2:45 pm

On Monday, November 9^th, Cass County was classified as a RED County, by the ND Department of Health, for COVID-19 testing guidelines.  According to the testing guidelines, Bethany employees will now be required to be tested for COVID-19 two times per week at the community testing site.  Employee testing days will be every Monday and Thursday.  Testing location and times will remain the same-(5:30am until 5:30pm).  Skilled Care, Basic Care and Assisted Living resident testing will also be conducted two times per week on Monday and Thursday.  Resident testing will take place in the resident’s rooms and will be coordinated by the Skilled Care and Assisted Living/Basic Care nursing teams.  The test is free of charge.

Bethany Retirement Living FAQs and COVID-19 Cases as of 11/5/20 11:00am:

Dear families and friends of Bethany Retirement Living:

On October 30^th and 31^st, we tested Bethany on University staff working closest with the residents and Towers residents.  We also did our standard surveillance testing during the week of Monday, November 2.  During these two testing events 1,404 swab tests were conducted for residents and staff at both Bethany on 42^nd and Bethany on University.  We had 5 positive resident cases at Bethany on University Skilled Care, 3 positive resident cases at Towers I and 1 positive case in Bethany on 42^nd Skilled Care.  There were no positive resident cases at Towers II or Bethany Gables.  We had 31 new staff positive cases broken down as follows:  9 at Bethany on 42^nd Skilled Care, 18 at Bethany on University Skilled Care and 4 at Bethany Towers I and II.  There were no positive staff cases at Bethany Gables.  Please review our FAQs below for answers to questions you may have.

Bethany Towers I & II and Bethany Gables will start allowing limited visitation starting on Thursday, November 5^th.  Bethany on 42^nd Skilled Care and Bethany on University Skilled Care will be allowing limited compassionate care visits starting on Thursday, November 5th.  Please see visitation section on our website

To keep residents safe, you must have proof of current testing results with you.  To visit you will need to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test that was taken within the past 7 days.  To get on a regular visitation pattern, we recommend that you get tested every week on the same day so you get an idea of when you will be receiving the test results from the Department of Health of either ND or MN.  Free testing is available at the following locations:

• Faith Journey Lutheran Church, 650 40^th Avenue SE, West Fargo. (some map programs list it as East-not SE) The church is directly West of Sheyenne High School.

This site is open from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday, and no appointment is necessary.

• Former Thomas Edison Elementary School, 1110 14th Street South, Moorhead.

This is saliva testing and the site is open Monday, Tuesday, Friday: 12 – 7 p.m. and Saturday – Sunday: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Schedule Appointment with Vault Health

We also encourage virtual visits (Facetime etc.) for residents.  For Bethany on University Skilled Care, please contact Ann, Director of Community Life, at 701-239-3246.  For Bethany on 42^nd Skilled Care, please contact Laurie, Director of Community Life, at 701-478-8904.  For Bethany Gables please call 478-8970 and for Towers please call 239-3424.

We will continue conducting weekly COVID-19 surveillance swab testing on all skilled care, basic care, and assisted living residents and staff.  Resident and employee testing will continue to be conducted each Monday.  Resident testing will take place in the residents’ rooms and will be coordinated by the Skilled Care and Assisted Living/Basic Care nursing teams.  The test is free of charge.

Test results are usually returned within 48-72 hour hours.  Bethany staff will contact all residents with positive test calls.  If you have any questions or concerns about the test, please contact the social worker or unit manager in Skilled Care or the Nurse in Assisted Living/Basic Care.

At Bethany, if an employee tests positive for COVID-19, they are immediately removed from the schedule and told to quarantine at home.  A positive resident is moved to a confined COVID-19 skilled care area with designated staff.

Bethany will continue to provide updates via e-mail and our website as our COVID-19 cases change.  You are also able to call us with any questions.  We are providing this link to the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) COVID19 website for your convenience https://www.health.nd.gov/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/north-dakota-coronavirus-cases .  As we update our information, here are a few guidelines we will be following.

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the North Dakota Department of Health.
• We will not be identifying employees, residents or patients who test positive due to confidentiality.
• All employees who are ill are not allowed to work for 14 days and will need two negative COVID-19 tests prior to return to work.
• We will not give information on resident deaths due to confidentiality.

Here are the latest COVID-19 numbers.  Some of the resident and staff positives will be cleared tomorrow so our numbers will go down tomorrow.  We will try to post an update with our lower numbers on Friday.  We may add or subtract cases as new test results arrive and, due to the timing of the results, they may not be reflected on the State website at the time of this posting.

Sincerely, Shawn Stuhaug, CEO

Frequently Asked Questions:

What have you done to decrease the risk of COVID-19 for residents and educate family members?

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, American Health Care Association (AHCA) and the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH).
• Among the first acts undertaken to limit potential exposure was to restrict visitors and lock the entrances to Bethany buildings. Only limited visitation is allowed.  Please visit our website for visiting hours.
• All visitors are screened as they enter the buildings. Visitors are also encouraged to get regular COVID testing that is offered in our community.  Please wait in your car until your scheduled visiting times to help reduce the number of people in the lobby area.
• The Bethany website has been enhanced by adding a “Coronavirus Information” tab to share up-to-date information about the pandemic in general and at Bethany Retirement Living.
• Numerous emails have been sent to families from our Social Services team. Please contact a member of the social service team if you would like to be added to the e-mail list.
• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages have been distributed by the CEO for education to family member primary contact.
• Letters have been mailed to primary Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) resident contacts, SNF residents without dementia/memory issues, and residents of Towers, Gables and Grace Pointe.
• All potential admissions are screened for symptoms and fever.
• All SNF admissions are initially processed through one unit (TCU) with increased monitoring of potential symptoms.
• A negative COVID test is required within 24 hours prior to a skilled care admission or return from hospital. Even with a negative COVID test, we still quarantine all new admissions and hospital/ER returns for 14 days.
• Bethany may admit COVID positive residents periodically if we have a COVID-positive area set up.
• Screening of all SNF residents occurs daily and at times two or three times/day. Symptoms monitored include a full set of vital signs along with the observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Screening of all Assisted Living and Basic Care residents occurs daily and, at times, two times/day. Symptoms to monitor include temperature, pulse and O2 stats along with observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Resident Activities of Daily Living (ADL) sheets are updated to include prompts for hand sanitizing of resident hands and resident mask placement.
• Non-emergent resident appointments are being decreased if able.
• Limiting resident group activities to no more than 10 people while also practicing social distancing and use of facemasks. Activities are also live streamed.
• Residents are encouraged to remain in their room when not attending an activity, therapy or exercise.
• Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy is being conducted in both the resident rooms and in the therapy/wellness center as long as the resident/patient is not in isolation.
• No communal dining for SNF residents unless the resident eating in their room is a safety risk. This is a National Best Practice for limiting the spread of COVID within LTC Facilities.
• No communal dining for Towers or Gables assisted living/basic care residents. This is a National Best Practice for limiting the spread of COVID within LTC Facilities.
• Use of hand sanitizer is encouraged for each resident interaction.
• Use of masks is encouraged for all residents.
• Each Bethany campus has a designated Infection Preventionist to provide surveillance and oversight.
• Visual alerts such as signage and posters have been added throughout the facility to encourage hand sanitizing for both residents and staff.

What have you done to educate staff and decrease the risk of COVID-19?

• See questions above as some information applies to both questions.
• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages to staff related to education.
• Many YouTube Videos have been produced and sent to ALL staff cell phones.
• Educational videos and verbal education are reviewed at shift change/daily huddles etc.
• Mandatory Healthcare Academy Education on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Hand Hygiene, COVID-19 and infection prevention have been assigned and made mandatory for all employees.
• Surveillance and auditing of employees is being conducted to ensure proper use of PPE and handwashing is occurring.
• Hand sanitizer is required for all nursing staff to have on the person (this is not new, but an uncommon practice for most SNFs).
• Surgical or N95 Facemasks and face shields are required for staff when in resident areas.
• Facemask and face shield requirements have been enhanced as guidance has evolved.
• All employees are required to wear face masks when outside of their office spaces. Staff may wear a cloth, surgical or N95 mask when outside of resident areas.
• High touch surfaces are sanitized multiple times per day in office spaces, common areas, etc.
• Educational resources from the North Dakota Department of Health that pertain to COVID-19 have been provided to employees.
• Employees are monitored for Covid-19 symptoms at the start of each shift, as well as with staff that call in ill prior to their shift. A detailed spreadsheet enables close tracking of all employees with symptoms and tracks adherence to the Return-to-Work guidance from the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH).
• Employees that have been taken off the schedule due to COVID-19 Symptoms, close contact, or having received a positive COVID-19 test result are contacted frequently to monitor symptoms and to determine a safe timeline for return.
• ALL employees are requested to limit employment to “Bethany Only” unless the additional job is approved after review, and considered low risk for exposure to COVID-19 by the COVID-19 leadership team members. This was a difficult decision for both Bethany and our staff, but the risk of infection when working many different jobs and coming in contact with many different people works against the concept of social distancing to limit the spread.
• A COVID-19 Leadership team meets regularly to discuss PPE supply and to analyze additional vendors for increased PPE supply, new guidance on COVID-19, etc.
• Meetings are held 2 days a week to discuss employees who are furloughed and their plans for return to work.
• Leadership team members are on-call 24 hours per day/7 days a week to deal with employee and family questions and concerns.
• Weekly meetings and/or conference calls/webinars/education reviews are held with the NDDoH, Centers for Disease Control, Public Health, ND Long Term Care Association, and American Health Care Association.
• Contact tracing if/when applicable is coordinated with the ND Department of Health.
• Excess chairs have been removed in break room areas to limit tables to two staff members at a table only. Additional space has been opened up for employee breaks to allow for social distancing.
• Visual alerts such as signs and posters have been added throughout all buildings that encourage staff hand hygiene, resident hand hygiene and proper use of PPE.
• Increased hand hygiene stations have been installed throughout all buildings.
• Staff competencies are routinely completed to establish/verify adherence to infection prevention.

We have received notification that a resident at Bethany has tested positive for COVID-19 and we have the following questions.

Will all residents now be tested?

• Resident testing (mass surveillance testing of all residents) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health. A resident that is symptomatic is tested at the direction of the resident’s physician.

Will all staff be tested?

• Bethany employees complete a health screening at the start of their shift. If an employee triggers a concern on the health screening, they are immediately removed from the schedule.   A Bethany staff member then works with the employee on symptom monitoring, communication with their physician and return to work protocol.
• Staff testing (mass surveillance testing of all staff) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health. Staff testing occurs weekly.

Will COVID-19 positive residents be taken to the hospital?

• A transfer to the hospital is coordinated by the resident’s physician and Bethany staff. Residents who are in a declining in health status may be transferred to the hospital as directed by their physician.  Bethany would call 911 in an emergency situation.

Assisted Living and Basic Care Visitation Update  11/3/2020 3:30 pm

Bethany Towers and Bethany Gables will start allowing limited visitation starting on Thursday, November 5^th.  Bethany on 42^nd Skilled Care and Bethany on University Skilled Care will be allowing limited compassionate care visits starting on Thursday, November 5th.  To keep residents safe, you must have proof of current testing results with you.  To visit you will need to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test that was taken within the past 7 days.  Proof of results can be hard copy, an e-mail or text message saved on your cell phone.  To get on a regular visitation pattern, I recommend that you get tested every week on the same day so you get an idea of when you will be receiving the test results from the Department of Health of either ND or MN.  Free testing is available at the following locations:

• Faith Journey Lutheran Church, 650 40^th Avenue East, West Fargo.

This site is open from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday, and no appointment is necessary.

• Former Thomas Edison Elementary School, 1110 14^th Street South, Moorhead.

(this is saliva testing)  This site is open Monday, Tuesday, Friday from: 12:00 pm to 7:00 p.m., and Saturday & Sunday: 10:00 a.m. to- 4:00 p.m.  Schedule Appointment with Vault Health

Please continue to monitor Bethany’s website for updated information on visitation at www.bethanynd.org.  We continue to provide virtual visits (Facetime etc.) for residents.  For Bethany on University Skilled Care, please contact Ann, Director of Community Life, at 701-239-3246.  For Bethany on 42^nd skilled care, please contact Laurie, Director of Community Life, at 701-478-8904.  For Bethany Gables please call 478-8970 and for Towers please call 239-3424.

Assisted Living and Basic Care Visitation Update  11/3/2020 3:30 pm

Bethany Towers and Bethany Gables will start allowing limited visitation starting on Thursday, November 5^th.  Bethany on 42^nd Skilled Care and Bethany on University Skilled Care will be allowing limited compassionate care visits starting on Thursday, November 5th.  To keep residents safe, you must have proof of current testing results with you.  To visit you will need to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test that was taken within the past 7 days.  Proof of results can be hard copy, an e-mail or text message saved on your cell phone.  To get on a regular visitation pattern, I recommend that you get tested every week on the same day so you get an idea of when you will be receiving the test results from the Department of Health of either ND or MN.  Free testing is available at the following locations:

• Faith Journey Lutheran Church, 650 40^th Avenue East, West Fargo.

This site is open from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday, and no appointment is necessary.

• Former Thomas Edison Elementary School, 1110 14^th Street South, Moorhead.

(this is saliva testing)  This site is open Monday, Tuesday, Friday from: 12:00 pm to 7:00 p.m., and Saturday & Sunday: 10:00 a.m. to- 4:00 p.m.  Schedule Appointment with Vault Health

Please continue to monitor Bethany’s website for updated information on visitation at www.bethanynd.org.  We continue to provide virtual visits (Facetime etc.) for residents.  For Bethany on University Skilled Care, please contact Ann, Director of Community Life, at 701-239-3246.  For Bethany on 42^nd skilled care, please contact Laurie, Director of Community Life, at 701-478-8904.  For Bethany Gables please call 478-8970 and for Towers please call 239-3424.

Bethany Retirement Living FAQs and COVID-19 Cases as of 10/29/20 10:00am:

Dear families and friends of Bethany Retirement Living:

For the week of Monday, October 26th, 1,070 swab tests were conducted for residents and staff at both Bethany on 42^nd and Bethany on University.  We had 2 positive resident cases at Bethany on University-Skilled Care, 4 positive resident cases in Towers I and 1 positive case in Towers II.  There were no positive resident cases at Bethany on 42nd-Skilled Care or Bethany Gables.  We had 16 new staff positive cases broken down as follows:  2 at Bethany on 42^nd-Skilled Care, 11 at Bethany on University-Skilled Care and 3 in Towers Basic Care.  There were no positive staff cases at Bethany Gables.

Please review our FAQs below for answers to questions you may have.

Bethany Towers I and Towers II will not reopen for visitation until November 11^th.  For Bethany Gables, Bethany on 42^nd Skilled Care and Bethany on University Skilled Care, we are considering lifting visitation restrictions late next week and allowing a greater number of compassionate care visits.  If we do, we will only let people in the door that have proof of current testing results with you.  To visit you will need to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test that was taken within the past 7 days.  To get on a regular visitation pattern, we recommend that you get tested every week on the same day so you get an idea of when you will be receiving the test results from the Department of Health of either ND or MN.  Free testing is available at the following locations:

• Faith and Journey Lutheran Church, 650 40^th Avenue East, West Fargo.

This site is open from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday, and no appointment is necessary.

• Former Thomas Edison Elementary School, 1110 14th Street South, Moorhead.

This is saliva testing and the site is open Monday, Tuesday, Friday: 12 – 7 p.m. and Saturday – Sunday: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Schedule Appointment with Vault Health

We will provide an update on our website and send out e-mails to Skilled Care primary contacts when visitation plans change.  We will work to provide virtual visits (Facetime etc.) for residents.  For Bethany on University-Skilled Care, please contact Ann, Director of Community Life, at 701-239-3246.  For Bethany on 42^nd -skilled care, please contact Laurie, Director of Community Life, at 701-478-8904.  For Bethany Gables please call 478-8970 and Towers please call 239-3424.

We will continue conducting weekly COVID-19 surveillance swab testing on all skilled care, basic care, and assisted living residents and staff.  Resident and employee testing will continue to be conducted each Monday.  Resident testing will take place in the residents’ rooms and will be coordinated by the Skilled Care and Assisted Living/Basic Care nursing teams.  The test is free of charge.

Test results are usually returned within 48-72 hour hours.  Bethany staff will contact all residents with positive test calls.  If you have any questions or concerns about the test, please contact the social worker or unit manager in Skilled Care or the Nurse in Assisted Living/Basic Care.

At Bethany, if an employee tests positive for COVID-19, they are immediately removed from the schedule and told to quarantine at home.  A positive resident is moved to a confined COVID-19 skilled care area with designated staff.

Bethany will continue to provide updates via e-mail and our website as our COVID-19 cases change.  You are also able to call us with any questions.  We are providing this link to the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) COVID19 website for your convenience https://www.health.nd.gov/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/north-dakota-coronavirus-cases .  As we update our information, here are a few guidelines we will be following.

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the North Dakota Department of Health.
• We will not be identifying employees, residents or patients who test positive due to confidentiality.
• All employees who are ill are not allowed to work for 14 days and will need two negative COVID-19 tests prior to return to work.
• We will not give information on resident deaths due to confidentiality.

Here are the latest COVID-19 numbers.  Some of the resident and staff positives will be cleared tomorrow so our numbers will go down tomorrow.  We will try to post an update with our lower numbers on Friday.  We may add or subtract cases as new test results arrive and, due to the timing of the results, they may not be reflected on the State website at the time of this posting.

Sincerely, Shawn Stuhaug, CEO

Frequently Asked Questions:

What have you done to decrease the risk of COVID-19 for residents and educate family members?

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, American Health Care Association (AHCA) and the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH).
• ALL VISITATION IS CURRENTLY SUSPENDED. Among the first acts undertaken to limit potential exposure was to restrict visitors and lock the entrances to Bethany buildings.  Only limited visitation is allowed.  Please visit our website for visiting hours.
• ALL VISITATION IS CURRENTLY SUSPENDED. All visitors are screened as they enter the buildings.  Visitors are also encouraged to get regular COVID testing that is offered in our community.  Please wait in your car until your scheduled visiting times to help reduce the number of people in the lobby area.
• The Bethany website has been enhanced by adding a “Coronavirus Information” tab to share up-to-date information about the pandemic in general and at Bethany Retirement Living.
• Numerous emails have been sent to families from our Social Services team. Please contact a member of the social service team if you would like to be added to the e-mail list.
• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages have been distributed by the CEO for education to family member primary contact.
• Letters have been mailed to primary Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) resident contacts, SNF residents without dementia/memory issues, and residents of Towers, Gables and Grace Pointe.
• All potential admissions are screened for symptoms and fever.
• All SNF admissions are initially processed through one unit (TCU) with increased monitoring of potential symptoms.
• A negative COVID test is required within 24 hours prior to a skilled care admission or return from hospital. Even with a negative COVID test, we still quarantine all new admissions and hospital/ER returns for 14 days.
• Bethany may admit COVID positive residents periodically if we have a COVID-positive area set up.
• Screening of all SNF residents occurs daily and at times two or three times/day. Symptoms monitored include a full set of vital signs along with the observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Screening of all Assisted Living and Basic Care residents occurs daily and, at times, two times/day. Symptoms to monitor include temperature, pulse and O2 stats along with observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Resident Activities of Daily Living (ADL) sheets are updated to include prompts for hand sanitizing of resident hands and resident mask placement.
• Non-emergent resident appointments are being decreased if able.
• Limiting resident group activities to no more than 10 people while also practicing social distancing and use of facemasks. Activities are also live streamed.
• Residents are encouraged to remain in their room when not attending an activity, therapy or exercise.
• Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy is being conducted in both the resident rooms and in the therapy/wellness center as long as the resident/patient is not in isolation.
• No communal dining for SNF residents unless the resident eating in their room is a safety risk. This is a National Best Practice for limiting the spread of COVID within LTC Facilities.
• No communal dining for Towers or Gables assisted living/basic care residents. This is a National Best Practice for limiting the spread of COVID within LTC Facilities.
• Use of hand sanitizer is encouraged for each resident interaction.
• Use of masks is encouraged for all residents.
• Each Bethany campus has a designated Infection Preventionist to provide surveillance and oversight.
• Visual alerts such as signage and posters have been added throughout the facility to encourage hand sanitizing for both residents and staff.

What have you done to educate staff and decrease the risk of COVID-19?

• See questions above as some information applies to both questions.
• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages to staff related to education.
• Many YouTube Videos have been produced and sent to ALL staff cell phones.
• Educational videos and verbal education are reviewed at shift change/daily huddles etc.
• Mandatory Healthcare Academy Education on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Hand Hygiene, COVID-19 and infection prevention have been assigned and made mandatory for all employees.
• Surveillance and auditing of employees is being conducted to ensure proper use of PPE and handwashing is occurring.
• Hand sanitizer is required for all nursing staff to have on the person (this is not new, but an uncommon practice for most SNFs).
• Surgical or N95 Facemasks and face shields are required for staff when in resident areas.
• Facemask and face shield requirements have been enhanced as guidance has evolved.
• All employees are required to wear face masks when outside of their office spaces. Staff may wear a cloth, surgical or N95 mask when outside of resident areas.
• High touch surfaces are sanitized multiple times per day in office spaces, common areas, etc.
• Educational resources from the North Dakota Department of Health that pertain to COVID-19 have been provided to employees.
• Employees are monitored for Covid-19 symptoms at the start of each shift, as well as with staff that call in ill prior to their shift. A detailed spreadsheet enables close tracking of all employees with symptoms and tracks adherence to the Return-to-Work guidance from the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH).
• Employees that have been taken off the schedule due to COVID-19 Symptoms, close contact, or having received a positive COVID-19 test result are contacted frequently to monitor symptoms and to determine a safe timeline for return.
• ALL employees are requested to limit employment to “Bethany Only” unless the additional job is approved after review, and considered low risk for exposure to COVID-19 by the COVID-19 leadership team members. This was a difficult decision for both Bethany and our staff, but the risk of infection when working many different jobs and coming in contact with many different people works against the concept of social distancing to limit the spread.
• A COVID-19 Leadership team meets regularly to discuss PPE supply and to analyze additional vendors for increased PPE supply, new guidance on COVID-19, etc.
• Meetings are held 2 days a week to discuss employees who are furloughed and their plans for return to work.
• Leadership team members are on-call 24 hours per day/7 days a week to deal with employee and family questions and concerns.
• Weekly meetings and/or conference calls/webinars/education reviews are held with the NDDoH, Centers for Disease Control, Public Health, ND Long Term Care Association, and American Health Care Association.
• Contact tracing if/when applicable is coordinated with the ND Department of Health.
• Excess chairs have been removed in break room areas to limit tables to two staff members at a table only. Additional space has been opened up for employee breaks to allow for social distancing.
• Visual alerts such as signs and posters have been added throughout all buildings that encourage staff hand hygiene, resident hand hygiene and proper use of PPE.
• Increased hand hygiene stations have been installed throughout all buildings.
• Staff competencies are routinely completed to establish/verify adherence to infection prevention.

We have received notification that a resident at Bethany has tested positive for COVID-19 and we have the following questions.

Will all residents now be tested?

• Resident testing (mass surveillance testing of all residents) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health. A resident that is symptomatic is tested at the direction of the resident’s physician.

Will all staff be tested?

• Bethany employees complete a health screening at the start of their shift. If an employee triggers a concern on the health screening, they are immediately removed from the schedule.   A Bethany staff member then works with the employee on symptom monitoring, communication with their physician and return to work protocol.
• Staff testing (mass surveillance testing of all staff) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health. Staff testing occurs weekly.

Will COVID-19 positive residents be taken to the hospital?

• A transfer to the hospital is coordinated by the resident’s physician and Bethany staff. Residents who are in a declining in health status may be transferred to the hospital as directed by their physician.  Bethany would call 911 in an emergency situation.

Bethany Retirement Living FAQs and COVID-19 Cases as of 10/23/20 10:00am:

Dear families and friends of Bethany Retirement Living:

We are providing you a short update today since we had many staff and residents cleared of Covid-19 today.  Please see our case counts in the table below.  We will continue with our visitation suspension for at least the next 12 days.  Lifting visitation restrictions will depend on the county positivity rate, compliance with visitors getting tested and our internal positive case count.  CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) has specific guidance that we need to follow if Cass County would turn to a “red” classification.  Red means a positivity rate of over 10%.

We will work to provide virtual visits (Facetime etc.) for residents.  For Bethany on University-Skilled Care, please contact Ann, Director of Community Life, at 701-239-3246.  For Bethany on 42^nd-Skilled Care, please contact Laurie, Director of Community Life, at 701-478-8904.  For Bethany Gables please call 478-8970 and Towers please call 239-3424.

We will continue conducting weekly COVID-19 surveillance swab testing on all skilled care, basic care, and assisted living residents and staff.  Resident and employee testing will continue to be conducted each Monday.  Resident testing will take place in the residents’ rooms and will be coordinated by the Skilled Care and Assisted Living/Basic Care nursing teams.  The test is free of charge.

Test results are usually returned within 48-72 hour hours.  Bethany staff will contact all residents with positive test calls.  If you have any questions or concerns about the test, please contact the social worker or unit manager in Skilled Care or the Nurse in Assisted Living/Basic Care.

At Bethany, if an employee tests positive for COVID-19, they are immediately removed from the schedule and told to quarantine at home.  A positive resident is moved to a confined COVID-19 skilled care area with designated staff.

Bethany will continue to provide updates via e-mail and our website as our COVID-19 cases change.  You are also able to call us with any questions.  We are providing this link to the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) COVID19 website for your convenience https://www.health.nd.gov/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/north-dakota-coronavirus-cases .  As we update our information, here are a few guidelines we will be following.

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the North Dakota Department of Health.
• We will not be identifying employees, residents or patients who test positive due to confidentiality.
• All employees who are ill are not allowed to work for 14 days and will need two negative COVID-19 tests prior to return to work.
• We will not give information on resident deaths due to confidentiality.

Here are the latest COVID-19 numbers.  Some of the resident and staff positives will be cleared tomorrow so our numbers will go down tomorrow.  We will try to post an update with our lower numbers on Friday.  We may add or subtract cases as new test results arrive and, due to the timing of the results, they may not be reflected on the State website at the time of this posting.

Sincerely, Shawn Stuhaug, CEO

Frequently Asked Questions:

What have you done to decrease the risk of COVID-19 for residents and educate family members?

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, American Health Care Association (AHCA) and the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH).
• ALL VISITATION IS CURRENTLY SUSPENDED. Among the first acts undertaken to limit potential exposure was to restrict visitors and lock the entrances to Bethany buildings.  Only limited visitation is allowed.  Please visit our website for visiting hours.
• ALL VISITATION IS CURRENTLY SUSPENDED. All visitors are screened as they enter the buildings.  Visitors are also encouraged to get regular COVID testing that is offered in our community.  Please wait in your car until your scheduled visiting times to help reduce the number of people in the lobby area.
• The Bethany website has been enhanced by adding a “Coronavirus Information” tab to share up-to-date information about the pandemic in general and at Bethany Retirement Living.
• Numerous emails have been sent to families from our Social Services team. Please contact a member of the social service team if you would like to be added to the e-mail list.
• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages have been distributed by the CEO for education to family member primary contact.
• Letters have been mailed to primary Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) resident contacts, SNF residents without dementia/memory issues, and residents of Towers, Gables and Grace Pointe.
• All potential admissions are screened for symptoms and fever.
• All SNF admissions are initially processed through one unit (TCU) with increased monitoring of potential symptoms.
• A negative COVID test is required within 24 hours prior to a skilled care admission or return from hospital. Even with a negative COVID test, we still quarantine all new admissions and hospital/ER returns for 14 days.
• Bethany may admit COVID positive residents periodically if we have a COVID-positive area set up.
• Screening of all SNF residents occurs daily and at times two or three times/day. Symptoms monitored include a full set of vital signs along with the observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Screening of all Assisted Living and Basic Care residents occurs daily and, at times, two times/day. Symptoms to monitor include temperature, pulse and O2 stats along with observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Resident Activities of Daily Living (ADL) sheets are updated to include prompts for hand sanitizing of resident hands and resident mask placement.
• Non-emergent resident appointments are being decreased if able.
• Limiting resident group activities to no more than 10 people while also practicing social distancing and use of facemasks. Activities are also live streamed.
• Residents are encouraged to remain in their room when not attending an activity, therapy or exercise.
• Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy is being conducted in both the resident rooms and in the therapy/wellness center as long as the resident/patient is not in isolation.
• No communal dining for SNF residents unless the resident eating in their room is a safety risk. This is a National Best Practice for limiting the spread of COVID within LTC Facilities.
• No communal dining for Towers or Gables assisted living/basic care residents. This is a National Best Practice for limiting the spread of COVID within LTC Facilities.
• Use of hand sanitizer is encouraged for each resident interaction.
• Use of masks is encouraged for all residents.
• Each Bethany campus has a designated Infection Preventionist to provide surveillance and oversight.
• Visual alerts such as signage and posters have been added throughout the facility to encourage hand sanitizing for both residents and staff.

What have you done to educate staff and decrease the risk of COVID-19?

• See questions above as some information applies to both questions.
• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages to staff related to education.
• Many YouTube Videos have been produced and sent to ALL staff cell phones.
• Educational videos and verbal education are reviewed at shift change/daily huddles etc.
• Mandatory Healthcare Academy Education on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Hand Hygiene, COVID-19 and infection prevention have been assigned and made mandatory for all employees.
• Surveillance and auditing of employees is being conducted to ensure proper use of PPE and handwashing is occurring.
• Hand sanitizer is required for all nursing staff to have on the person (this is not new, but an uncommon practice for most SNFs).
• Surgical or N95 Facemasks and face shields are required for staff when in resident areas.
• Facemask and face shield requirements have been enhanced as guidance has evolved.
• All employees are required to wear face masks when outside of their office spaces. Staff may wear a cloth, surgical or N95 mask when outside of resident areas.
• High touch surfaces are sanitized multiple times per day in office spaces, common areas, etc.
• Educational resources from the North Dakota Department of Health that pertain to COVID-19 have been provided to employees.
• Employees are monitored for Covid-19 symptoms at the start of each shift, as well as with staff that call in ill prior to their shift. A detailed spreadsheet enables close tracking of all employees with symptoms and tracks adherence to the Return-to-Work guidance from the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH).
• Employees that have been taken off the schedule due to COVID-19 Symptoms, close contact, or having received a positive COVID-19 test result are contacted frequently to monitor symptoms and to determine a safe timeline for return.
• ALL employees are requested to limit employment to “Bethany Only” unless the additional job is approved after review, and considered low risk for exposure to COVID-19 by the COVID-19 leadership team members. This was a difficult decision for both Bethany and our staff, but the risk of infection when working many different jobs and coming in contact with many different people works against the concept of social distancing to limit the spread.
• A COVID-19 Leadership team meets regularly to discuss PPE supply and to analyze additional vendors for increased PPE supply, new guidance on COVID-19, etc.
• Meetings are held 2 days a week to discuss employees who are furloughed and their plans for return to work.
• Leadership team members are on-call 24 hours per day/7 days a week to deal with employee and family questions and concerns.
• Weekly meetings and/or conference calls/webinars/education reviews are held with the NDDoH, Centers for Disease Control, Public Health, ND Long Term Care Association, and American Health Care Association.
• Contact tracing if/when applicable is coordinated with the ND Department of Health.
• Excess chairs have been removed in break room areas to limit tables to two staff members at a table only. Additional space has been opened up for employee breaks to allow for social distancing.
• Visual alerts such as signs and posters have been added throughout all buildings that encourage staff hand hygiene, resident hand hygiene and proper use of PPE.
• Increased hand hygiene stations have been installed throughout all buildings.
• Staff competencies are routinely completed to establish/verify adherence to infection prevention.

We have received notification that a resident at Bethany has tested positive for COVID-19 and we have the following questions.

Will all residents now be tested?

• Resident testing (mass surveillance testing of all residents) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health. A resident that is symptomatic is tested at the direction of the resident’s physician.

Will all staff be tested?

• Bethany employees complete a health screening at the start of their shift. If an employee triggers a concern on the health screening, they are immediately removed from the schedule.   A Bethany staff member then works with the employee on symptom monitoring, communication with their physician and return to work protocol.
• Staff testing (mass surveillance testing of all staff) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health. Staff testing occurs weekly.

Will COVID-19 positive residents be taken to the hospital?

• A transfer to the hospital is coordinated by the resident’s physician and Bethany staff. Residents who are in a declining in health status may be transferred to the hospital as directed by their physician.  Bethany would call 911 in an emergency situation.

Bethany Retirement Living FAQs and COVID-19 Cases as of 10/21/20 4:00pm:

Dear families and friends of Bethany Retirement Living:

For the week of Monday, October 19th, 1,111 swab tests were conducted for residents and staff at both Bethany on 42^nd and Bethany on University.  We had 3 positive resident cases at Bethany on University-Skilled Care, 13 positive resident cases in Towers I and 7 positive cases in Towers II.  There were no positive resident cases at Bethany on 42nd-Skilled Care or Bethany Gables.  We had 12 new staff positive cases broken down as follows:  4 at Bethany on 42^nd-Skilled Care and 8 at Bethany on University-Skilled Care.  There were no positive staff cases in Gables or Towers.  Please review our FAQs below for answers to questions you may have.

EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, Bethany on University and Bethany on 42^nd will be halting all visitations at both campuses due to the continued rise in Covid-19 positive cases county- and state-wide.  We will work to provide virtual visits (Facetime etc.) for residents.  For Bethany on University-Skilled Care, please contact Ann, Director of Community Life, at 701-239-3246.  For Bethany on 42^nd -skilled care, please contact Laurie, Director of Community Life, at 701-478-8904.  For Bethany Gables please call 478-8970 and Towers please call 239-3424.

We will continue conducting weekly COVID-19 surveillance swab testing on all skilled care, basic care, and assisted living residents and staff.  Resident and employee testing will continue to be conducted each Monday.  Resident testing will take place in the residents’ rooms and will be coordinated by the Skilled Care and Assisted Living/Basic Care nursing teams.  The test is free of charge.

Test results are usually returned within 48-72 hour hours.  Bethany staff will contact all residents with positive test calls.  If you have any questions or concerns about the test, please contact the social worker or unit manager in Skilled Care or the Nurse in Assisted Living/Basic Care.

At Bethany, if an employee tests positive for COVID-19, they are immediately removed from the schedule and told to quarantine at home.  A positive resident is moved to a confined COVID-19 skilled care area with designated staff.

Bethany will continue to provide updates via e-mail and our website as our COVID-19 cases change.  You are also able to call us with any questions.  We are providing this link to the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) COVID19 website for your convenience https://www.health.nd.gov/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/north-dakota-coronavirus-cases .  As we update our information, here are a few guidelines we will be following.

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the North Dakota Department of Health.
• We will not be identifying employees, residents or patients who test positive due to confidentiality.
• All employees who are ill are not allowed to work for 14 days and will need two negative COVID-19 tests prior to return to work.
• We will not give information on resident deaths due to confidentiality.

Here are the latest COVID-19 numbers.  Some of the resident and staff positives will be cleared tomorrow so our numbers will go down tomorrow.  We will try to post an update with our lower numbers on Friday.  We may add or subtract cases as new test results arrive and, due to the timing of the results, they may not be reflected on the State website at the time of this posting.

Sincerely, Shawn Stuhaug, CEO

Frequently Asked Questions:

What have you done to decrease the risk of COVID-19 for residents and educate family members?

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, American Health Care Association (AHCA) and the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH).
• ALL VISITATION IS CURRENTLY SUSPENDED. Among the first acts undertaken to limit potential exposure was to restrict visitors and lock the entrances to Bethany buildings.  Only limited visitation is allowed.  Please visit our website for visiting hours.
• ALL VISITATION IS CURRENTLY SUSPENDED. All visitors are screened as they enter the buildings.  Visitors are also encouraged to get regular COVID testing that is offered in our community.  Please wait in your car until your scheduled visiting times to help reduce the number of people in the lobby area.
• The Bethany website has been enhanced by adding a “Coronavirus Information” tab to share up-to-date information about the pandemic in general and at Bethany Retirement Living.
• Numerous emails have been sent to families from our Social Services team. Please contact a member of the social service team if you would like to be added to the e-mail list.
• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages have been distributed by the CEO for education to family member primary contact.
• Letters have been mailed to primary Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) resident contacts, SNF residents without dementia/memory issues, and residents of Towers, Gables and Grace Pointe.
• All potential admissions are screened for symptoms and fever.
• All SNF admissions are initially processed through one unit (TCU) with increased monitoring of potential symptoms.
• A negative COVID test is required within 24 hours prior to a skilled care admission or return from hospital. Even with a negative COVID test, we still quarantine all new admissions and hospital/ER returns for 14 days.
• Bethany may admit COVID positive residents periodically if we have a COVID-positive area set up.
• Screening of all SNF residents occurs daily and at times two or three times/day. Symptoms monitored include a full set of vital signs along with the observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Screening of all Assisted Living and Basic Care residents occurs daily and, at times, two times/day. Symptoms to monitor include temperature, pulse and O2 stats along with observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Resident Activities of Daily Living (ADL) sheets are updated to include prompts for hand sanitizing of resident hands and resident mask placement.
• Non-emergent resident appointments are being decreased if able.
• Limiting resident group activities to no more than 10 people while also practicing social distancing and use of facemasks. Activities are also live streamed.
• Residents are encouraged to remain in their room when not attending an activity, therapy or exercise.
• Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy is being conducted in both the resident rooms and in the therapy/wellness center as long as the resident/patient is not in isolation.
• No communal dining for SNF residents unless the resident eating in their room is a safety risk. This is a National Best Practice for limiting the spread of COVID within LTC Facilities.
• No communal dining for Towers or Gables assisted living/basic care residents. This is a National Best Practice for limiting the spread of COVID within LTC Facilities.
• Use of hand sanitizer is encouraged for each resident interaction.
• Use of masks is encouraged for all residents.
• Each Bethany campus has a designated Infection Preventionist to provide surveillance and oversight.
• Visual alerts such as signage and posters have been added throughout the facility to encourage hand sanitizing for both residents and staff.

What have you done to educate staff and decrease the risk of COVID-19?

• See questions above as some information applies to both questions.
• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages to staff related to education.
• Many YouTube Videos have been produced and sent to ALL staff cell phones.
• Educational videos and verbal education are reviewed at shift change/daily huddles etc.
• Mandatory Healthcare Academy Education on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Hand Hygiene, COVID-19 and infection prevention have been assigned and made mandatory for all employees.
• Surveillance and auditing of employees is being conducted to ensure proper use of PPE and handwashing is occurring.
• Hand sanitizer is required for all nursing staff to have on the person (this is not new, but an uncommon practice for most SNFs).
• Surgical or N95 Facemasks and face shields are required for staff when in resident areas.
• Facemask and face shield requirements have been enhanced as guidance has evolved.
• All employees are required to wear face masks when outside of their office spaces. Staff may wear a cloth, surgical or N95 mask when outside of resident areas.
• High touch surfaces are sanitized multiple times per day in office spaces, common areas, etc.
• Educational resources from the North Dakota Department of Health that pertain to COVID-19 have been provided to employees.
• Employees are monitored for Covid-19 symptoms at the start of each shift, as well as with staff that call in ill prior to their shift. A detailed spreadsheet enables close tracking of all employees with symptoms and tracks adherence to the Return-to-Work guidance from the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH).
• Employees that have been taken off the schedule due to COVID-19 Symptoms, close contact, or having received a positive COVID-19 test result are contacted frequently to monitor symptoms and to determine a safe timeline for return.
• ALL employees are requested to limit employment to “Bethany Only” unless the additional job is approved after review, and considered low risk for exposure to COVID-19 by the COVID-19 leadership team members. This was a difficult decision for both Bethany and our staff, but the risk of infection when working many different jobs and coming in contact with many different people works against the concept of social distancing to limit the spread.
• A COVID-19 Leadership team meets regularly to discuss PPE supply and to analyze additional vendors for increased PPE supply, new guidance on COVID-19, etc.
• Meetings are held 2 days a week to discuss employees who are furloughed and their plans for return to work.
• Leadership team members are on-call 24 hours per day/7 days a week to deal with employee and family questions and concerns.
• Weekly meetings and/or conference calls/webinars/education reviews are held with the NDDoH, Centers for Disease Control, Public Health, ND Long Term Care Association, and American Health Care Association.
• Contact tracing if/when applicable is coordinated with the ND Department of Health.
• Excess chairs have been removed in break room areas to limit tables to two staff members at a table only. Additional space has been opened up for employee breaks to allow for social distancing.
• Visual alerts such as signs and posters have been added throughout all buildings that encourage staff hand hygiene, resident hand hygiene and proper use of PPE.
• Increased hand hygiene stations have been installed throughout all buildings.
• Staff competencies are routinely completed to establish/verify adherence to infection prevention.

We have received notification that a resident at Bethany has tested positive for COVID-19 and we have the following questions.

Will all residents now be tested?

• Resident testing (mass surveillance testing of all residents) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health. A resident that is symptomatic is tested at the direction of the resident’s physician.

Will all staff be tested?

• Bethany employees complete a health screening at the start of their shift. If an employee triggers a concern on the health screening, they are immediately removed from the schedule.   A Bethany staff member then works with the employee on symptom monitoring, communication with their physician and return to work protocol.
• Staff testing (mass surveillance testing of all staff) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health. Staff testing occurs weekly.

Will COVID-19 positive residents be taken to the hospital?

• A transfer to the hospital is coordinated by the resident’s physician and Bethany staff. Residents who are in a declining in health status may be transferred to the hospital as directed by their physician.  Bethany would call 911 in an emergency situation.

Wednesday, October 21, 2020

EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, Bethany on University and Bethany on 42^nd will be halting all visitation at both campuses due to the continued rise in Covid-19 positive cases county- and state-wide.  This includes all family, provider, hospice and home care visits and affects both skilled nursing and assisted living/basic care.

We will work to provide virtual visits (Facetime etc.) for residents.  For Bethany on University, please contact Ann Schultz, Director of Community Life, at 701-239-3246.  For Bethany on 42^nd, please contact Laurie Schnabel, Director of Community Life, at 701-478-8904.

Please continue to monitor our website www.bethanynd.org/coronavirus-information for up-to-date information.

Wednesday, October 21, 2020

EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, Bethany on University and Bethany on 42^nd will be halting all visitation at both campuses due to the continued rise in Covid-19 positive cases county- and state-wide.  This includes all family, provider, hospice and home care visits and affects both skilled nursing and assisted living/basic care.

We will work to provide virtual visits (Facetime etc.) for residents.  For Bethany on University, please contact Ann Schultz, Director of Community Life, at 701-239-3246.  For Bethany on 42^nd, please contact Laurie Schnabel, Director of Community Life, at 701-478-8904.

Please continue to monitor our website www.bethanynd.org/coronavirus-information for up-to-date information.

Bethany Retirement Living FAQs and COVID-19 Cases as of 10/14/20 5:00pm:

Dear families and friends of Bethany Retirement Living:

For the week of Monday, October 12th, 1,125 swab tests were conducted for residents and staff at both Bethany on 42^nd and Bethany on University.  We had 7 positive resident cases at Bethany on University-Skilled Care.  There were no positive resident cases at Bethany on 42nd-Skilled Care, Bethany Gables or Bethany Towers.  We had 12 new staff positive cases broken down as follows:  7 at Bethany on 42^nd-Skilled Care and 5 at Bethany on University-Skilled Care.  Please review our FAQs below for answers to questions you may have.

We will continue conducting weekly COVID-19 surveillance swab testing on all skilled care, basic care, and assisted living residents and staff.  We need all visitors to do their part and get tested weekly also.  Many Residents at Bethany have underlying health conditions and you are helping to keep them safe by getting tested.  People who spread COVID-19 often do not have symptoms, so you may not know you are infected unless you get tested.  See testing information below.

Resident and employee testing will continue to be conducted each Monday.  Resident testing will take place in the residents’ rooms and will be coordinated by the Skilled Care and Assisted Living/Basic Care nursing teams.  The test is free of charge.

Test results are usually returned within 48-72 hour hours.  Bethany staff will contact all residents with positive test calls.  If you have any questions or concerns about the test, please contact the social worker or unit manager in Skilled Care or the Nurse in Assisted Living/Basic Care.

At Bethany, if an employee tests positive for COVID-19, they are immediately removed from the schedule and told to quarantine at home.  A positive resident is moved to a confined COVID-19 skilled care area with designated staff.

Bethany will continue to provide updates via e-mail and our website as our COVID-19 cases change.  You are also able to call us with any questions.  We are providing this link to the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) COVID19 website for your convenience https://www.health.nd.gov/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/north-dakota-coronavirus-cases .  As we update our information, here are a few guidelines we will be following.

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the North Dakota Department of Health.
• We will not be identifying employees, residents or patients who test positive due to confidentiality.
• All employees who are ill are not allowed to work for 14 days and will need two negative COVID-19 tests prior to return to work.
• We will not give information on resident deaths due to confidentiality.

Here are the latest COVID-19 numbers.  We may add or subtract cases as new test results arrive and, due to the timing of the results, they may not be reflected on the State website at the time of this posting.

Sincerely,

Shawn Stuhaug, CEO

VISITORS TO BETHANY:  Free testing is available at Journey in Faith Lutheran Church, 650 40^th Avenue East, West Fargo.  This site is open from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday, and no appointment is necessary.

To ensure you receive documentation of your results, ask to receive your results by email/text message when checking in at the testing site.  If you have not received your results after 72 hours, you can also fill out a results request form at www.health.nd.gov/test-results.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What have you done to decrease the risk of COVID-19 for residents and educate family members?

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, American Health Care Association (AHCA) and the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH).
• Among the first acts undertaken to limit potential exposure was to restrict visitors and lock the entrances to Bethany buildings. Only limited visitation is allowed.  Please visit our website for visiting hours.
• All visitors are screened as they enter the buildings. Visitors are also encouraged to get regular COVID testing that is offered in our community.  Please wait in your car until your scheduled visiting times to help reduce the number of people in the lobby area.
• The Bethany website has been enhanced by adding a “Coronavirus Information” tab to share up-to-date information about the pandemic in general and at Bethany Retirement Living.
• Numerous emails have been sent to families from our Social Services team. Please contact a member of the social service team if you would like to be added to the e-mail list.
• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages have been distributed by the CEO for education to family member primary contact.
• Letters have been mailed to primary Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) resident contacts, SNF residents without dementia/memory issues, and residents of Towers, Gables and Grace Pointe.
• All potential admissions are screened for symptoms and fever.
• All SNF admissions are initially processed through one unit (TCU) with increased monitoring of potential symptoms.
• A negative COVID test is required within 24 hours prior to a skilled care admission or return from hospital. Even with a negative COVID test, we still quarantine all new admissions and hospital/ER returns for 14 days.
• Bethany may admit COVID positive residents periodically if we have a COVID-positive area set up.
• Screening of all SNF residents occurs daily and at times two or three times/day. Symptoms monitored include a full set of vital signs along with the observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Screening of all Assisted Living and Basic Care residents occurs daily and, at times, two times/day. Symptoms to monitor include temperature, pulse and O2 stats along with observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Resident Activities of Daily Living (ADL) sheets are updated to include prompts for hand sanitizing of resident hands and resident mask placement.
• Non-emergent resident appointments are being decreased if able.
• Limiting resident group activities to no more than 10 people while also practicing social distancing and use of facemasks. Activities are also live streamed.
• Residents are encouraged to remain in their room when not attending an activity, therapy or exercise.
• Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy is being conducted in both the resident rooms and in the therapy/wellness center as long as the resident/patient is not in isolation.
• No communal dining for SNF residents unless the resident eating in their room is a safety risk. This is a National Best Practice for limiting the spread of COVID within LTC Facilities.
• No communal dining for Towers or Gables assisted living/basic care residents. This is a National Best Practice for limiting the spread of COVID within LTC Facilities.
• Use of hand sanitizer is encouraged for each resident interaction.
• Use of masks is encouraged for all residents.
• Each Bethany campus has a designated Infection Preventionist to provide surveillance and oversight.
• Visual alerts such as signage and posters have been added throughout the facility to encourage hand sanitizing for both residents and staff.

What have you done to educate staff and decrease the risk of COVID-19?

• See questions above as some information applies to both questions.
• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages to staff related to education.
• Many YouTube Videos have been produced and sent to ALL staff cell phones.
• Educational videos and verbal education are reviewed at shift change/daily huddles etc.
• Mandatory Healthcare Academy Education on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Hand Hygiene, COVID-19 and infection prevention have been assigned and made mandatory for all employees.
• Surveillance and auditing of employees is being conducted to ensure proper use of PPE and handwashing is occurring.
• Hand sanitizer is required for all nursing staff to have on the person (this is not new, but an uncommon practice for most SNFs).
• Surgical or N95 Facemasks and face shields are required for staff when in resident areas.
• Facemask and face shield requirements have been enhanced as guidance has evolved.
• All employees are required to wear face masks when outside of their office spaces. Staff may wear a cloth, surgical or N95 mask when outside of resident areas.
• High touch surfaces are sanitized multiple times per day in office spaces, common areas, etc.
• Educational resources from the North Dakota Department of Health that pertain to COVID-19 have been provided to employees.
• Employees are monitored for Covid-19 symptoms at the start of each shift, as well as with staff that call in ill prior to their shift. A detailed spreadsheet enables close tracking of all employees with symptoms and tracks adherence to the Return-to-Work guidance from the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH).
• Employees that have been taken off the schedule due to COVID-19 Symptoms, close contact, or having received a positive COVID-19 test result are contacted frequently to monitor symptoms and to determine a safe timeline for return.
• ALL employees are requested to limit employment to “Bethany Only” unless the additional job is approved after review, and considered low risk for exposure to COVID-19 by the COVID-19 leadership team members. This was a difficult decision for both Bethany and our staff, but the risk of infection when working many different jobs and coming in contact with many different people works against the concept of social distancing to limit the spread.
• A COVID-19 Leadership team meets regularly to discuss PPE supply and to analyze additional vendors for increased PPE supply, new guidance on COVID-19, etc.
• Meetings are held 2 days a week to discuss employees who are furloughed and their plans for return to work.
• Leadership team members are on-call 24 hours per day/7 days a week to deal with employee and family questions and concerns.
• Weekly meetings and/or conference calls/webinars/education reviews are held with the NDDoH, Centers for Disease Control, Public Health, ND Long Term Care Association, and American Health Care Association.
• Contact tracing if/when applicable is coordinated with the ND Department of Health.
• Excess chairs have been removed in break room areas to limit tables to two staff members at a table only. Additional space has been opened up for employee breaks to allow for social distancing.
• Visual alerts such as signs and posters have been added throughout all buildings that encourage staff hand hygiene, resident hand hygiene and proper use of PPE.
• Increased hand hygiene stations have been installed throughout all buildings.
• Staff competencies are routinely completed to establish/verify adherence to infection prevention.

We have received notification that a resident at Bethany has tested positive for COVID-19 and we have the following questions.

Will all residents now be tested?

• Resident testing (mass surveillance testing of all residents) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health. A resident that is symptomatic is tested at the direction of the resident’s physician.

Will all staff be tested?

• Bethany employees complete a health screening at the start of their shift. If an employee triggers a concern on the health screening, they are immediately removed from the schedule.   A Bethany staff member then works with the employee on symptom monitoring, communication with their physician and return to work protocol.
• Staff testing (mass surveillance testing of all staff) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health. Staff testing occurs weekly.

Will COVID-19 positive residents be taken to the hospital?

• A transfer to the hospital is coordinated by the resident’s physician and Bethany staff. Residents who are in a declining in health status may be transferred to the hospital as directed by their physician.  Bethany would call 911 in an emergency situation.

Bethany Retirement Living FAQs and COVID-19 Cases as of 10/8/20 10:00am:

Dear families and friends of Bethany Retirement Living:

For the week of Monday, October 5th, 1,114 swab tests were conducted for residents and staff at both Bethany on 42^nd and Bethany on University.   We had 1 positive resident case at Bethany on University-Skilled Care.  There were no positive resident cases at Bethany on 42nd-Skilled Care, Bethany Gables or Bethany Towers.  We had 3 new staff positive cases broken down as follows:   1 at Bethany on 42^nd-Skilled Care and 2 at Bethany on University-Skilled Care.  Please review our FAQs below for answers to questions you may have.

We will continue conducting weekly COVID-19 surveillance swab testing on all skilled care, basic care, and assisted living residents and staff.  We need all visitors to do their part and get tested weekly also.  Many Residents at Bethany have underlying health conditions and you are helping to keep them safe by getting tested.  People who spread COVID-19 often do not have symptoms, so you may not know you are infected unless you get tested.   See testing information below.

Resident and employee testing will continue to be conducted each Monday.  Resident testing will take place in the residents’ rooms and will be coordinated by the Skilled Care and Assisted Living/Basic Care nursing teams.  The test is free of charge.

Test results are usually returned within 48-72 hour hours.  Bethany staff will contact all residents with positive test calls.  If you have any questions or concerns about the test, please contact the social worker or unit manager in Skilled Care or the Nurse in Assisted Living/Basic Care.

At Bethany, if an employee tests positive for COVID-19, they are immediately removed from the schedule and told to quarantine at home.  A positive resident is moved to a confined COVID-19 skilled care area with designated staff.

Bethany will continue to provide updates via e-mail and our website as our COVID-19 cases change.  You are also able to call us with any questions.   We are providing this link to the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) COVID19 website for your convenience https://www.health.nd.gov/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/north-dakota-coronavirus-cases .  As we update our information, here are a few guidelines we will be following.

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the North Dakota Department of Health.
• We will not be identifying employees, residents or patients who test positive due to confidentiality.
• All employees who are ill are not allowed to work for 14 days and will need two negative COVID-19 tests prior to return to work.
• We will not give information on resident deaths due to confidentiality.

Here are the latest COVID-19 numbers.  We may add or subtract cases as new test results arrive and, due to the timing of the results, they may not be reflected on the State website at the time of this posting.

Sincerely,

Shawn Stuhaug, CEO

VISITORS TO BETHANY:  Free testing is available at Journey in Faith Lutheran Church, 650 40^th Avenue East, West Fargo.  This site is open from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday, and no appointment is necessary.

To ensure you receive documentation of your results, ask to receive your results by email/text message when checking in at the testing site.  If you have not received your results after 72 hours, you can also fill out a results request form at www.health.nd.gov/test-results.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What have you done to decrease the risk of COVID-19 for residents and educate family members?

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, American Health Care Association (AHCA) and the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH).
• Among the first acts undertaken to limit potential exposure was to restrict visitors and lock the entrances to Bethany buildings.Only limited visitation is allowed.  Please visit our website for visiting hours.
• All visitors are screened as they enter the buildings.Visitors are also encouraged to get regular COVID testing that is offered in our community.  Please wait in your car until your scheduled visiting times to help reduce the number of people in the lobby area.
• The Bethany website has been enhanced by adding a “Coronavirus Information” tab to share up-to-date information about the pandemic in general and at Bethany Retirement Living.
• Numerous emails have been sent to families from our Social Services team.Please contact a member of the social service team if you would like to be added to the e-mail list.
• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages have been distributed by the CEO for education to family member primary contact.
• Letters have been mailed to primary Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) resident contacts, SNF residents without dementia/memory issues, and residents of Towers, Gables and Grace Pointe.
• All potential admissions are screened for symptoms and fever.
• All SNF admissions are initially processed through one unit (TCU) with increased monitoring of potential symptoms.
• A negative COVID test is required within 24 hours prior to a skilled care admission or return from hospital. Even with a negative COVID test, we still quarantine all new admissions and hospital/ER returns for 14 days.
• Bethany may admit COVID positive residents periodically if we have a COVID-positive area set up.
• Screening of all SNF residents occurs daily and at times two or three times/day.Symptoms monitored include a full set of vital signs along with the observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Screening of all Assisted Living and Basic Care residents occurs daily and, at times, two times/day.Symptoms to monitor include temperature, pulse and O2 stats along with observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Resident Activities of Daily Living (ADL) sheets are updated to include prompts for hand sanitizing of resident hands and resident mask placement.
• Non-emergent resident appointments are being decreased if able.
• Limiting resident group activities to no more than 10 people while also practicing social distancing and use of facemasks.Activities are also live streamed.
• Residents are encouraged to remain in their room when not attending an activity, therapy or exercise.
• Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy is being conducted in both the resident rooms and in the therapy/wellness center as long as the resident/patient is not in isolation.
• No communal dining for SNF residents unless the resident eating in their room is a safety risk.This is a National Best Practice for limiting the spread of COVID within LTC Facilities.
• No communal dining for Towers or Gables assisted living/basic care residents.This is a National Best Practice for limiting the spread of COVID within LTC Facilities.
• Use of hand sanitizer is encouraged for each resident interaction.
• Use of masks is encouraged for all residents.
• Each Bethany campus has a designated Infection Preventionist to provide surveillance and oversight.
• Visual alerts such as signage and posters have been added throughout the facility to encourage hand sanitizing for both residents and staff.

What have you done to educate staff and decrease the risk of COVID-19?

• See questions above as some information applies to both questions.
• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages to staff related to education.
• Many YouTube Videos have been produced and sent to ALL staff cell phones.
• Educational videos and verbal education are reviewed at shift change/daily huddles etc.
• Mandatory Healthcare Academy Education on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Hand Hygiene, COVID-19 and infection prevention have been assigned and made mandatory for all employees.
• Surveillance and auditing of employees is being conducted to ensure proper use of PPE and handwashing is occurring.
• Hand sanitizer is required for all nursing staff to have on the person (this is not new, but an uncommon practice for most SNFs).
• Surgical or N95 Facemasks and face shields are required for staff when in resident areas.
• Facemask and face shield requirements have been enhanced as guidance has evolved.
• All employees are required to wear face masks when outside of their office spaces.Staff may wear a cloth, surgical or N95 mask when outside of resident areas.
• High touch surfaces are sanitized multiple times per day in office spaces, common areas, etc.
• Educational resources from the North Dakota Department of Health that pertain to COVID-19 have been provided to employees.
• Employees are monitored for Covid-19 symptoms at the start of each shift, as well as with staff that call in ill prior to their shift.A detailed spreadsheet enables close tracking of all employees with symptoms and tracks adherence to the Return-to-Work guidance from the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH).
• Employees that have been taken off the schedule due to COVID-19 Symptoms, close contact, or having received a positive COVID-19 test result are contacted frequently to monitor symptoms and to determine a safe timeline for return.
• ALL employees are requested to limit employment to “Bethany Only” unless the additional job is approved after review, and considered low risk for exposure to COVID-19 by the COVID-19 leadership team members. This was a difficult decision for both Bethany and our staff, but the risk of infection when working many different jobs and coming in contact with many different people works against the concept of social distancing to limit the spread.
• A COVID-19 Leadership team meets regularly to discuss PPE supply and to analyze additional vendors for increased PPE supply, new guidance on COVID-19, etc.
• Meetings are held 2 days a week to discuss employees who are furloughed and their plans for return to work.
• Leadership team members are on-call 24 hours per day/7 days a week to deal with employee and family questions and concerns.
• Weekly meetings and/or conference calls/webinars/education reviews are held with the NDDoH, Centers for Disease Control, Public Health, ND Long Term Care Association, and American Health Care Association.
• Contact tracing if/when applicable is coordinated with the ND Department of Health.
• Excess chairs have been removed in break room areas to limit tables to two staff members at a table only.Additional space has been opened up for employee breaks to allow for social distancing.
• Visual alerts such as signs and posters have been added throughout all buildings that encourage staff hand hygiene, resident hand hygiene and proper use of PPE.
• Increased hand hygiene stations have been installed throughout all buildings.
• Staff competencies are routinely completed to establish/verify adherence to infection prevention.

We have received notification that a resident at Bethany has tested positive for COVID-19 and we have the following questions.

Will all residents now be tested?

• Resident testing (mass surveillance testing of all residents) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health.A resident that is symptomatic is tested at the direction of the resident’s physician.

Will all staff be tested?

• Bethany employees complete a health screening at the start of their shift.If an employee triggers a concern on the health screening, they are immediately removed from the schedule.   A Bethany staff member then works with the employee on symptom monitoring, communication with their physician and return to work protocol.
• Staff testing (mass surveillance testing of all staff) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health.Staff testing occurs weekly.

Will COVID-19 positive residents be taken to the hospital?

• A transfer to the hospital is coordinated by the resident’s physician and Bethany staff.Residents who are in a declining in health status may be transferred to the hospital as directed by their physician.  Bethany would call 911 in an emergency situation.

Bethany Retirement Living FAQs and COVID-19 Cases as of 10/8/20 10:00am:

Dear families and friends of Bethany Retirement Living:

For the week of Monday, October 5th, 1,114 swab tests were conducted for residents and staff at both Bethany on 42^nd and Bethany on University.   We had 1 positive resident case at Bethany on University-Skilled Care.  There were no positive resident cases at Bethany on 42nd-Skilled Care, Bethany Gables or Bethany Towers.  We had 3 new staff positive cases broken down as follows:   1 at Bethany on 42^nd-Skilled Care and 2 at Bethany on University-Skilled Care.  Please review our FAQs below for answers to questions you may have.

We will continue conducting weekly COVID-19 surveillance swab testing on all skilled care, basic care, and assisted living residents and staff.  We need all visitors to do their part and get tested weekly also.  Many Residents at Bethany have underlying health conditions and you are helping to keep them safe by getting tested.  People who spread COVID-19 often do not have symptoms, so you may not know you are infected unless you get tested.   See testing information below.

Resident and employee testing will continue to be conducted each Monday.  Resident testing will take place in the residents’ rooms and will be coordinated by the Skilled Care and Assisted Living/Basic Care nursing teams.  The test is free of charge.

Test results are usually returned within 48-72 hour hours.  Bethany staff will contact all residents with positive test calls.  If you have any questions or concerns about the test, please contact the social worker or unit manager in Skilled Care or the Nurse in Assisted Living/Basic Care.

At Bethany, if an employee tests positive for COVID-19, they are immediately removed from the schedule and told to quarantine at home.  A positive resident is moved to a confined COVID-19 skilled care area with designated staff.

Bethany will continue to provide updates via e-mail and our website as our COVID-19 cases change.  You are also able to call us with any questions.   We are providing this link to the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) COVID19 website for your convenience https://www.health.nd.gov/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/north-dakota-coronavirus-cases .  As we update our information, here are a few guidelines we will be following.

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the North Dakota Department of Health.
• We will not be identifying employees, residents or patients who test positive due to confidentiality.
• All employees who are ill are not allowed to work for 14 days and will need two negative COVID-19 tests prior to return to work.
• We will not give information on resident deaths due to confidentiality.

Here are the latest COVID-19 numbers.  We may add or subtract cases as new test results arrive and, due to the timing of the results, they may not be reflected on the State website at the time of this posting.

Sincerely,

Shawn Stuhaug, CEO

VISITORS TO BETHANY:  Free testing is available at Journey in Faith Lutheran Church, 650 40^th Avenue East, West Fargo.  This site is open from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday, and no appointment is necessary.

To ensure you receive documentation of your results, ask to receive your results by email/text message when checking in at the testing site.  If you have not received your results after 72 hours, you can also fill out a results request form at www.health.nd.gov/test-results.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What have you done to decrease the risk of COVID-19 for residents and educate family members?

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, American Health Care Association (AHCA) and the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH).
• Among the first acts undertaken to limit potential exposure was to restrict visitors and lock the entrances to Bethany buildings.Only limited visitation is allowed.  Please visit our website for visiting hours.
• All visitors are screened as they enter the buildings.Visitors are also encouraged to get regular COVID testing that is offered in our community.  Please wait in your car until your scheduled visiting times to help reduce the number of people in the lobby area.
• The Bethany website has been enhanced by adding a “Coronavirus Information” tab to share up-to-date information about the pandemic in general and at Bethany Retirement Living.
• Numerous emails have been sent to families from our Social Services team.Please contact a member of the social service team if you would like to be added to the e-mail list.
• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages have been distributed by the CEO for education to family member primary contact.
• Letters have been mailed to primary Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) resident contacts, SNF residents without dementia/memory issues, and residents of Towers, Gables and Grace Pointe.
• All potential admissions are screened for symptoms and fever.
• All SNF admissions are initially processed through one unit (TCU) with increased monitoring of potential symptoms.
• A negative COVID test is required within 24 hours prior to a skilled care admission or return from hospital. Even with a negative COVID test, we still quarantine all new admissions and hospital/ER returns for 14 days.
• Bethany may admit COVID positive residents periodically if we have a COVID-positive area set up.
• Screening of all SNF residents occurs daily and at times two or three times/day.Symptoms monitored include a full set of vital signs along with the observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Screening of all Assisted Living and Basic Care residents occurs daily and, at times, two times/day.Symptoms to monitor include temperature, pulse and O2 stats along with observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Resident Activities of Daily Living (ADL) sheets are updated to include prompts for hand sanitizing of resident hands and resident mask placement.
• Non-emergent resident appointments are being decreased if able.
• Limiting resident group activities to no more than 10 people while also practicing social distancing and use of facemasks.Activities are also live streamed.
• Residents are encouraged to remain in their room when not attending an activity, therapy or exercise.
• Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy is being conducted in both the resident rooms and in the therapy/wellness center as long as the resident/patient is not in isolation.
• No communal dining for SNF residents unless the resident eating in their room is a safety risk.This is a National Best Practice for limiting the spread of COVID within LTC Facilities.
• No communal dining for Towers or Gables assisted living/basic care residents.This is a National Best Practice for limiting the spread of COVID within LTC Facilities.
• Use of hand sanitizer is encouraged for each resident interaction.
• Use of masks is encouraged for all residents.
• Each Bethany campus has a designated Infection Preventionist to provide surveillance and oversight.
• Visual alerts such as signage and posters have been added throughout the facility to encourage hand sanitizing for both residents and staff.

What have you done to educate staff and decrease the risk of COVID-19?

• See questions above as some information applies to both questions.
• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages to staff related to education.
• Many YouTube Videos have been produced and sent to ALL staff cell phones.
• Educational videos and verbal education are reviewed at shift change/daily huddles etc.
• Mandatory Healthcare Academy Education on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Hand Hygiene, COVID-19 and infection prevention have been assigned and made mandatory for all employees.
• Surveillance and auditing of employees is being conducted to ensure proper use of PPE and handwashing is occurring.
• Hand sanitizer is required for all nursing staff to have on the person (this is not new, but an uncommon practice for most SNFs).
• Surgical or N95 Facemasks and face shields are required for staff when in resident areas.
• Facemask and face shield requirements have been enhanced as guidance has evolved.
• All employees are required to wear face masks when outside of their office spaces.Staff may wear a cloth, surgical or N95 mask when outside of resident areas.
• High touch surfaces are sanitized multiple times per day in office spaces, common areas, etc.
• Educational resources from the North Dakota Department of Health that pertain to COVID-19 have been provided to employees.
• Employees are monitored for Covid-19 symptoms at the start of each shift, as well as with staff that call in ill prior to their shift.A detailed spreadsheet enables close tracking of all employees with symptoms and tracks adherence to the Return-to-Work guidance from the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH).
• Employees that have been taken off the schedule due to COVID-19 Symptoms, close contact, or having received a positive COVID-19 test result are contacted frequently to monitor symptoms and to determine a safe timeline for return.
• ALL employees are requested to limit employment to “Bethany Only” unless the additional job is approved after review, and considered low risk for exposure to COVID-19 by the COVID-19 leadership team members. This was a difficult decision for both Bethany and our staff, but the risk of infection when working many different jobs and coming in contact with many different people works against the concept of social distancing to limit the spread.
• A COVID-19 Leadership team meets regularly to discuss PPE supply and to analyze additional vendors for increased PPE supply, new guidance on COVID-19, etc.
• Meetings are held 2 days a week to discuss employees who are furloughed and their plans for return to work.
• Leadership team members are on-call 24 hours per day/7 days a week to deal with employee and family questions and concerns.
• Weekly meetings and/or conference calls/webinars/education reviews are held with the NDDoH, Centers for Disease Control, Public Health, ND Long Term Care Association, and American Health Care Association.
• Contact tracing if/when applicable is coordinated with the ND Department of Health.
• Excess chairs have been removed in break room areas to limit tables to two staff members at a table only.Additional space has been opened up for employee breaks to allow for social distancing.
• Visual alerts such as signs and posters have been added throughout all buildings that encourage staff hand hygiene, resident hand hygiene and proper use of PPE.
• Increased hand hygiene stations have been installed throughout all buildings.
• Staff competencies are routinely completed to establish/verify adherence to infection prevention.

We have received notification that a resident at Bethany has tested positive for COVID-19 and we have the following questions.

Will all residents now be tested?

• Resident testing (mass surveillance testing of all residents) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health.A resident that is symptomatic is tested at the direction of the resident’s physician.

Will all staff be tested?

• Bethany employees complete a health screening at the start of their shift.If an employee triggers a concern on the health screening, they are immediately removed from the schedule.   A Bethany staff member then works with the employee on symptom monitoring, communication with their physician and return to work protocol.
• Staff testing (mass surveillance testing of all staff) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health.Staff testing occurs weekly.

Will COVID-19 positive residents be taken to the hospital?

• A transfer to the hospital is coordinated by the resident’s physician and Bethany staff.Residents who are in a declining in health status may be transferred to the hospital as directed by their physician.  Bethany would call 911 in an emergency situation.

Bethany Retirement Living FAQs and COVID-19 Cases as of 10/8/20 10:00am:

Dear families and friends of Bethany Retirement Living:

For the week of Monday, October 5th, 1,114 swab tests were conducted for residents and staff at both Bethany on 42^nd and Bethany on University.   We had 1 positive resident case at Bethany on University-Skilled Care.  There were no positive resident cases at Bethany on 42nd-Skilled Care, Bethany Gables or Bethany Towers.  We had 3 new staff positive cases broken down as follows:   1 at Bethany on 42^nd-Skilled Care and 2 at Bethany on University-Skilled Care.  Please review our FAQs below for answers to questions you may have.

We will continue conducting weekly COVID-19 surveillance swab testing on all skilled care, basic care, and assisted living residents and staff.  We need all visitors to do their part and get tested weekly also.  Many Residents at Bethany have underlying health conditions and you are helping to keep them safe by getting tested.  People who spread COVID-19 often do not have symptoms, so you may not know you are infected unless you get tested.   See testing information below.

Resident and employee testing will continue to be conducted each Monday.  Resident testing will take place in the residents’ rooms and will be coordinated by the Skilled Care and Assisted Living/Basic Care nursing teams.  The test is free of charge.

Test results are usually returned within 48-72 hour hours.  Bethany staff will contact all residents with positive test calls.  If you have any questions or concerns about the test, please contact the social worker or unit manager in Skilled Care or the Nurse in Assisted Living/Basic Care.

At Bethany, if an employee tests positive for COVID-19, they are immediately removed from the schedule and told to quarantine at home.  A positive resident is moved to a confined COVID-19 skilled care area with designated staff.

Bethany will continue to provide updates via e-mail and our website as our COVID-19 cases change.  You are also able to call us with any questions.   We are providing this link to the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) COVID19 website for your convenience https://www.health.nd.gov/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/north-dakota-coronavirus-cases .  As we update our information, here are a few guidelines we will be following.

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the North Dakota Department of Health.
• We will not be identifying employees, residents or patients who test positive due to confidentiality.
• All employees who are ill are not allowed to work for 14 days and will need two negative COVID-19 tests prior to return to work.
• We will not give information on resident deaths due to confidentiality.

Here are the latest COVID-19 numbers.  We may add or subtract cases as new test results arrive and, due to the timing of the results, they may not be reflected on the State website at the time of this posting.

Sincerely,

Shawn Stuhaug, CEO

VISITORS TO BETHANY:  Free testing is available at Journey in Faith Lutheran Church, 650 40^th Avenue East, West Fargo.  This site is open from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday, and no appointment is necessary.

To ensure you receive documentation of your results, ask to receive your results by email/text message when checking in at the testing site.  If you have not received your results after 72 hours, you can also fill out a results request form at www.health.nd.gov/test-results.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What have you done to decrease the risk of COVID-19 for residents and educate family members?

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, American Health Care Association (AHCA) and the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH).
• Among the first acts undertaken to limit potential exposure was to restrict visitors and lock the entrances to Bethany buildings.Only limited visitation is allowed.  Please visit our website for visiting hours.
• All visitors are screened as they enter the buildings.Visitors are also encouraged to get regular COVID testing that is offered in our community.  Please wait in your car until your scheduled visiting times to help reduce the number of people in the lobby area.
• The Bethany website has been enhanced by adding a “Coronavirus Information” tab to share up-to-date information about the pandemic in general and at Bethany Retirement Living.
• Numerous emails have been sent to families from our Social Services team.Please contact a member of the social service team if you would like to be added to the e-mail list.
• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages have been distributed by the CEO for education to family member primary contact.
• Letters have been mailed to primary Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) resident contacts, SNF residents without dementia/memory issues, and residents of Towers, Gables and Grace Pointe.
• All potential admissions are screened for symptoms and fever.
• All SNF admissions are initially processed through one unit (TCU) with increased monitoring of potential symptoms.
• A negative COVID test is required within 24 hours prior to a skilled care admission or return from hospital. Even with a negative COVID test, we still quarantine all new admissions and hospital/ER returns for 14 days.
• Bethany may admit COVID positive residents periodically if we have a COVID-positive area set up.
• Screening of all SNF residents occurs daily and at times two or three times/day.Symptoms monitored include a full set of vital signs along with the observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Screening of all Assisted Living and Basic Care residents occurs daily and, at times, two times/day.Symptoms to monitor include temperature, pulse and O2 stats along with observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Resident Activities of Daily Living (ADL) sheets are updated to include prompts for hand sanitizing of resident hands and resident mask placement.
• Non-emergent resident appointments are being decreased if able.
• Limiting resident group activities to no more than 10 people while also practicing social distancing and use of facemasks.Activities are also live streamed.
• Residents are encouraged to remain in their room when not attending an activity, therapy or exercise.
• Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy is being conducted in both the resident rooms and in the therapy/wellness center as long as the resident/patient is not in isolation.
• No communal dining for SNF residents unless the resident eating in their room is a safety risk.This is a National Best Practice for limiting the spread of COVID within LTC Facilities.
• No communal dining for Towers or Gables assisted living/basic care residents.This is a National Best Practice for limiting the spread of COVID within LTC Facilities.
• Use of hand sanitizer is encouraged for each resident interaction.
• Use of masks is encouraged for all residents.
• Each Bethany campus has a designated Infection Preventionist to provide surveillance and oversight.
• Visual alerts such as signage and posters have been added throughout the facility to encourage hand sanitizing for both residents and staff.

What have you done to educate staff and decrease the risk of COVID-19?

• See questions above as some information applies to both questions.
• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages to staff related to education.
• Many YouTube Videos have been produced and sent to ALL staff cell phones.
• Educational videos and verbal education are reviewed at shift change/daily huddles etc.
• Mandatory Healthcare Academy Education on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Hand Hygiene, COVID-19 and infection prevention have been assigned and made mandatory for all employees.
• Surveillance and auditing of employees is being conducted to ensure proper use of PPE and handwashing is occurring.
• Hand sanitizer is required for all nursing staff to have on the person (this is not new, but an uncommon practice for most SNFs).
• Surgical or N95 Facemasks and face shields are required for staff when in resident areas.
• Facemask and face shield requirements have been enhanced as guidance has evolved.
• All employees are required to wear face masks when outside of their office spaces.Staff may wear a cloth, surgical or N95 mask when outside of resident areas.
• High touch surfaces are sanitized multiple times per day in office spaces, common areas, etc.
• Educational resources from the North Dakota Department of Health that pertain to COVID-19 have been provided to employees.
• Employees are monitored for Covid-19 symptoms at the start of each shift, as well as with staff that call in ill prior to their shift.A detailed spreadsheet enables close tracking of all employees with symptoms and tracks adherence to the Return-to-Work guidance from the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH).
• Employees that have been taken off the schedule due to COVID-19 Symptoms, close contact, or having received a positive COVID-19 test result are contacted frequently to monitor symptoms and to determine a safe timeline for return.
• ALL employees are requested to limit employment to “Bethany Only” unless the additional job is approved after review, and considered low risk for exposure to COVID-19 by the COVID-19 leadership team members. This was a difficult decision for both Bethany and our staff, but the risk of infection when working many different jobs and coming in contact with many different people works against the concept of social distancing to limit the spread.
• A COVID-19 Leadership team meets regularly to discuss PPE supply and to analyze additional vendors for increased PPE supply, new guidance on COVID-19, etc.
• Meetings are held 2 days a week to discuss employees who are furloughed and their plans for return to work.
• Leadership team members are on-call 24 hours per day/7 days a week to deal with employee and family questions and concerns.
• Weekly meetings and/or conference calls/webinars/education reviews are held with the NDDoH, Centers for Disease Control, Public Health, ND Long Term Care Association, and American Health Care Association.
• Contact tracing if/when applicable is coordinated with the ND Department of Health.
• Excess chairs have been removed in break room areas to limit tables to two staff members at a table only.Additional space has been opened up for employee breaks to allow for social distancing.
• Visual alerts such as signs and posters have been added throughout all buildings that encourage staff hand hygiene, resident hand hygiene and proper use of PPE.
• Increased hand hygiene stations have been installed throughout all buildings.
• Staff competencies are routinely completed to establish/verify adherence to infection prevention.

We have received notification that a resident at Bethany has tested positive for COVID-19 and we have the following questions.

Will all residents now be tested?

• Resident testing (mass surveillance testing of all residents) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health.A resident that is symptomatic is tested at the direction of the resident’s physician.

Will all staff be tested?

• Bethany employees complete a health screening at the start of their shift.If an employee triggers a concern on the health screening, they are immediately removed from the schedule.   A Bethany staff member then works with the employee on symptom monitoring, communication with their physician and return to work protocol.
• Staff testing (mass surveillance testing of all staff) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health.Staff testing occurs weekly.

Will COVID-19 positive residents be taken to the hospital?

• A transfer to the hospital is coordinated by the resident’s physician and Bethany staff.Residents who are in a declining in health status may be transferred to the hospital as directed by their physician.  Bethany would call 911 in an emergency situation.

Bethany Retirement Living FAQs and COVID-19 Cases as of 9/25/20 8:30 am:

Dear families and friends of Bethany Retirement Living:

For the week of Monday, September 21st, 1,099 swab tests were conducted for residents and staff at both Bethany on 42^nd and Bethany on University.   We had 1 positive resident case at Bethany on 42^nd-Skilled Care.  There were no positive resident cases at Bethany on University-Skilled Care, Bethany Gables or Bethany Towers.  We had 8 new staff positive cases broken down as follows:   2 at Bethany on 42^nd-Skilled Care, 3 at Bethany on University-Skilled Care and 3 at Bethany Towers.     Please review our FAQs below for answers to questions you may have.

We will continue conducting weekly COVID-19 surveillance swab testing on all skilled care, basic care, and assisted living residents and staff.  We need all visitors to do their part and get tested weekly also.  Many Residents at Bethany have underlying health conditions and you are helping to keep them safe by getting tested.  People who spread COVID-19 often do not have symptoms, so you may not know you are infected unless you get tested.   See testing information below.

Resident and employee testing will continue to be conducted each Monday.  Resident testing will take place in the residents’ rooms and will be coordinated by the Skilled Care and Assisted Living/Basic Care nursing teams.  The test is free of charge.

Test results are usually returned within 48-72 hour hours.  Bethany staff will contact all residents with positive test calls.  If you have any questions or concerns about the test, please contact the social worker or unit manager in Skilled Care or the Nurse in Assisted Living/Basic Care.

At Bethany, if an employee tests positive for COVID-19, they are immediately removed from the schedule and told to quarantine at home.  A positive resident is moved to a confined COVID-19 skilled care area with designated staff.

Bethany will continue to provide updates via e-mail and our website as our COVID-19 cases change.  You are also able to call us with any questions.   We are providing this link to the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) COVID19 website for your convenience https://www.health.nd.gov/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/north-dakota-coronavirus-cases .  As we update our information, here are a few guidelines we will be following.

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the North Dakota Department of Health.
• We will not be identifying employees, residents or patients who test positive due to confidentiality.
• All employees who are ill are not allowed to work for 14 days and will need two negative COVID-19 tests prior to return to work.
• We will not give information on resident deaths due to confidentiality.

Here are the latest COVID-19 numbers.  We may add or subtract cases as new test results arrive and, due to the timing of the results, they may not be reflected on the State website at the time of this posting.

Sincerely,

Shawn Stuhaug, CEO

VISITORS TO BETHANY:  Free testing is available at Rheault Farms (2902 25^th St S Fargo, ND). This site is open from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday, and no appointment is necessary.

To ensure you receive documentation of your results, ask to receive your results by email/text message when checking in at the testing site.  If you have not received your results after 72 hours, you can also fill out a results request form at www.health.nd.gov/test-results.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What have you done to decrease the risk of COVID-19 for residents and educate family members?

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, American Health Care Association (AHCA) and the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH).
• Among the first acts undertaken to limit potential exposure was to restrict visitors and lock the entrances to Bethany buildings. Only limited visitation is allowed.  Please visit our website for visiting hours.
• All visitors are screened as they enter the buildings. Visitors are also encouraged to get regular COVID testing that is offered in our community.  Please wait in your car until your scheduled visiting times to help reduce the number of people in the lobby area.
• The Bethany website has been enhanced by adding a “Coronavirus Information” tab to share up-to-date information about the pandemic in general and at Bethany Retirement Living.
• Numerous emails have been sent to families from our Social Services team. Please contact a member of the social service team if you would like to be added to the e-mail list.
• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages have been distributed by the CEO for education to family member primary contact.
• Letters have been mailed to primary Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) resident contacts, SNF residents without dementia/memory issues, and residents of Towers, Gables and Grace Pointe.
• All potential admissions are screened for symptoms and fever.
• All SNF admissions are initially processed through one unit (TCU) with increased monitoring of potential symptoms.
• A negative COVID test is required within 24 hours prior to a skilled care admission or return from hospital. Even with a negative COVID test, we still quarantine all new admissions and hospital/ER returns for 14 days.
• Bethany may admit COVID positive residents periodically if we have a COVID-positive area set up.
• Screening of all SNF residents occurs daily and at times two or three times/day. Symptoms monitored include a full set of vital signs along with the observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Screening of all Assisted Living and Basic Care residents occurs daily and, at times, two times/day. Symptoms to monitor include temperature, pulse and O2 stats along with observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Resident Activities of Daily Living (ADL) sheets are updated to include prompts for hand sanitizing of resident hands and resident mask placement.
• Non-emergent resident appointments are being decreased if able.
• Limiting resident group activities to no more than 10 people while also practicing social distancing and use of facemasks. Activities are also live streamed.
• Residents are encouraged to remain in their room when not attending an activity, therapy or exercise.
• Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy is being conducted in both the resident rooms and in the therapy/wellness center as long as the resident/patient is not in isolation.
• No communal dining for SNF residents unless the resident eating in their room is a safety risk. This is a National Best Practice for limiting the spread of COVID within LTC Facilities.
• No communal dining for Towers or Gables assisted living/basic care residents. This is a National Best Practice for limiting the spread of COVID within LTC Facilities.
• Use of hand sanitizer is encouraged for each resident interaction.
• Use of masks is encouraged for all residents.
• Each Bethany campus has a designated Infection Preventionist to provide surveillance and oversight.
• Visual alerts such as signage and posters have been added throughout the facility to encourage hand sanitizing for both residents and staff.

What have you done to educate staff and decrease the risk of COVID-19?

• See questions above as some information applies to both questions.
• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages to staff related to education.
• Many YouTube Videos have been produced and sent to ALL staff cell phones.
• Educational videos and verbal education are reviewed at shift change/daily huddles etc.
• Mandatory Healthcare Academy Education on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Hand Hygiene, COVID-19 and infection prevention have been assigned and made mandatory for all employees.
• Surveillance and auditing of employees is being conducted to ensure proper use of PPE and handwashing is occurring.
• Hand sanitizer is required for all nursing staff to have on the person (this is not new, but an uncommon practice for most SNFs).
• Surgical or N95 Facemasks and face shields are required for staff when in resident areas.
• Facemask and face shield requirements have been enhanced as guidance has evolved.
• All employees are required to wear face masks when outside of their office spaces. Staff may wear a cloth, surgical or N95 mask when outside of resident areas.
• High touch surfaces are sanitized multiple times per day in office spaces, common areas, etc.
• Educational resources from the North Dakota Department of Health that pertain to COVID-19 have been provided to employees.
• Employees are monitored for Covid-19 symptoms at the start of each shift, as well as with staff that call in ill prior to their shift. A detailed spreadsheet enables close tracking of all employees with symptoms and tracks adherence to the Return-to-Work guidance from the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH).
• Employees that have been taken off the schedule due to COVID-19 Symptoms, close contact, or having received a positive COVID-19 test result are contacted frequently to monitor symptoms and to determine a safe timeline for return.
• ALL employees are requested to limit employment to “Bethany Only” unless the additional job is approved after review, and considered low risk for exposure to COVID-19 by the COVID-19 leadership team members. This was a difficult decision for both Bethany and our staff, but the risk of infection when working many different jobs and coming in contact with many different people works against the concept of social distancing to limit the spread.
• A COVID-19 Leadership team meets regularly to discuss PPE supply and to analyze additional vendors for increased PPE supply, new guidance on COVID-19, etc.
• Meetings are held 2 days a week to discuss employees who are furloughed and their plans for return to work.
• Leadership team members are on-call 24 hours per day/7 days a week to deal with employee and family questions and concerns.
• Weekly meetings and/or conference calls/webinars/education reviews are held with the NDDoH, Centers for Disease Control, Public Health, ND Long Term Care Association, and American Health Care Association.
• Contact tracing if/when applicable is coordinated with the ND Department of Health.
• Excess chairs have been removed in break room areas to limit tables to two staff members at a table only. Additional space has been opened up for employee breaks to allow for social distancing.
• Visual alerts such as signs and posters have been added throughout all buildings that encourage staff hand hygiene, resident hand hygiene and proper use of PPE.
• Increased hand hygiene stations have been installed throughout all buildings.
• Staff competencies are routinely completed to establish/verify adherence to infection prevention.

We have received notification that a resident at Bethany has tested positive for COVID-19 and we have the following questions.

Will all residents now be tested?

• Resident testing (mass surveillance testing of all residents) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health. A resident that is symptomatic is tested at the direction of the resident’s physician.

Will all staff be tested?

• Bethany employees complete a health screening at the start of their shift. If an employee triggers a concern on the health screening, they are immediately removed from the schedule.   A Bethany staff member then works with the employee on symptom monitoring, communication with their physician and return to work protocol.
• Staff testing (mass surveillance testing of all staff) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health. Staff testing occurs weekly.

Will COVID-19 positive residents be taken to the hospital?

• A transfer to the hospital is coordinated by the resident’s physician and Bethany staff. Residents who are in a declining in health status may be transferred to the hospital as directed by their physician.  Bethany would call 911 in an emergency situation.

Bethany Retirement Living FAQs and COVID-19 Cases as of 9/17/20 4:15pm:

Dear families and friends of Bethany Retirement Living:

On Monday, September 14th, 1,086 swab tests were conducted for residents and staff at both Bethany on 42^nd and Bethany on University.   We had 2 positive resident cases at Bethany on 42^nd-Skilled Care and 2 positive resident cases at Bethany Gables.   There were no positive resident cases at Bethany on University-Skilled Care or Bethany Towers.  We had 1 new staff positive case at Bethany on 42^nd.  Please review our FAQs below for answers to questions you may have.

We will continue conducting weekly COVID-19 surveillance swab testing on all skilled care, basic care, and assisted living residents and staff.  We need all visitors to do their part and get tested weekly also.  Many Residents at Bethany have underlying health conditions and you are helping to keep them safe by getting tested.  People that spread COVID-19 do not have to show symptoms, so you may not know you are infected unless you get tested.   See testing information below.

Resident and employee testing will continue to be conducted each Monday.  Resident testing will take place in the residents’ rooms and will be coordinated by the Skilled Care and Assisted Living/Basic Care nursing teams.  The test is free of charge.

Test results are usually returned within 48-72 hour hours.  Bethany staff will contact all residents with positive test calls.  If you have any questions or concerns about the test, please contact the social worker or unit manager in Skilled Care or the Nurse in Assisted Living/Basic Care.

At Bethany, if an employee tests positive for COVID-19, they are immediately removed from the schedule and told to quarantine at home.  A positive resident is moved to a confined COVID-19 skilled care area with designated staff.

Bethany will continue to provide updates via e-mail and our website as our COVID-19 cases change.  You are also able to call us with any questions.   We are providing this link to the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) COVID19 website for your convenience https://www.health.nd.gov/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/north-dakota-coronavirus-cases .  As we update our information, here are a few guidelines we will be following.

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the North Dakota Department of Health.
• We will not be identifying employees, residents or patients who test positive due to confidentiality.
• All employees who are ill are not allowed to work for 14 days and will need two negative COVID-19 tests prior to return to work.
• We will not give information on resident deaths due to confidentiality.

Here are the latest COVID-19 numbers.  We may add or subtract cases as new test results arrive and, due to the timing of the results, they may not be reflected on the State website at the time of this posting.

Sincerely,

Shawn Stuhaug, CEO

VISITORS TO BETHANY:  Free testing is available at Rheault Farms (2902 25^th St S Fargo, ND). This site is open from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday, and no appointment is necessary.

To ensure you receive documentation of your results, ask to receive your results by email/text message when checking in at the testing site.  If you have not received your results after 72 hours, you can also fill out a results request form at www.health.nd.gov/test-results.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What have you done to decrease the risk of COVID-19 for residents and educate family members?

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, American Health Care Association (AHCA) and the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH).
• Among the first acts undertaken to limit potential exposure was to restrict visitors and lock the entrances to Bethany buildings. Only limited visitation is allowed.  Please visit our website for visiting hours.
• All visitors are screened as they enter the buildings. Visitors are also encouraged to get regular COVID testing that is offered in our community.  Please wait in your car until your scheduled visiting times to help reduce the number of people in the lobby area.
• The Bethany website has been enhanced by adding a “Coronavirus Information” tab to share up-to-date information about the pandemic in general and at Bethany Retirement Living.
• Numerous emails have been sent to families from our Social Services team. Please contact a member of the social service team if you would like to be added to the e-mail list.
• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages have been distributed by the CEO for education to family member primary contact.
• Letters have been mailed to primary Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) resident contacts, SNF residents without dementia/memory issues, and residents of Towers, Gables and Grace Pointe.
• All potential admissions are screened for symptoms and fever.
• All SNF admissions are initially processed through one unit (TCU) with increased monitoring of potential symptoms.
• A negative COVID test is required within 24 hours prior to a skilled care admission or return from hospital. Even with a negative COVID test, we still quarantine all new admissions and hospital/ER returns for 14 days.
• Bethany may admit COVID positive residents periodically if we have a COVID-positive area set up.
• Screening of all SNF residents occurs daily and at times two or three times/day. Symptoms monitored include a full set of vital signs along with the observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Screening of all Assisted Living and Basic Care residents occurs daily and, at times, two times/day. Symptoms to monitor include temperature, pulse and O2 stats along with observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Resident Activities of Daily Living (ADL) sheets are updated to include prompts for hand sanitizing of resident hands and resident mask placement.
• Non-emergent resident appointments are being decreased if able.
• Limiting resident group activities to no more than 10 people while also practicing social distancing and use of facemasks. Activities are also live streamed.
• Residents are encouraged to remain in their room when not attending an activity, therapy or exercise.
• Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy is being conducted in both the resident rooms and in the therapy/wellness center as long as the resident/patient is not in isolation.
• No communal dining for SNF residents unless the resident eating in their room is a safety risk. This is a National Best Practice for limiting the spread of COVID within LTC Facilities.
• No communal dining for Towers or Gables assisted living/basic care residents. This is a National Best Practice for limiting the spread of COVID within LTC Facilities.
• Use of hand sanitizer is encouraged for each resident interaction.
• Use of masks is encouraged for all residents.
• Each Bethany campus has a designated Infection Preventionist to provide surveillance and oversight.
• Visual alerts such as signage and posters have been added throughout the facility to encourage hand sanitizing for both residents and staff.

What have you done to educate staff and decrease the risk of COVID-19?

• See questions above as some information applies to both questions.
• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages to staff related to education.
• Many YouTube Videos have been produced and sent to ALL staff cell phones.
• Educational videos and verbal education are reviewed at shift change/daily huddles etc.
• Mandatory Healthcare Academy Education on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Hand Hygiene, COVID-19 and infection prevention have been assigned and made mandatory for all employees.
• Surveillance and auditing of employees is being conducted to ensure proper use of PPE and handwashing is occurring.
• Hand sanitizer is required for all nursing staff to have on the person (this is not new, but an uncommon practice for most SNFs).
• Surgical or N95 Facemasks and face shields are required for staff when in resident areas.
• Facemask and face shield requirements have been enhanced as guidance has evolved.
• All employees are required to wear face masks when outside of their office spaces. Staff may wear a cloth, surgical or N95 mask when outside of resident areas.
• High touch surfaces are sanitized multiple times per day in office spaces, common areas, etc.
• Educational resources from the North Dakota Department of Health that pertain to COVID-19 have been provided to employees.
• Employees are monitored for Covid-19 symptoms at the start of each shift, as well as with staff that call in ill prior to their shift. A detailed spreadsheet enables close tracking of all employees with symptoms and tracks adherence to the Return-to-Work guidance from the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH).
• Employees that have been taken off the schedule due to COVID-19 Symptoms, close contact, or having received a positive COVID-19 test result are contacted frequently to monitor symptoms and to determine a safe timeline for return.
• ALL employees are requested to limit employment to “Bethany Only” unless the additional job is approved after review, and considered low risk for exposure to COVID-19 by the COVID-19 leadership team members. This was a difficult decision for both Bethany and our staff, but the risk of infection when working many different jobs and coming in contact with many different people works against the concept of social distancing to limit the spread.
• A COVID-19 Leadership team meets regularly to discuss PPE supply and to analyze additional vendors for increased PPE supply, new guidance on COVID-19, etc.
• Meetings are held 2 days a week to discuss employees who are furloughed and their plans for return to work.
• Leadership team members are on-call 24 hours per day/7 days a week to deal with employee and family questions and concerns.
• Weekly meetings and/or conference calls/webinars/education reviews are held with the NDDoH, Centers for Disease Control, Public Health, ND Long Term Care Association, and American Health Care Association.
• Contact tracing if/when applicable is coordinated with the ND Department of Health.
• Excess chairs have been removed in break room areas to limit tables to two staff members at a table only. Additional space has been opened up for employee breaks to allow for social distancing.
• Visual alerts such as signs and posters have been added throughout all buildings that encourage staff hand hygiene, resident hand hygiene and proper use of PPE.
• Increased hand hygiene stations have been installed throughout all buildings.
• Staff competencies are routinely completed to establish/verify adherence to infection prevention.

We have received notification that a resident at Bethany has tested positive for COVID-19 and we have the following questions.

Will all residents now be tested?

• Resident testing (mass surveillance testing of all residents) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health. A resident that is symptomatic is tested at the direction of the resident’s physician.

Will all staff be tested?

• Bethany employees complete a health screening at the start of their shift. If an employee triggers a concern on the health screening, they are immediately removed from the schedule.   A Bethany staff member then works with the employee on symptom monitoring, communication with their physician and return to work protocol.
• Staff testing (mass surveillance testing of all staff) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health. Staff testing occurs weekly.

Will COVID-19 positive residents be taken to the hospital?

• A transfer to the hospital is coordinated by the resident’s physician and Bethany staff. Residents who are in a declining in health status may be transferred to the hospital as directed by their physician.  Bethany would call 911 in an emergency situation.

Bethany Retirement Living FAQs and COVID-19 Cases as of 9/11/20 8:00am:

Dear families and friends of Bethany Retirement Living:

On Monday, September 7^th and Tuesday, September 8th, 1,097 swab tests were conducted for residents and staff at both Bethany on 42^nd and Bethany on University.   Again, we had great news; there were no positive resident cases at Bethany on University Skilled Care, Bethany on 42^nd Skilled Care, Bethany Towers or Bethany Gables.   We had two new staff positive cases.  Two staff at Bethany on University (CNA students, who were still in classroom instruction and not working with the residents) did test positive.  Please review our FAQs below for answers to questions you may have.

We will continue conducting weekly COVID-19 surveillance swab testing on all skilled care, basic care, and assisted living residents and staff.  We need all visitors to do their part and get tested weekly also.  Many Residents at Bethany have underlying health conditions and you are helping to keep them safe by getting tested.  People that spread COVID-19 do not have to show symptoms, so you may not know you are infected unless you get tested.   See testing information below.

Resident and employee testing will continue to be conducted each Monday.  Resident testing will take place in the residents’ rooms and will be coordinated by the Skilled Care and Assisted Living/Basic Care nursing teams.  The test is free of charge.

Test results are usually returned within 48-72 hour hours.  Bethany staff will contact all residents with positive test calls.  If you have any questions or concerns about the test, please contact the social worker or unit manager in Skilled Care or the Nurse in Assisted Living/Basic Care.

At Bethany, if an employee tests positive for COVID-19, they are immediately removed from the schedule and told to quarantine at home.  A positive resident is moved to a confined COVID-19 skilled care area with designated staff.

Bethany will continue to provide updates via e-mail and our website as our COVID-19 cases change.  You are also able to call us with any questions.  Please refer to the frequently asked questions below.  We are providing this link to the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) COVID19 website for your convenience https://www.health.nd.gov/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/north-dakota-coronavirus-cases .  As we update our information, here are a few guidelines we will be following.

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the North Dakota Department of Health.
• We will not be identifying employees, residents or patients who test positive due to confidentiality.
• All employees who are ill are not allowed to work for 14 days and will need two negative COVID-19 tests prior to return to work.
• We will not give information on resident deaths due to confidentiality.

Here are the latest COVID-19 numbers.  We may add or subtract cases as new test results arrive and, due to the timing of the results, they may not be reflected on the State website at the time of this posting.

Sincerely,

Shawn Stuhaug, CEO

VISITORS TO BETHANY:  Free testing is available at Rheault Farms (2902 25^th St S Fargo, ND). This site is open from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday, and no appointment is necessary.

To ensure you receive documentation of your results, ask to receive your results by email/text message when checking in at the testing site. If you have not received your results after 72 hours, you can also fill out a results request form at www.health.nd.gov/test-results.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What have you done to decrease the risk of COVID-19 for residents and educate family members?

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, American Health Care Association (AHCA) and the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH).
• Among the first acts undertaken to limit potential exposure was to restrict visitors and lock the entrances to Bethany buildings. Only limited visitation is allowed.  Please visit our website for visiting hours.
• All visitors are screened as they enter the buildings. Visitors are also encouraged to get regular COVID testing that is offered in our community.  Please wait in your car until your scheduled visiting times to help reduce the number of people in the lobby areas.
• The Bethany website has been enhanced by adding a “Coronavirus Information” tab to share up-to-date information about the pandemic in general and at Bethany Retirement Living.
• Numerous emails have been sent to families from our Social Services team. Please contact a member of the social service team if you would like to be added to the e-mail list.
• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages have been distributed by the CEO for education to family member primary contact.
• Letters have been mailed to primary Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) resident contacts, SNF residents without dementia/memory issues, and residents of Towers, Gables and Grace Pointe.
• All potential admissions are screened for symptoms and fever.
• All SNF admissions are initially processed through one unit (TCU) with increased monitoring of potential symptoms.
• A negative COVID test is required within 24 hours prior to a skilled care admission or return from hospital.  Even with a negative COVID test, we still quarantine all new admissions and hospital/ER returns for 14 days.
• Bethany may admit COVID positive residents periodically if we have a COVID-positive area set up.
• Screening of all SNF residents occurs daily and at times two or three times/day. Symptoms monitored include a full set of vital signs along with the observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Screening of all Assisted Living and Basic Care residents occurs daily and, at times, two times/day. Symptoms to monitor include temperature, pulse and O2 stats along with observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Resident Activities of Daily Living (ADL) sheets are updated to include prompts for hand sanitizing of resident hands and resident mask placement.
• Non-emergent resident appointments are being decreased if able.
• Limiting resident group activities to no more than 10 people while also practicing social distancing and use of facemasks. Activities are also live streamed.
• Residents are encouraged to remain in their room when not attending an activity, therapy or exercise.
• Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy is being conducted in both the resident rooms and in the therapy/wellness center as long as the resident/patient is not in isolation.
• No communal dining for SNF residents unless the resident eating in their room is a safety risk. This is a National Best Practice for limiting the spread of COVID within LTC Facilities
• No communal dining for Towers or Gables assisted living/basic care residents. This is a National Best Practice for limiting the spread of COVID within LTC Facilities
• Use of hand sanitizer is encouraged for each resident interaction.
• Use of masks is encouraged for all residents.
• Each Bethany campus has a designated Infection Preventionist to provide surveillance and oversight.
• Visual alerts such as signage and posters have been added throughout the facility to encourage hand sanitizing for both residents and staff.

What have you done to educate staff and decrease the risk of COVID-19?

• See questions above as some information applies to both questions.
• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages to staff related to education.
• Many YouTube Videos have been produced and sent to ALL staff cell phones.
• Educational videos and verbal education are reviewed at shift change/daily huddles etc.
• Mandatory Healthcare Academy Education on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Hand Hygiene, COVID-19 and infection prevention have been assigned and made mandatory for all employees.
• Surveillance and auditing of employees is being conducted to ensure proper use of PPE and handwashing is occurring.
• Hand sanitizer is required for all nursing staff to have on the person (this is not new, but an uncommon practice for most SNFs).
• Surgical or N95 Facemasks and face shields are required for staff when in resident areas.
• Facemask and face shield requirements have been enhanced as guidance has evolved.
• All employees are required to wear face masks when outside of their office spaces. Staff may wear a cloth, surgical or N95 mask when outside of resident areas
• High touch surfaces are sanitized multiple times per day in office spaces, common areas, etc.
• Educational resources from the North Dakota Department of Health that pertain to COVID-19 have been provided to employees.
• Employees are monitored for Covid-19 symptoms at the start of each shift, as well as with staff that call in ill prior to their shift. A detailed spreadsheet enables close tracking of all employees with symptoms and tracks adherence to the Return-to-Work guidance from the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH).
• Employees that have been taken off the schedule due to COVID-19 Symptoms, close contact, or having received a positive COVID-19 test result are contacted frequently to monitor symptoms and to determine a safe timeline for return.
• ALL employees are requested to limit employment to “Bethany Only” unless the additional job is approved after review, and considered low risk for exposure to COVID-19 by the COVID-19 leadership team members. This was a difficult decision for both Bethany and our staff, but the risk of infection when working many different jobs and coming in contact with many different people works against the concept of social distancing to limit the spread.
• A COVID-19 Leadership team meets regularly to discuss PPE supply and to analyze additional vendors for increased PPE supply, new guidance on COVID-19, etc.
• Meetings are held 2 days a week to discuss employees who are furloughed and their plans for return to work.
• Leadership team members are on-call 24 hours per day/7 days a week to deal with employee and family questions and concerns.
• Weekly meetings and/or conference calls/webinars/education reviews are held with the NDDoH, Centers for Disease Control, Public Health, ND Long Term Care Association, and American Health Care Association.
• Contact tracing if/when applicable is coordinated with the ND Department of Health.
• Excess chairs have been removed in break room areas to limit tables to two staff members at a table only. Additional space has been opened up for employee breaks to allow for social distancing.
• Visual alerts such as signs and posters have been added throughout all buildings that encourage staff hand hygiene, resident hand hygiene and proper use of PPE.
• Increased hand hygiene stations have been installed throughout all buildings.
• Staff competencies are routinely completed to establish/verify adherence to infection prevention.

We have received notification that a resident at Bethany has tested positive for COVID-19 and we have the following questions.

Will all residents now be tested?

• Resident testing (mass surveillance testing of all residents) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health. A resident that is symptomatic is tested at the direction of the resident’s physician.

Will all staff be tested?

• Bethany employees complete a health screening at the start of their shift. If an employee triggers a concern on the health screening, they are immediately removed from the schedule.   A Bethany staff member then works with the employee on symptom monitoring, communication with their physician and return to work protocol.
• Staff testing (mass surveillance testing of all staff) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health. Staff testing occurs weekly.

Will COVID-19 positive residents be taken to the hospital?

• A transfer to the hospital is coordinated by the resident’s physician and Bethany staff. Residents who are in a declining in health status may be transferred to the hospital as directed by their physician.  Bethany would call 911 in an emergency situation.

Bethany Retirement Living FAQs and COVID-19 Cases as of 9/2/20 3:30pm:

Dear families and friends of Bethany Retirement Living:

We conducted 405 swab tests on Monday, August 31, for residents at both Bethany on 42^nd and Bethany on University.   Great news again, there were no positive resident cases at Bethany on University Skilled Care, Bethany on 42^nd Skilled Care, Bethany Towers or Bethany Gables.   Even though we didn’t test staff, we did have one positive employee test reported to us, for a University employee that was exposed and tested through their second job.  Please review our FAQs below for answers to questions you may have.

We will continue conducting weekly COVID-19 surveillance swab testing on all skilled care, basic care, and assisted living residents.  Employees at both Bethany on University and Bethany on 42^nd will be moving back to weekly testing after Labor Day.

Resident testing will continue to be conducted each Monday and the next employee testing date will be Labor Day, September 7.  Resident testing will take place in the residents’ rooms and will be coordinated by the Skilled Care and Assisted Living/Basic Care nursing teams.

Test results are usually returned within 48-72 hour hours.  Bethany staff will contact all residents with positive test calls.  The test is free of charge.  If you have any questions or concerns about the test, please contact the social worker or unit manager in Skilled Care or the Nurse in Assisted Living/Basic Care.

At Bethany, if an employee tests positive for COVID-19, they are immediately removed from the schedule and told to quarantine at home.  A positive resident is moved to a confined COVID-19 skilled care area with designated staff.

Bethany will continue to provide updates via e-mail and our website as our COVID-19 cases change.  You are also able to call us with any questions.  Please refer to the frequently asked questions below.  We are providing this link to the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) COVID19 website for your convenience https://www.health.nd.gov/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/north-dakota-coronavirus-cases .  As we update our information, here are a few guidelines we will be following.

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the North Dakota Department of Health.
• We will not be identifying employees, residents or patients who test positive due to confidentiality.
• All employees who are ill are not allowed to work for 14 days and will need two negative COVID-19 tests prior to return to work.
• We will not give information on resident deaths due to confidentiality.

Here are the latest COVID-19 numbers.  We may add or subtract cases as new test results arrive and, due to the timing of the results, they may not be reflected on the State website at the time of this posting.

Sincerely,

Shawn Stuhaug, CEO

Frequently Asked Questions:

What have you done to decrease the risk of COVID-19 for residents and educate family members?

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, American Health Care Association (AHCA) and the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH).
• Among the first acts undertaken to limit potential exposure was to restrict visitors and lock the entrances to Bethany buildings. Only limited visitation is allowed.  Please visit our website for visiting hours.
• All visitors are screened as they enter the buildings. Visitors are also encouraged to get regular COVID testing that is offered in our community.  Please wait in your car until your scheduled visiting times to help reduce the number of people in the lobby areas.
• The Bethany website has been enhanced by adding a “Coronavirus Information” tab to share up-to-date information about the pandemic in general and at Bethany Retirement Living.
• Numerous emails have been sent to families from our Social Services team. Please contact a member of the social service team if you would like to be added to the e-mail list.
• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages have been distributed by the CEO for education to family member primary contact.
• Letters have been mailed to primary Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) resident contacts, SNF residents without dementia/memory issues, and residents of Towers, Gables and Grace Pointe.
• All potential admissions are screened for symptoms and fever.
• All SNF admissions are initially processed through one unit (TCU) with increased monitoring of potential symptoms.
• A negative COVID test is required within 24 hours prior to a skilled care admission or return from hospital.  Even with a negative COVID test, we still quarantine all new admissions and hospital/ER returns for 14 days.
• Bethany may admit COVID positive residents periodically if we have a COVID-positive area set up.
• Screening of all SNF residents occurs daily and at times two or three times/day. Symptoms monitored include a full set of vital signs along with the observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Screening of all Assisted Living and Basic Care residents occurs daily and, at times, two times/day. Symptoms to monitor include temperature, pulse and O2 stats along with observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Resident Activities of Daily Living (ADL) sheets are updated to include prompts for hand sanitizing of resident hands and resident mask placement.
• Non-emergent resident appointments are being decreased if able.
• Limiting resident group activities to no more than 10 people while also practicing social distancing and use of facemasks. Activities are also live streamed.
• Residents are encouraged to remain in their room when not attending an activity, therapy or exercise.
• Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy is being conducted in both the resident rooms and in the therapy/wellness center as long as the resident/patient is not in isolation.
• No communal dining for SNF residents unless the resident eating in their room is a safety risk. This is a National Best Practice for limiting the spread of COVID within LTC Facilities
• No communal dining for Towers or Gables assisted living/basic care residents. This is a National Best Practice for limiting the spread of COVID within LTC Facilities
• Use of hand sanitizer is encouraged for each resident interaction.
• Use of masks is encouraged for all residents.
• Each Bethany campus has a designated Infection Preventionist to provide surveillance and oversight.
• Visual alerts such as signage and posters have been added throughout the facility to encourage hand sanitizing for both residents and staff.

What have you done to educate staff and decrease the risk of COVID-19?

• See questions above as some information applies to both questions.
• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages to staff related to education.
• Many YouTube Videos have been produced and sent to ALL staff cell phones.
• Educational videos and verbal education are reviewed at shift change/daily huddles etc.
• Mandatory Healthcare Academy Education on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Hand Hygiene, COVID-19 and infection prevention have been assigned and made mandatory for all employees.
• Surveillance and auditing of employees is being conducted to ensure proper use of PPE and handwashing is occurring.
• Hand sanitizer is required for all nursing staff to have on the person (this is not new, but an uncommon practice for most SNFs).
• Surgical or N95 Facemasks and face shields are required for staff when in resident areas.
• Facemask and face shield requirements have been enhanced as guidance has evolved.
• All staff are required to wear face masks when outside of their office spaces. Staff may wear a cloth, surgical or N95 mask when outside of resident areas
• High touch surfaces are sanitized multiple times per day in office spaces, common areas, etc.
• Educational resources from the North Dakota Department of Health that pertain to COVID-19 have been provided to employees.
• Employees are monitored for Covid-19 symptoms at the start of each shift, as well as with staff that call in ill prior to their shift. A detailed spreadsheet enables close tracking of all employees with symptoms and tracks adherence to the Return-to-Work guidance from the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH).
• Employees that have been taken off the schedule due to COVID-19 Symptoms, close contact, or having received a positive COVID-19 test result are contacted frequently to monitor symptoms and to determine a safe timeline for return.
• ALL employees are requested to limit employment to “Bethany Only” unless the additional job is approved after review, and considered low risk for exposure to COVID-19 by the COVID-19 leadership team members. This was a difficult decision for both Bethany and our staff, but the risk of infection when working many different jobs and coming in contact with many different people works against the concept of social distancing to limit the spread.
• A COVID-19 Leadership team meets regularly to discuss PPE supply and to analyze additional vendors for increased PPE supply, new guidance on COVID-19, etc.
• Meetings are held 2 days a week to discuss employees who are furloughed and their plans for return to work.
• Leadership team members are on-call 24 hours per day/7 days a week to deal with employee and family questions and concerns.
• Weekly meetings and/or conference calls/webinars/education reviews are held with the NDDoH, Centers for Disease Control, Public Health, ND Long Term Care Association, and American Health Care Association.
• Contact tracing if/when applicable is coordinated with the ND Department of Health.
• Excess chairs have been removed in break room areas to limit tables to two staff members at a table only. Additional space has been opened up for employee breaks to allow for social distancing.
• Visual alerts such as signs and posters have been added throughout all buildings that encourage staff hand hygiene, resident hand hygiene and proper use of PPE.
• Increased hand hygiene stations have been installed throughout all buildings.
• Staff competencies are routinely completed to establish/verify adherence to infection prevention.

We have received notification that a resident at Bethany has tested positive for COVID-19 and we have the following questions.

Will all residents now be tested?

• Resident testing (mass surveillance testing of all residents) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health. A resident that is symptomatic is tested at the direction of the resident’s physician.

Will all staff be tested?

• Bethany employees complete a health screening at the start of their shift. If an employee triggers a concern on the health screening, they are immediately removed from the schedule.   A Bethany staff member then works with the employee on symptom monitoring, communication with their physician and return to work protocol.
• Staff testing (mass surveillance testing of all staff) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health. Staff testing occurs bi-weekly.

Will COVID-19 positive residents be taken to the hospital?

• A transfer to the hospital is coordinated by the resident’s physician and Bethany staff. Residents who are in a declining in health status may be transferred to the hospital as directed by their physician.  Bethany would call 911 in an emergency situation.

Bethany Retirement Living FAQs and COVID-19 Cases as of 8/27/20 4:00pm:

Dear families and friends of Bethany Retirement Living:

We conducted 993 swab tests on Monday, August 24th, for residents and staff at both Bethany on 42^nd and Bethany on University.  There were only 2 new employee cases, both at Bethany on University.  There were no positive resident cases at Bethany on University Skilled Care, Bethany on 42^nd Skilled Care, Bethany Towers or Bethany Gables.   As I stated in our last update, we have added and updated many of our frequently asked questions listed below.  Please review them for updated information.

We will continue conducting weekly COVID-19 surveillance swab testing on all skilled care, basic care, and assisted living residents.  Employees at both Bethany on University and Bethany on 42^nd will be tested bi-weekly.

Resident testing will continue to be conducted each Monday and the next employee testing date will be Labor Day, September 7.  Resident testing will take place in the residents’ rooms and will be coordinated by the Skilled Care and Assisted Living/Basic Care nursing teams.  Employee testing will now be conducted at Rheault Farms, 2902 25^th Street S, Fargo, from 5:30am until 5:30pm.

Test results are usually returned within 48-72 hour hours.  Bethany staff will contact all residents with positive test calls.  The test is free of charge.  If you have any questions or concerns about the test, please contact the social worker or unit manager in Skilled Care or the Nurse in Assisted Living/Basic Care.

At Bethany, if an employee tests positive for COVID-19, they are immediately removed from the schedule and told to quarantine at home.  A positive resident is moved to a confined COVID-19 skilled care area with designated staff.

Bethany will continue to provide updates via e-mail and our website as our COVID-19 cases change.  You are also able to call us with any questions.  Please refer to the frequently asked questions below.  We are providing this link to the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) COVID19 website for your convenience https://www.health.nd.gov/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/north-dakota-coronavirus-cases .  As we update our information, here are a few guidelines we will be following.

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the North Dakota Department of Health.
• We will not be identifying employees, residents or patients who test positive due to confidentiality.
• All employees who are ill are not allowed to work for 14 days and will need two negative COVID-19 tests prior to return to work.
• We will not give information on resident deaths due to confidentiality.

Here are the latest COVID-19 numbers.  We may add or subtract cases as new test results arrive and, due to the timing of the results, they may not be reflected on the State website at the time of this posting.

Sincerely,

Shawn Stuhaug, CEO

Frequently Asked Questions:

What have you done to decrease the risk of COVID-19 for residents and educate family members?

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, American Health Care Association (AHCA) and the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH).
• Among the first acts undertaken to limit potential exposure was to restrict visitors and lock the entrances to Bethany buildings. Only limited visitation is allowed.  Please visit our website for visiting hours.
• All visitors are screened as they enter the buildings. Visitors are also encouraged to get regular COVID testing that is offered in our community.  Please wait in your car until your scheduled visiting times to help reduce the number of people in the lobby areas.
• The Bethany website has been enhanced by adding a “Coronavirus Information” tab to share up-to-date information about the pandemic in general and at Bethany Retirement Living.
• Numerous emails have been sent to families from our Social Services team. Please contact a member of the social service team if you would like to be added to the e-mail list.
• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages have been distributed by the CEO for education to family member primary contact.
• Letters have been mailed to primary Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) resident contacts, SNF residents without dementia/memory issues, and residents of Towers, Gables and Grace Pointe.
• All potential admissions are screened for symptoms and fever.
• All SNF admissions are initially processed through one unit (TCU) with increased monitoring of potential symptoms.
• A negative COVID test is required within 24 hours prior to a skilled care admission or return from hospital.  Even with a negative COVID test, we still quarantine all new admissions and hospital/ER returns for 14 days.
• Bethany may admit COVID positive residents periodically if we have a COVID-positive area set up.
• Screening of all SNF residents occurs daily and at times two or three times/day. Symptoms monitored include a full set of vital signs along with the observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Screening of all Assisted Living and Basic Care residents occurs daily and, at times, two times/day. Symptoms to monitor include temperature, pulse and O2 stats along with observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Resident Activities of Daily Living (ADL) sheets are updated to include prompts for hand sanitizing of resident hands and resident mask placement.
• Non-emergent resident appointments are being decreased if able.
• Limiting resident group activities to no more than 10 people while also practicing social distancing and use of facemasks. Activities are also live streamed.
• Residents are encouraged to remain in their room when not attending an activity, therapy or exercise.
• Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy is being conducted in both the resident rooms and in the therapy/wellness center as long as the resident/patient is not in isolation.
• No communal dining for SNF residents unless the resident eating in their room is a safety risk. This is a National Best Practice for limiting the spread of COVID within LTC Facilities
• No communal dining for Towers or Gables assisted living/basic care residents. This is a National Best Practice for limiting the spread of COVID within LTC Facilities
• Use of hand sanitizer is encouraged for each resident interaction.
• Use of masks is encouraged for all residents.
• Each Bethany campus has a designated Infection Preventionist to provide surveillance and oversight.
• Visual alerts such as signage and posters have been added throughout the facility to encourage hand sanitizing for both residents and staff.

What have you done to educate staff and decrease the risk of COVID-19?

• See questions above as some information applies to both questions.
• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages to staff related to education.
• Many YouTube Videos have been produced and sent to ALL staff cell phones.
• Educational videos and verbal education are reviewed at shift change/daily huddles etc.
• Mandatory Healthcare Academy Education on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Hand Hygiene, COVID-19 and infection prevention have been assigned and made mandatory for all employees.
• Surveillance and auditing of employees is being conducted to ensure proper use of PPE and handwashing is occurring.
• Hand sanitizer is required for all nursing staff to have on the person (this is not new, but an uncommon practice for most SNFs).
• Surgical or N95 Facemasks and face shields are required for staff when in resident areas.
• Facemask and face shield requirements have been enhanced as guidance has evolved.
• All staff are required to wear face masks when outside of their office spaces. Staff may wear a cloth, surgical or N95 mask when outside of resident areas
• High touch surfaces are sanitized multiple times per day in office spaces, common areas, etc.
• Educational resources from the North Dakota Department of Health that pertain to COVID-19 have been provided to employees.
• Employees are monitored for Covid-19 symptoms at the start of each shift, as well as with staff that call in ill prior to their shift. A detailed spreadsheet enables close tracking of all employees with symptoms and tracks adherence to the Return-to-Work guidance from the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH).
• Employees that have been taken off the schedule due to COVID-19 Symptoms, close contact, or having received a positive COVID-19 test result are contacted frequently to monitor symptoms and to determine a safe timeline for return.
• ALL employees are requested to limit employment to “Bethany Only” unless the additional job is approved after review, and considered low risk for exposure to COVID-19 by the COVID-19 leadership team members. This was a difficult decision for both Bethany and our staff, but the risk of infection when working many different jobs and coming in contact with many different people works against the concept of social distancing to limit the spread.
• A COVID-19 Leadership team meets regularly to discuss PPE supply and to analyze additional vendors for increased PPE supply, new guidance on COVID-19, etc.
• Meetings are held 2 days a week to discuss employees who are furloughed and their plans for return to work.
• Leadership team members are on-call 24 hours per day/7 days a week to deal with employee and family questions and concerns.
• Weekly meetings and/or conference calls/webinars/education reviews are held with the NDDoH, Centers for Disease Control, Public Health, ND Long Term Care Association, and American Health Care Association.
• Contact tracing if/when applicable is coordinated with the ND Department of Health.
• Excess chairs have been removed in break room areas to limit tables to two staff members at a table only. Additional space has been opened up for employee breaks to allow for social distancing.
• Visual alerts such as signs and posters have been added throughout all buildings that encourage staff hand hygiene, resident hand hygiene and proper use of PPE.
• Increased hand hygiene stations have been installed throughout all buildings.
• Staff competencies are routinely completed to establish/verify adherence to infection prevention.

We have received notification that a resident at Bethany has tested positive for COVID-19 and we have the following questions.

Will all residents now be tested?

• Resident testing (mass surveillance testing of all residents) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health. A resident that is symptomatic is tested at the direction of the resident’s physician.

Will all staff be tested?

• Bethany employees complete a health screening at the start of their shift. If an employee triggers a concern on the health screening, they are immediately removed from the schedule.   A Bethany staff member then works with the employee on symptom monitoring, communication with their physician and return to work protocol.
• Staff testing (mass surveillance testing of all staff) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health. Staff testing occurs bi-weekly.

Will COVID-19 positive residents be taken to the hospital?

• A transfer to the hospital is coordinated by the resident’s physician and Bethany staff. Residents who are in a declining in health status may be transferred to the hospital as directed by their physician.  Bethany would call 911 in an emergency situation.

Bethany Retirement Living FAQs and COVID-19 Cases as of 8/19/20 2:00pm:

Dear families and friends of Bethany Retirement Living:

We have added and updated many of our frequently asked questions listed below.  Please review them for updated information.   On Monday, August 17^th, we conducted 374 COVID-19 swab tests for residents at both Bethany on 42^nd and Bethany on University.  We are happy to report that we have no new or active resident cases of COVID-19.  As of this time, we have 1 employee still off duty due to a positive test.

We will continue conducting weekly COVID-19 surveillance swab testing on all skilled care, basic care, and assisted living residents.  Employees at both Bethany on University and Bethany on 42^nd will be tested bi-weekly.

Resident testing will continue to be conducted each Monday and the next employee testing dates will be August 24^th and Labor Day.  Resident testing will take place in the residents’ rooms and will be coordinated by the Skilled Care and Assisted Living/Basic Care nursing teams.  Employee testing will now be conducted at Rheault Farms, 2902 25^th Street S, Fargo, from 5:30am until 5:30pm.

Test results are usually returned within 72 hour hours.  Bethany staff will contact all residents with positive test calls.  The test is free of charge.  If you have any questions or concerns about the test, please contact the social worker or unit manager in Skilled Care or the Nurse in Assisted Living/Basic Care.

At Bethany, if an employee tests positive for COVID-19, they are immediately removed from the schedule and told to quarantine at home.  A positive resident is moved to a confined COVID-19 skilled care area with designated staff.

Bethany will continue to provide updates via e-mail and our website as our COVID-19 cases change.  You are also able to call us with any questions.  Please refer to the frequently asked questions below.  We are providing this link to the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) COVID19 website for your convenience https://www.health.nd.gov/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/north-dakota-coronavirus-cases .  As we update our information, here are a few guidelines we will be following.

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the North Dakota Department of Health.
• We will not be identifying employees, residents or patients who test positive due to confidentiality.
• All employees who are ill are not allowed to work for 14 days and will need two negative COVID-19 tests prior to return to work.
• We will not give information on resident deaths due to confidentiality.

Here are the latest COVID-19 numbers.  We may add or subtract cases as new test results arrive and, due to the timing of the results, they may not be reflected on the State website at the time of this posting.

Sincerely,

Shawn Stuhaug, CEO

Frequently Asked Questions:

What have you done to decrease the risk of COVID-19 for residents and educate family members?

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, American Health Care Association (AHCA) and the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH).
• Among the first acts undertaken to limit potential exposure was to restrict visitors and lock the entrances to Bethany buildings. Only limited visitation is allowed.  Please visit our website for visiting hours.
• All visitors are screened as they enter the buildings. Visitors are also encouraged to get regular COVID testing that is offered in our community.  Please wait in your car until your scheduled visiting times to help reduce the number of people in the lobby areas.
• The Bethany website has been enhanced by adding a “Coronavirus Information” tab to share up-to-date information about the pandemic in general and at Bethany Retirement Living.
• Numerous emails have been sent to families from our Social Services team. Please contact a member of the social service team if you would like to be added to the e-mail list.
• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages have been distributed by the CEO for education to family member primary contact.
• Letters have been mailed to primary Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) resident contacts, SNF residents without dementia/memory issues, and residents of Towers, Gables and Grace Pointe.
• All potential admissions are screened for symptoms and fever.
• All SNF admissions are initially processed through one unit (TCU) with increased monitoring of potential symptoms.
• A negative COVID test is required within 24 hours prior to a skilled care admission or return from hospital.  Even with a negative COVID test, we still quarantine all new admissions and hospital/ER returns for 14 days.
• Bethany may admit COVID positive residents periodically if we have a COVID-positive area set up.
• Screening of all SNF residents occurs daily and at times two or three times/day. Symptoms monitored include a full set of vital signs along with the observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Screening of all Assisted Living and Basic Care residents occurs daily and, at times, two times/day. Symptoms to monitor include temperature, pulse and O2 stats along with observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Resident Activities of Daily Living (ADL) sheets are updated to include prompts for hand sanitizing of resident hands and resident mask placement.
• Non-emergent resident appointments are being decreased if able.
• Limiting resident group activities to no more than 10 people while also practicing social distancing and use of facemasks. Activities are also live streamed.
• Residents are encouraged to remain in their room when not attending an activity, therapy or exercise.
• Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy is being conducted in both the resident rooms and in the therapy/wellness center as long as the resident/patient is not in isolation.
• No communal dining for SNF residents unless the resident eating in their room is a safety risk. This is a National Best Practice for limiting the spread of COVID within LTC Facilities
• No communal dining for Towers or Gables assisted living/basic care residents. This is a National Best Practice for limiting the spread of COVID within LTC Facilities
• Use of hand sanitizer is encouraged for each resident interaction.
• Use of masks is encouraged for all residents.
• Each Bethany campus has a designated Infection Preventionist to provide surveillance and oversight.
• Visual alerts such as signage and posters have been added throughout the facility to encourage hand sanitizing for both residents and staff.

What have you done to educate staff and decrease the risk of COVID-19?

• See questions above as some information applies to both questions.
• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages to staff related to education.
• Many YouTube Videos have been produced and sent to ALL staff cell phones.
• Educational videos and verbal education are reviewed at shift change/daily huddles etc.
• Mandatory Healthcare Academy Education on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Hand Hygiene, COVID-19 and infection prevention have been assigned and made mandatory for all employees.
• Surveillance and auditing of employees is being conducted to ensure proper use of PPE and handwashing is occurring.
• Hand sanitizer is required for all nursing staff to have on the person (this is not new, but an uncommon practice for most SNFs).
• Surgical or N95 Facemasks and face shields are required for staff when in resident areas.
• Facemask and face shield requirements have been enhanced as guidance has evolved.
• All staff are required to wear face masks when outside of their office spaces. Staff may wear a cloth, surgical or N95 mask when outside of resident areas
• High touch surfaces are sanitized multiple times per day in office spaces, common areas, etc.
• Educational resources from the North Dakota Department of Health that pertain to COVID-19 have been provided to employees.
• Employees are monitored for Covid-19 symptoms at the start of each shift, as well as with staff that call in ill prior to their shift. A detailed spreadsheet enables close tracking of all employees with symptoms and tracks adherence to the Return-to-Work guidance from the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH).
• Employees that have been taken off the schedule due to COVID-19 Symptoms, close contact, or having received a positive COVID-19 test result are contacted frequently to monitor symptoms and to determine a safe timeline for return.
• ALL employees are requested to limit employment to “Bethany Only” unless the additional job is approved after review, and considered low risk for exposure to COVID-19 by the COVID-19 leadership team members. This was a difficult decision for both Bethany and our staff, but the risk of infection when working many different jobs and coming in contact with many different people works against the concept of social distancing to limit the spread.
• A COVID-19 Leadership team meets regularly to discuss PPE supply and to analyze additional vendors for increased PPE supply, new guidance on COVID-19, etc.
• Meetings are held 2 days a week to discuss employees who are furloughed and their plans for return to work.
• Leadership team members are on-call 24 hours per day/7 days a week to deal with employee and family questions and concerns.
• Weekly meetings and/or conference calls/webinars/education reviews are held with the NDDoH, Centers for Disease Control, Public Health, ND Long Term Care Association, and American Health Care Association.
• Contact tracing if/when applicable is coordinated with the ND Department of Health.
• Excess chairs have been removed in break room areas to limit tables to two staff members at a table only. Additional space has been opened up for employee breaks to allow for social distancing.
• Visual alerts such as signs and posters have been added throughout all buildings that encourage staff hand hygiene, resident hand hygiene and proper use of PPE.
• Increased hand hygiene stations have been installed throughout all buildings.
• Staff competencies are routinely completed to establish/verify adherence to infection prevention.

We have received notification that a resident at Bethany has tested positive for COVID-19 and we have the following questions.

Will all residents now be tested?

• Resident testing (mass surveillance testing of all residents) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health. A resident that is symptomatic is tested at the direction of the resident’s physician.

Will all staff be tested?

• Bethany employees complete a health screening at the start of their shift. If an employee triggers a concern on the health screening, they are immediately removed from the schedule.   A Bethany staff member then works with the employee on symptom monitoring, communication with their physician and return to work protocol.
• Staff testing (mass surveillance testing of all staff) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health. Staff testing occurs bi-weekly.

Will COVID-19 positive residents be taken to the hospital?

• A transfer to the hospital is coordinated by the resident’s physician and Bethany staff. Residents who are in a declining in health status may be transferred to the hospital as directed by their physician.  Bethany would call 911 in an emergency situation.

Bethany Retirement Living FAQs and COVID-19 Cases as of 8/14/20 9:00am:

Dear families and friends of Bethany Retirement Living:

We conducted 982 swab tests on Monday, August 10th, for residents and staff at both Bethany on 42^nd and Bethany on University.  We have received the majority of our testing results back, but not all.  Since we did not want to delay our regular posting, we will update this information if results change.  As of this time, there were 3 new employee cases and one new resident case at Bethany on University Skilled Care.  There were no positive cases at Bethany on 42^nd Skilled Care, Bethany Towers or Bethany Gables.

We will continue conducting weekly COVID-19 surveillance swab testing on all skilled care, basic care, and assisted living residents.  Employees at both Bethany on University and Bethany on 42^nd will be tested bi-weekly.

Resident testing will be conducted each Monday and the next employee testing dates will be August 24^th and Labor Day.  Resident testing will take place in the residents’ rooms and will be coordinated by the Skilled Care and Assisted Living/Basic Care nursing teams.  Employee testing will now be conducted at Rheault Farms, 2902 25^th Street S, Fargo, from 5:30am until 5:30pm.

Test results are usually returned within 72 hour hours.  Bethany staff will contact all residents with positive test calls.  The test is free of charge.  If you have any questions or concerns about the test, please contact the social worker or unit manager in Skilled Care or the Nurse in Assisted Living/Basic Care.

At Bethany, if an employee tests positive for COVID-19, they are immediately removed from the schedule and told to quarantine at home.  A positive resident is moved to a confined COVID-19 skilled care area with designated staff.

Bethany will continue to provide updates via e-mail and our website as our COVID-19 cases change.  You are also able to call us with any questions.  Please refer to the frequently asked questions below.  We are providing this link to the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) COVID19 website for your convenience https://www.health.nd.gov/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/north-dakota-coronavirus-cases .  As we update our information, here are a few guidelines we will be following.

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the North Dakota Department of Health.
• We will not be identifying employees, residents or patients who test positive due to confidentiality.
• All employees who are ill are not allowed to work for 14 days and will need two negative COVID-19 tests prior to return to work.
• We will not give information on resident deaths due to confidentiality.

Here are the latest COVID-19 numbers.  We may add or subtract cases as new test results arrive and, due to the timing of the results, they may not be reflected on the State website at the time of this posting.

Sincerely,

Shawn Stuhaug, CEO

Frequently Asked Questions:

What have you done to decrease the risk of COVID-19 for residents and educate family members?

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the North Dakota Department of Health.
• Among the first acts undertaken to limit potential exposure was to restrict visitors and lock the entrances to Bethany buildings. Only limited visitation is allowed.
• All visitors are screened as they enter the buildings.
• The Bethany website has been enhanced by adding a “Coronavirus Information” tab to share up-to-date information about the pandemic in general and at Bethany Retirement Living.
• Numerous emails have been sent to families from our Social Services team.
• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages have been distributed by the CEO for education to family member primary contact.
• Letters have been mailed to primary Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) resident contacts, SNF residents without dementia/memory issues, and residents of Towers, Gables and Grace Pointe.
• All potential admissions are screened for symptoms and fever.
• All SNF admissions are initially processed through one unit (TCU) with increased monitoring of potential symptoms.
• A negative COVID test is required for all new admissions or for hospital returns.
• Bethany may admit COVID positive residents periodically if we have a COVID-positive area set up.
• Screening of all SNF residents occurs two times/day and, at times, three times/day. Symptoms monitored include a full set of vital signs along with the observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Screening of all Assisted Living and Basic Care residents occurs daily and, at times, two times/day. Symptoms to monitor include temperature, pulse and O2 stats along with observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Resident Activities of Daily Living (ADL) sheets are updated to include prompts for hand sanitizing of resident hands and resident mask placement.
• All non-emergent resident appointments are being decreased or canceled.
• No group activities are scheduled.
• Residents are required to stay in their own rooms.
• No therapy is being conducted in the therapy/wellness centers. Individual therapy sessions are being done in the resident rooms.
• No communal dining for SNF residents unless the resident eating in their room is a safety risk.
• No communal dining for Towers or Gables assisted living residents.
• Use of masks is encouraged for all residents.
• Use of hand sanitizer is encouraged for each resident interaction.Telemeeis encouraged.
• Each Bethany campus has a designated Infection Preventionist to provide surveillance and oversight.
• Visual alerts such as signage and posters have been added throughout the facility to encourage hand sanitizing for both residents and staff.

What have you done to educate staff and decrease the risk of COVID-19?

• See above question above as some information applies to both questions.

• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages to staff related to education.
• Several YouTube Videos (10 total) that have been produced and sent to ALL staff cell phones.
• Educational videos and verbal education are reviewed at shift change/daily huddles etc.
• Mandatory Healthcare Academy Education on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Hand Hygiene, COVID-19 and infection prevention have been assigned and made mandatory for all employees.
• Surveillance and auditing of employees is being conducted to ensure proper use of PPE and handwashing is occurring.
• Hand sanitizer is required for all nursing staff to have on the person (this is not new, but an uncommon practice for most SNFs).
• Facemasks are required for staff when in resident areas.
• Facemask and face shield requirements have been enhanced as guidance has evolved.
• Employees are monitored for Covid-19 symptoms at the start of each shift, as well as with staff that call in ill prior to their shift. A detailed spreadsheet enables close tracking of all employees with symptoms and tracks adherence to the Return-to-Work guidance from the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH).
• A daily phone call is placed to all employees that have been taken off the schedule due to Covid-19 symptoms.
• ALL employees are requested to limit employment to “Bethany Only” or be removed from schedules until the COVID-19 crisis has passed. This was a difficult decision for both Bethany and our staff, but the risk of infection when working many different jobs and coming in contact with many different people works against the concept of social distancing to limit the spread.
• A COVID-19 Leadership team meets three times weekly to discuss PPE supply and to analyze additional vendors for increased PPE supply, new guidance on COVID-19, etc.
• Meetings are held five days a week to discuss employees who are furloughed and their plans for return to work.
• Leadership team members are on-call 24 hours per day/7 days a week to deal with employee and family questions and concerns.
• Weekly meetings and/or conference calls/webinars/education reviews are held with the NDDoH, Centers for Disease Control, Public Health, ND Long Term Care Association, and American Health Care Association.
• Contact tracing if/when applicable is coordinated with the ND Department of Health.
• Excess chairs have been removed in our break room areas to limit tables to two staff members at a table only. Additional space has been opened up for employee breaks to allow for social distancing.
• Visual alerts such as signs and posters have been added throughout all buildings that encourage staff hand hygiene, resident hand hygiene and proper use of PPE.
• Increased hand hygiene stations have been installed throughout all buildings.

We have received notification that a resident at Bethany has tested positive for COVID-19 and we have the following questions.

Will all residents now be tested?

• Resident testing (mass surveillance testing of all residents) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health. A resident that is symptomatic is tested at the direction of the resident’s physician.

Will all staff be tested?

• Bethany employees complete a health screening at the start of their shift. If an employee triggers a concern on the health screening, they are immediately removed from the schedule.   A Bethany staff member then works with the employee on symptom monitoring, communication with their physician and return to work protocol.
• Staff testing (mass surveillance testing of all staff) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health.

Will COVID-19 positive residents be taken to the hospital?

• A transfer to the hospital is coordinated by the resident’s physician, Bethany staff and the ND Department of Health. Residents who have in a decline in health status may be transferred to the hospital as directed by their physician.  Bethany would call 911 in an emergency situation.

August 5, 2020 | 12:00 pm

COVID-19 Testing Recommended

Bethany Retirement Living recommends that individuals get tested for Covid-19. And, it is strongly encouraged that all visitors to Bethany have been tested for COVID-19 within 10 days and have received negative test results prior to their visit. Public testing is available at Rheault Farm at 2902 25^th St S Fargo from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. No appointment necessary.  (The previous testing site at Discovery Middle School is no longer open.)

July 30, 2020 | 2:00 pm

Bethany Retirement Living FAQs and COVID-19 Cases as of 7/30/20 2:00pm:

Dear families and friends of Bethany Retirement Living:

We conducted 1,063 swab tests on Monday, July 27th, for residents and staff at both Bethany on 42^nd and Bethany on University.  We conducted 1,063 swab tests on Monday, July 27th, for residents and staff at both Bethany on 42^nd and Bethany on University.  There were seven new staff cases and no new resident between the two facilities.  Two employees at Bethany in 42nd Skilled Care, four employees at Bethany on University Skilled Care and one at Bethany Towers.  All positive residents are moved to a confined COVID-19 skilled care area with designated staff.  Bethany nursing staff, in coordination with the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDOH), will continue conducting weekly COVID-19 surveillance swab testing on all skilled care, basic care, and assisted living residents.  Employees at both Bethany on University and Bethany on 42^nd will be tested bi-weekly.  Ongoing testing is an important step to comply with the nursing home reopening guidelines recently published by the North Dakota Department of Health.

Resident testing will be conducted each Monday and the next employee testing dates will be August 10^th and August 24^th.  Resident testing will take place in the residents’ rooms and will be coordinated by the Skilled Care and Assisted Living/Basic Care nursing teams.  Employee testing is drive-through in the underground parking garage at Bethany on 42^nd and begins at 5:30am and concludes at 5:30pm.

It is anticipated test results will be returned within 48-72 hours.  Bethany staff will attempt to contact all residents, regardless of the results, but will prioritize positive test calls.  The test is free of charge.  If you have any questions or concerns about the test, please contact the social worker or unit manager in Skilled Care or the Nurse in Assisted Living/Basic Care.

At Bethany, if an employee tests positive for COVID-19, they are immediately removed from the schedule and told to quarantine at home until they have two negative test results.

Bethany will continue to provide updates via e-mail and our website as our COVID-19 cases change.  You are also able to call us with any questions.  Please refer to the frequently asked questions below.  We are providing this link to the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) COVID19 website for your convenience https://www.health.nd.gov/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/north-dakota-coronavirus-cases .  As we update our information, here are a few guidelines we will be following.

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the North Dakota Department of Health.
• We will not be identifying employees, residents or patients who test positive due to confidentiality.
• All employees who are ill are not allowed to work for 14 days and will need two negative COVID-19 tests prior to return to work.
• We will not give information on resident deaths due to confidentiality.

Here are the latest COVIDD-19 numbers.  We may add or subtract cases as new test results arrive and, due to the timing of the results, they may not be reflected on the State website at the time of this posting.  At Bethany we require two negative COVID-19 tests before we consider someone to be COVID-19 free.  This may mean that we keep someone in isolation a little longer than what the State website would count as a positive case—meaning we are being extremely cautious before considering someone COVID-19 free.

Sincerely,

Shawn Stuhaug, CEO

Frequently Asked Questions:

What have you done to decrease the risk of COVID-19 for residents and educate family members?

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the North Dakota Department of Health.
• Among the first acts undertaken to limit potential exposure was to restrict visitors and lock the entrances to Bethany buildings. Only limited access to family members is granted on a case-by-case basis for compassionate reasons such as end of life.
• All visitors are screened as they enter the buildings.

• The Bethany website has been enhanced by adding a “Coronavirus Information” tab to share up-to-date information about the pandemic in general and at Bethany Retirement Living.

• Numerous emails have been sent to families from our Social Services team.
• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages have been distributed by the CEO for education to family member primary contact.
• Letters have been mailed to primary Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) resident contacts, SNF residents without dementia/memory issues, and residents of Towers, Gables and Grace Pointe.

• All potential admissions are screened for symptoms and fever.
• All SNF admissions are initially processed through one unit (TCU) with increased monitoring of potential symptoms.
• A negative COVID test is required for all new admissions or for hospital returns.
• Bethany may admit COVID positive residents periodically if we have a COVID-positive area set up.
• Screening of all SNF residents occurs two times/day and, at times, three times/day. Symptoms monitored include a full set of vital signs along with the observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Screening of all Assisted Living and Basic Care residents occurs daily and, at times, two times/day. Symptoms to monitor include temperature, pulse and O2 stats along with observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Resident Activities of Daily Living (ADL) sheets are updated to include prompts for hand sanitizing of resident hands and resident mask placement.
• All non-emergent resident appointments are being decreased or canceled.
• No group activities are scheduled.
• Residents are required to stay in their own rooms.
• No therapy is being conducted in the therapy/wellness centers. Individual therapy sessions are being done in the resident rooms.
• No communal dining for SNF residents unless the resident eating in their room is a safety risk.
• No communal dining for Towers or Gables assisted living residents.
• Use of masks is encouraged for all residents.
• Use of hand sanitizer is encouraged for each resident interaction.

Telemedicine is encouraged.

• Each Bethany campus has a designated Infection Preventionist to provide surveillance and oversight.
• Visual alerts such as signage and posters have been added throughout the facility to encourage hand sanitizing for both residents and staff.

What have you done to educate staff and decrease the risk of COVID-19?

• See above question above as some information applies to both questions.

• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages to staff related to education.
• Several YouTube Videos (10 total) that have been produced and sent to ALL staff cell phones.
• Educational videos and verbal education are reviewed at shift change/daily huddles etc.
• Mandatory Healthcare Academy Education on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Hand Hygiene, COVID-19 and infection prevention have been assigned and made mandatory for all employees.
• Surveillance and auditing of employees is being conducted to ensure proper use of PPE and handwashing is occurring.
• Hand sanitizer is required for all nursing staff to have on the person (this is not new, but an uncommon practice for most SNFs).
• Facemasks are required for staff when in resident areas.
• Facemask and face shield requirements have been enhanced as guidance has evolved.
• Employees are monitored for Covid-19 symptoms at the start of each shift, as well as with staff that call in ill prior to their shift. A detailed spreadsheet enables close tracking of all employees with symptoms and tracks adherence to the Return-to-Work guidance from the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH).
• A daily phone call is placed to all employees that have been taken off the schedule due to Covid-19 symptoms.
• ALL employees are requested to limit employment to “Bethany Only” or be removed from schedules until the COVID-19 crisis has passed. This was a difficult decision for both Bethany and our staff, but the risk of infection when working many different jobs and coming in contact with many different people works against the concept of social distancing to limit the spread.
• A COVID-19 Leadership team meets three times weekly to discuss PPE supply and to analyze additional vendors for increased PPE supply, new guidance on COVID-19, etc.
• Meetings are held five days a week to discuss employees who are furloughed and their plans for return to work.
• Leadership team members are on-call 24 hours per day/7 days a week to deal with employee and family questions and concerns.
• Weekly meetings and/or conference calls/webinars/education reviews are held with the NDDoH, Centers for Disease Control, Public Health, ND Long Term Care Association, and American Health Care Association.
• Contact tracing if/when applicable is coordinated with the ND Department of Health.
• Excess chairs have been removed in our break room areas to limit tables to two staff members at a table only. Additional space has been opened up for employee breaks to allow for social distancing.
• Visual alerts such as signs and posters have been added throughout all buildings that encourage staff hand hygiene, resident hand hygiene and proper use of PPE.
• Increased hand hygiene stations have been installed throughout all buildings.

We have received notification that a resident at Bethany has tested positive for COVID-19 and we have the following questions.

Will all residents now be tested?

• Resident testing (mass surveillance testing of all residents) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health. A resident that is symptomatic is tested at the direction of the resident’s physician.

Will all staff be tested?

• Bethany employees complete a health screening at the start of their shift. If an employee triggers a concern on the health screening, they are immediately removed from the schedule.   A Bethany staff member then works with the employee on symptom monitoring, communication with their physician and return to work protocol.
• Staff testing (mass surveillance testing of all staff) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health.

Will COVID-19 positive residents be taken to the hospital?

• A transfer to the hospital is coordinated by the resident’s physician, Bethany staff and the ND Department of Health. Residents who have in a decline in health status may be transferred to the hospital as directed by their physician.  Bethany would call 911 in an emergency situation.

July 27, 2020

Joint Letter to Newspapers

To the Editor:

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, people have been urged to protect themselves, their neighbors, and their loved ones amidst the worst global health crisis in generations. After months of physical distancing and staying at home, infections and deaths began to decline across our country.

But in the weeks since states began reopening, some steps that were critical to the progress made were abandoned too quickly. We are now watching in real-time as a dramatic uptick in COVID-19 cases is erasing hard-won gains. In some states, hospitals are at or nearing their ICU capacity and shortages of personal protective equipment and testing supplies continue to pose a threat to health care workers and patients alike.

While North Dakota is not a high spread state, we want to do everything possible to keep it that way. This is why as physicians, nurses, long term care administrators, hospital and health system leaders, we urge North Dakotans to take the simple steps we know will help stop the spread of the virus: wearing a face mask, maintaining physical distancing, and washing hands. We are not powerless in this public health crisis, and we can defeat it in the same way we defeated previous threats to public health—by allowing science and evidence to shape our decisions and inform our actions.

There is a growing body of evidence that face masks help prevent the spread of COVID-19. One study shows the infection rate among employees at Mass General Brigham hospitals dropped significantly once all workers were required to wear face masks. Another study in Missouri shows that wearing a face mask prevented the spread of infection from two hair stylists to their customers.

Despite claims otherwise, the prolonged use of face masks when properly worn does not cause CO2 intoxication, oxygen deficiency, or any other harm to the wearer. Surgeons operate for hours wearing them. They don’t have problems. For those who have been waiting for more data before accepting the practice, these findings make it clear: Masks work.

The toll of this pandemic is staggering, and it will take months, perhaps years, to truly understand its impact on our country and our way of life. But what is certain – and what the science and evidence tell us – is that COVID-19 is not behind us. Your actions are critical to stop the spread of COVID-19. We must remain vigilant and continue to take steps to mitigate the spread of the virus to protect each other and our loved ones.

To those of you who are doing your part in helping turn the tide of this pandemic – thank you. There is only one way we will get through this – together.

Your continued partners in health,

Tim Blasl, President                                                                  Courtney Koebele, Executive Director

North Dakota Hospital Association                                       North Dakota Medical Association

Tessa Johnson, MSN, BSN, RN, CDP, President                   Shelly Peterson, President

North Dakota Nurses Association                                         North Dakota Long Term Care Association

July 17, 2020 | 8:00 am

Bethany Retirement Living FAQs and COVID-19 Cases as of 7/17/20 8:00am:

Dear families and friends of Bethany Retirement Living:

We conducted 1,069 swab tests on Monday, July 13th, for residents and staff at both Bethany on 42^nd and Bethany on University.  There were five new cases between the two facilities.  One resident at Bethany on University-Skilled Care, one resident at Bethany Towers Assisted Living, two residents at Bethany on 42^nd Skilled Care and one employee at Bethany on 42^nd.  All positive residents are moved to a confined COVID-19 skilled care area with designated staff.  Bethany nursing staff, in coordination with the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDOH), will continue conducting weekly COVID-19 surveillance swab testing on all skilled care, basic care, assisted living and independent living residents.  Employees at both Bethany on University and Bethany on 42^nd will be tested bi-weekly.  Ongoing testing is an important step to comply with the nursing home reopening guidelines recently published by the North Dakota Department of Health.

Resident testing will be conducted each Monday and the next employee testing dates will be July 27^th, August 10^th and August 24^th.  Resident testing will take place in the residents’ rooms and will be coordinated by the Skilled Care and Assisted Living/Basic Care nursing teams.  Employee testing is drive-through in the underground parking garage at Bethany on 42^nd and begins at 5:30am and concludes at 5:30pm.

It is anticipated test results will be returned within 48-72 hours.  Bethany staff will attempt to contact all residents, regardless of the results, but will prioritize positive test calls.  The test is free of charge.  If you have any questions or concerns about the test, please contact the social worker or unit manager in Skilled Care or the Nurse in Assisted Living/Basic Care.

At Bethany, if an employee tests positive for COVID-19, they are immediately removed from the schedule and told to quarantine at home until they have two negative test results.

Bethany will continue to provide updates via e-mail and our website as our COVID-19 cases change.  You are also able to call us with any questions.  Please refer to the frequently asked questions below.  We are providing this link to the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) COVID19 website for your convenience https://www.health.nd.gov/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/north-dakota-coronavirus-cases .  As we update our information, here are a few guidelines we will be following.

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the North Dakota Department of Health.
• We will not be identifying employees, residents or patients who test positive due to confidentiality.
• All employees who are ill are not allowed to work for 14 days and will need two negative COVID-19 tests prior to return to work.
• We will not give information on resident deaths due to confidentiality.

Here are the latest COVIDD-19 numbers.  We may add or subtract cases as new test results arrive and, due to the timing of the results, they may not be reflected on the State website at the time of this posting.  At Bethany we require two negative COVID-19 tests before we consider someone to be COVID-19 free.  This may mean that we keep someone in isolation a little longer than what the State website would count as a positive case—meaning we are being extremely cautious before considering someone COVID-19 free.

Sincerely,

Shawn Stuhaug, CEO

Frequently Asked Questions:

What have you done to decrease the risk of COVID-19 for residents and educate family members?

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the North Dakota Department of Health.
• Among the first acts undertaken to limit potential exposure was to restrict visitors and lock the entrances to Bethany buildings. Only limited access to family members is granted on a case-by-case basis for compassionate reasons such as end of life.
• All visitors are screened as they enter the buildings.

• The Bethany website has been enhanced by adding a “Coronavirus Information” tab to share up-to-date information about the pandemic in general and at Bethany Retirement Living.

• Numerous emails have been sent to families from our Social Services team.
• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages have been distributed by the CEO for education to family member primary contact.
• Letters have been mailed to primary Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) resident contacts, SNF residents without dementia/memory issues, and residents of Towers, Gables and Grace Pointe.

• All potential admissions are screened for symptoms and fever.
• All SNF admissions are initially processed through one unit (TCU) with increased monitoring of potential symptoms.
• A negative COVID test is required for all new admissions or for hospital returns.
• Bethany may admit COVID positive residents periodically if we have a COVID-positive area set up.
• Screening of all SNF residents occurs two times/day and, at times, three times/day. Symptoms monitored include a full set of vital signs along with the observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Screening of all Assisted Living and Basic Care residents occurs daily and, at times, two times/day. Symptoms to monitor include temperature, pulse and O2 stats along with observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Resident Activities of Daily Living (ADL) sheets are updated to include prompts for hand sanitizing of resident hands and resident mask placement.
• All non-emergent resident appointments are being decreased or canceled.
• No group activities are scheduled.
• Residents are required to stay in their own rooms.
• No therapy is being conducted in the therapy/wellness centers. Individual therapy sessions are being done in the resident rooms.
• No communal dining for SNF residents unless the resident eating in their room is a safety risk.
• No communal dining for Towers or Gables assisted living residents.
• Use of masks is encouraged for all residents.
• Use of hand sanitizer is encouraged for each resident interaction.

Telemedicine is encouraged.

• Each Bethany campus has a designated Infection Preventionist to provide surveillance and oversight.
• Visual alerts such as signage and posters have been added throughout the facility to encourage hand sanitizing for both residents and staff.

What have you done to educate staff and decrease the risk of COVID-19?

• See above question above as some information applies to both questions.

• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages to staff related to education.
• Several YouTube Videos (10 total) that have been produced and sent to ALL staff cell phones.
• Educational videos and verbal education are reviewed at shift change/daily huddles etc.
• Mandatory Healthcare Academy Education on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Hand Hygiene, COVID-19 and infection prevention have been assigned and made mandatory for all employees.
• Surveillance and auditing of employees is being conducted to ensure proper use of PPE and handwashing is occurring.
• Hand sanitizer is required for all nursing staff to have on the person (this is not new, but an uncommon practice for most SNFs).
• Facemasks are required for staff when in resident areas.
• Facemask and face shield requirements have been enhanced as guidance has evolved.
• Employees are monitored for Covid-19 symptoms at the start of each shift, as well as with staff that call in ill prior to their shift. A detailed spreadsheet enables close tracking of all employees with symptoms and tracks adherence to the Return-to-Work guidance from the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH).
• A daily phone call is placed to all employees that have been taken off the schedule due to Covid-19 symptoms.
• ALL employees are requested to limit employment to “Bethany Only” or be removed from schedules until the COVID-19 crisis has passed. This was a difficult decision for both Bethany and our staff, but the risk of infection when working many different jobs and coming in contact with many different people works against the concept of social distancing to limit the spread.
• A COVID-19 Leadership team meets three times weekly to discuss PPE supply and to analyze additional vendors for increased PPE supply, new guidance on COVID-19, etc.
• Meetings are held five days a week to discuss employees who are furloughed and their plans for return to work.
• Leadership team members are on-call 24 hours per day/7 days a week to deal with employee and family questions and concerns.
• Weekly meetings and/or conference calls/webinars/education reviews are held with the NDDoH, Centers for Disease Control, Public Health, ND Long Term Care Association, and American Health Care Association.
• Contact tracing if/when applicable is coordinated with the ND Department of Health.
• Excess chairs have been removed in our break room areas to limit tables to two staff members at a table only. Additional space has been opened up for employee breaks to allow for social distancing.
• Visual alerts such as signs and posters have been added throughout all buildings that encourage staff hand hygiene, resident hand hygiene and proper use of PPE.
• Increased hand hygiene stations have been installed throughout all buildings.

We have received notification that a resident at Bethany has tested positive for COVID-19 and we have the following questions.

Will all residents now be tested?

• Resident testing (mass surveillance testing of all residents) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health. A resident that is symptomatic is tested at the direction of the resident’s physician.

Will all staff be tested?

• Bethany employees complete a health screening at the start of their shift. If an employee triggers a concern on the health screening, they are immediately removed from the schedule.   A Bethany staff member then works with the employee on symptom monitoring, communication with their physician and return to work protocol.
• Staff testing (mass surveillance testing of all staff) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health.

Will COVID-19 positive residents be taken to the hospital?

• A transfer to the hospital is coordinated by the resident’s physician, Bethany staff and the ND Department of Health. Residents who have in a decline in health status may be transferred to the hospital as directed by their physician.  Bethany would call 911 in an emergency situation.

July 17, 2020 | 8:00 am

Bethany Moving to INDOOR Visitation

Bethany Retirement Living will soon be moving away from outdoor visits, starting July 20^th, 2020.  Instead of doing outdoor visits, we highly encourage family members to take advantage of the indoor visitation schedule.  Bethany staff feels that indoor visits have many more advantages over outdoor visits, such as offering a more controlled environment without any variable weather conditions (rain, wind, extreme heat, etc.).  Indoor visitation allows for a more comfortable seating arrangement for the resident and their family as well as easier access to hand hygiene and PPE.  Indoor visits also offer less background noise, a quieter environment, and more privacy for one-to-one visitation.  Please also note that indoor visits are set for a longer time frame as we allow family members to visit for up to an hour versus a half hour for outdoor visits.

Please see the attached schedule for indoor visitation hours.  You do not need to make an appointment to visit during these designated visitation times.

July 1, 2020 | 8:00 am

Bethany Moving to Phase 2 Visitation

Dear Family and Friends of Bethany Retirement Living:

We are pleased to announce we are moving to Phase 2 visitation based on criteria established by the Vulnerable Population Protection Plan (VP3) task force and the recommendations of the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH).

Once a facility enters Phase 2, visitation within the facility may be scheduled, and non-medically necessary trips outside the building may occur with the utilization of masks among residents and staff.

Each service area within Bethany Retirement Living has its own unique visitation guidelines.  Please click on the link to the information specific to the area in which your loved one resides.

Please note that outdoor visitation requirements remain the same.

July 2, 2020 | 8:00 am

Bethany Retirement Living FAQs and COVID-19 Cases as of 7/2/2020, 8:00 am

Dear families and friends of Bethany Retirement Living:

We conducted 1,049 swab tests on Monday, June 29th, for residents and staff at both Bethany on 42^nd and Bethany on University.   There were 4 new cases between both facilities.  One resident at Bethany on University-Skilled Care, one resident at Bethany Towers Basic Care, one resident at Bethany on 42^nd Skilled Care and one employee at Bethany on 42^nd.  Bethany nursing staff, in coordination with the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDOH), will continue conducting COVID-19 surveillance swab testing on all skilled care, basic care, assisted living and independent living residents and staff at Bethany on University and Bethany on 42^nd.  Ongoing testing is an important step to comply with the nursing home reopening guidelines recently published by the North Dakota Department of Health.

Testing will be conducted again on July 13^th, July 27^th, August 10^th and August 24^th.  Employee testing will begin at 5:30am and conclude at 5:30pm.  Resident testing will take place in the residents’ rooms and will be coordinated by the Skilled Care and Assisted Living/Basic Care nursing teams.  Employee testing will be drive-through at Bethany on 42^nd.

It is anticipated test results will be returned within 48-72 hours. Bethany staff will attempt to contact all residents, regardless of the results, but will prioritize positive test calls. The test is free of charge. If you have any questions or concerns about the test, please contact the social worker or unit manager in Skilled Care or the Nurse in Assisted Living/Basic Care.

At Bethany, if an employee tests positive for COVID-19, they are immediately removed from the schedule and told to quarantine at home until they have two negative test results.

Bethany will continue to provide updates via e-mail and our website as our COVID-19 cases change.  You are also able to call us with any questions.  Please refer to the frequently asked questions below.  We are providing this link to the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) COVID19 website for your convenience https://www.health.nd.gov/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/north-dakota-coronavirus-cases .  As we update our information, here are a few guidelines we will be following.

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the North Dakota Department of Health.
• We will not be identifying employees, residents or patients who test positive due to confidentiality.
• All employees who are ill are not allowed to work for 14 days and will need two negative COVID-19 tests prior to return to work.
• We will not give information on resident deaths due to confidentiality.

Here are the latest COVIDD-19 numbers as reported on the North Dakota Department of Health website.  We also added the new resident cases.  At Bethany we require two negative COVID-19 tests before we consider someone to be COVID-19 free.  This may mean that we keep someone is isolation a little longer than what the State website would count as a positive case—meaning we are being extremely cautious before considering someone COVID-19 free.

Sincerely,

Shawn Stuhaug, CEO

Frequently Asked Questions:

What have you done to decrease the risk of COVID-19 for residents and educate family members?

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the North Dakota Department of Health.
• Among the first acts undertaken to limit potential exposure was to restrict visitors and lock the entrances to Bethany buildings. Only limited access to family members is granted on a case-by-case basis for compassionate reasons such as end of life.
• All visitors are screened as they enter the buildings.

• The Bethany website has been enhanced by adding a “Coronavirus Information” tab to share up-to-date information about the pandemic in general and at Bethany Retirement Living.

• Numerous emails have been sent to families from our Social Services team.
• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages have been distributed by the CEO for education to family member primary contact.
• Letters have been mailed to primary Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) resident contacts, SNF residents without dementia/memory issues, and residents of Towers, Gables and Grace Pointe.

• All potential admissions are screened for symptoms and fever.
• All SNF admissions are initially processed through one unit (TCU) with increased monitoring of potential symptoms.
• A negative COVID test is required for all new admissions or for hospital returns.
• Bethany may admit COVID positive residents periodically if we have a COVID-positive area set up.
• Screening of all SNF residents occurs two times/day and, at times, three times/day. Symptoms monitored include a full set of vital signs along with the observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Screening of all Assisted Living and Basic Care residents occurs daily and, at times, two times/day. Symptoms to monitor include temperature, pulse and O2 stats along with observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Resident Activities of Daily Living (ADL) sheets are updated to include prompts for hand sanitizing of resident hands and resident mask placement.
• All non-emergent resident appointments are being decreased or canceled.
• No group activities are scheduled.
• Residents are required to stay in their own rooms.
• No therapy is being conducted in the therapy/wellness centers. Individual therapy sessions are being done in the resident rooms.
• No communal dining for SNF residents unless the resident eating in their room is a safety risk.
• No communal dining for Towers or Gables assisted living residents.
• Use of masks is encouraged for all residents.
• Use of hand sanitizer is encouraged for each resident interaction.

Telemedicine is encouraged.

• Each Bethany campus has a designated Infection Preventionist to provide surveillance and oversight.
• Visual alerts such as signage and posters have been added throughout the facility to encourage hand sanitizing for both residents and staff.

What have you done to educate staff and decrease the risk of COVID-19?

• See above question above as some information applies to both questions.

• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages to staff related to education.
• Several YouTube Videos (10 total) that have been produced and sent to ALL staff cell phones.
• Educational videos and verbal education are reviewed at shift change/daily huddles etc.
• Mandatory Healthcare Academy Education on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Hand Hygiene, COVID-19 and infection prevention have been assigned and made mandatory for all employees.
• Surveillance and auditing of employees is being conducted to ensure proper use of PPE and handwashing is occurring.
• Hand sanitizer is required for all nursing staff to have on the person (this is not new, but an uncommon practice for most SNFs).
• Facemasks are required for staff when in resident areas.
• Facemask and face shield requirements have been enhanced as guidance has evolved.
• Employees are monitored for Covid-19 symptoms at the start of each shift, as well as with staff that call in ill prior to their shift. A detailed spreadsheet enables close tracking of all employees with symptoms and tracks adherence to the Return-to-Work guidance from the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH).
• A daily phone call is placed to all employees that have been taken off the schedule due to Covid-19 symptoms.
• ALL employees are requested to limit employment to “Bethany Only” or be removed from schedules until the COVID-19 crisis has passed. This was a difficult decision for both Bethany and our staff, but the risk of infection when working many different jobs and coming in contact with many different people works against the concept of social distancing to limit the spread.
• A COVID-19 Leadership team meets three times weekly to discuss PPE supply and to analyze additional vendors for increased PPE supply, new guidance on COVID-19, etc.
• Meetings are held five days a week to discuss employees who are furloughed and their plans for return to work.
• Leadership team members are on-call 24 hours per day/7 days a week to deal with employee and family questions and concerns.
• Weekly meetings and/or conference calls/webinars/education reviews are held with the NDDoH, Centers for Disease Control, Public Health, ND Long Term Care Association, and American Health Care Association.
• Contact tracing if/when applicable is coordinated with the ND Department of Health.
• Excess chairs have been removed in our break room areas to limit tables to two staff members at a table only. Additional space has been opened up for employee breaks to allow for social distancing.
• Visual alerts such as signs and posters have been added throughout all buildings that encourage staff hand hygiene, resident hand hygiene and proper use of PPE.
• Increased hand hygiene stations have been installed throughout all buildings.

We have received notification that a resident at Bethany has tested positive for COVID-19 and we have the following questions.

Will all residents now be tested?

• Resident testing (mass surveillance testing of all residents) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health. A resident that is symptomatic is tested at the direction of the resident’s physician.

Will all staff be tested?

• Bethany employees complete a health screening at the start of their shift. If an employee triggers a concern on the health screening, they are immediately removed from the schedule.   A Bethany staff member then works with the employee on symptom monitoring, communication with their physician and return to work protocol.
• Staff testing (mass surveillance testing of all staff) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health.

Will COVID-19 positive residents be taken to the hospital?

• A transfer to the hospital is coordinated by the resident’s physician, Bethany staff and the ND Department of Health. Residents who have in a decline in health status may be transferred to the hospital as directed by their physician.  Bethany would call 911 in an emergency situation.

June 25, 2020 | 2:00 pm

Bethany Retirement Living FAQs and COVID-19 Cases as of 6/25/20 2:00pm:

Dear families and friends of Bethany Retirement Living:

We conducted 1,042 swab tests on Monday, June 22nd, for residents and staff at both Bethany on 42^nd and Bethany on University.   There were 3 new staff cases at Bethany on University, one new resident case at Bethany Towers Assisted Living and one new staff case at Bethany on 42^nd.  Bethany nursing staff, in coordination with the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDOH), will continue conducting COVID-19 surveillance swab testing on all skilled care, basic care, assisted living and independent living residents and staff at Bethany on University and Bethany on 42^nd.  Ongoing testing is an important step to comply with the nursing home reopening guidelines recently published by the North Dakota Department of Health.

Testing will be conducted again on June 29^th, July 13^th, July 27^th, August 10^th and August 24^th.  Employee testing will begin at 5:30am and conclude at 5:30pm.  Resident testing will take place in the residents’ rooms and will be coordinated by the Skilled Care and Assisted Living/Basic Care nursing teams.  Employee testing will be drive-through at Bethany on 42^nd.

It is anticipated test results will be returned within 48-72 hours. Bethany staff will attempt to contact all residents, regardless of the results, but will prioritize positive test calls. The test is free of charge. If you have any questions or concerns about the test, please contact the social worker or unit manager in Skilled Care or the Nurse in Assisted Living/Basic Care.  At this time, we have no active resident cases at Bethany on 42^nd Skilled Care, Bethany on University Skilled Care, Bethany Gables or Bethany Towers Basic Care.

At Bethany, if an employee tests positive for COVID-19, they are immediately removed from the schedule and told to quarantine at home until they have two negative test results.

Bethany will continue to provide updates via e-mail and our website as our COVID-19 cases change.  You are also able to call us with any questions.  Please refer to the frequently asked questions below.  We are providing this link to the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) COVID19 website for your convenience https://www.health.nd.gov/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/north-dakota-coronavirus-cases .  As we update our information, here are a few guidelines we will be following.

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the North Dakota Department of Health.
• We will not be identifying employees, residents or patients who test positive due to confidentiality.
• All employees who are ill are not allowed to work for 14 days and will need two negative COVID-19 tests prior to return to work.
• We will not give information on resident deaths due to confidentiality.

Here are the latest COVIDD-19 numbers as reported on the North Dakota Department of Health website.  We also added the new resident case.  At Bethany we require two negative COVID-19 tests before we consider someone to be COVID-19 free.  This may mean that we keep someone is isolation a little longer than what the State website would count as a positive case—meaning we are being extremely cautious before considering someone COVID-19 free.

Facility Name                                                  County             City               Facility Bed Size          Current Active Positive Residents         Current Active Positive Staff           Facility type of positive Resident

Bethany Towers               Cass       Fargo       133                                                                     1                     0        Assisted

Bethany on 42nd              Cass       Fargo       116                           0                                        2                     Skilled

Bethany on University   Cass       Fargo       172                                                                     0                     4        Skilled

Sincerely,

Shawn Stuhaug, CEO

Frequently Asked Questions:

What have you done to decrease the risk of COVID-19 for residents and educate family members?

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the North Dakota Department of Health.
• Among the first acts undertaken to limit potential exposure was to restrict visitors and lock the entrances to Bethany buildings. Only limited access to family members is granted on a case-by-case basis for compassionate reasons such as end of life.
• All visitors are screened as they enter the buildings.

• The Bethany website has been enhanced by adding a “Coronavirus Information” tab to share up-to-date information about the pandemic in general and at Bethany Retirement Living.

• Numerous emails have been sent to families from our Social Services team.
• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages have been distributed by the CEO for education to family member primary contact.
• Letters have been mailed to primary Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) resident contacts, SNF residents without dementia/memory issues, and residents of Towers, Gables and Grace Pointe.

• All potential admissions are screened for symptoms and fever.
• All SNF admissions are initially processed through one unit (TCU) with increased monitoring of potential symptoms.
• A negative COVID test is required for all new admissions or for hospital returns.
• Bethany may admit COVID positive residents periodically if we have a COVID-positive area set up.
• Screening of all SNF residents occurs two times/day and, at times, three times/day. Symptoms monitored include a full set of vital signs along with the observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Screening of all Assisted Living and Basic Care residents occurs daily and, at times, two times/day. Symptoms to monitor include temperature, pulse and O2 stats along with observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Resident Activities of Daily Living (ADL) sheets are updated to include prompts for hand sanitizing of resident hands and resident mask placement.
• All non-emergent resident appointments are being decreased or canceled.
• No group activities are scheduled.
• Residents are required to stay in their own rooms.
• No therapy is being conducted in the therapy/wellness centers. Individual therapy sessions are being done in the resident rooms.
• No communal dining for SNF residents unless the resident eating in their room is a safety risk.
• No communal dining for Towers or Gables assisted living residents.
• Use of masks is encouraged for all residents.
• Use of hand sanitizer is encouraged for each resident interaction.

Telemedicine is encouraged.

• Each Bethany campus has a designated Infection Preventionist to provide surveillance and oversight.
• Visual alerts such as signage and posters have been added throughout the facility to encourage hand sanitizing for both residents and staff.

What have you done to educate staff and decrease the risk of COVID-19?

• See above question above as some information applies to both questions.

• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages to staff related to education.
• Several YouTube Videos (10 total) that have been produced and sent to ALL staff cell phones.
• Educational videos and verbal education are reviewed at shift change/daily huddles etc.
• Mandatory Healthcare Academy Education on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Hand Hygiene, COVID-19 and infection prevention have been assigned and made mandatory for all employees.
• Surveillance and auditing of employees is being conducted to ensure proper use of PPE and handwashing is occurring.
• Hand sanitizer is required for all nursing staff to have on the person (this is not new, but an uncommon practice for most SNFs).
• Facemasks are required for staff when in resident areas.
• Facemask and face shield requirements have been enhanced as guidance has evolved.
• Employees are monitored for Covid-19 symptoms at the start of each shift, as well as with staff that call in ill prior to their shift. A detailed spreadsheet enables close tracking of all employees with symptoms and tracks adherence to the Return-to-Work guidance from the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH).
• A daily phone call is placed to all employees that have been taken off the schedule due to Covid-19 symptoms.
• ALL employees are requested to limit employment to “Bethany Only” or be removed from schedules until the COVID-19 crisis has passed. This was a difficult decision for both Bethany and our staff, but the risk of infection when working many different jobs and coming in contact with many different people works against the concept of social distancing to limit the spread.
• A COVID-19 Leadership team meets three times weekly to discuss PPE supply and to analyze additional vendors for increased PPE supply, new guidance on COVID-19, etc.
• Meetings are held five days a week to discuss employees who are furloughed and their plans for return to work.
• Leadership team members are on-call 24 hours per day/7 days a week to deal with employee and family questions and concerns.
• Weekly meetings and/or conference calls/webinars/education reviews are held with the NDDoH, Centers for Disease Control, Public Health, ND Long Term Care Association, and American Health Care Association.
• Contact tracing if/when applicable is coordinated with the ND Department of Health.
• Excess chairs have been removed in our break room areas to limit tables to two staff members at a table only. Additional space has been opened up for employee breaks to allow for social distancing.
• Visual alerts such as signs and posters have been added throughout all buildings that encourage staff hand hygiene, resident hand hygiene and proper use of PPE.
• Increased hand hygiene stations have been installed throughout all buildings.

We have received notification that a resident at Bethany has tested positive for COVID-19 and we have the following questions.

Will all residents now be tested?

• Resident testing (mass surveillance testing of all residents) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health. A resident that is symptomatic is tested at the direction of the resident’s physician.

Will all staff be tested?

• Bethany employees complete a health screening at the start of their shift. If an employee triggers a concern on the health screening, they are immediately removed from the schedule.   A Bethany staff member then works with the employee on symptom monitoring, communication with their physician and return to work protocol.
• Staff testing (mass surveillance testing of all staff) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health.

Will COVID-19 positive residents be taken to the hospital?

• A transfer to the hospital is coordinated by the resident’s physician, Bethany staff and the ND Department of Health. Residents who have in a decline in health status may be transferred to the hospital as directed by their physician.  Bethany would call 911 in an emergency situation.

June 24, 2020 | 10:30 am

Phase 1 visitation in progress with plan on moving to Phase 2 in the next 10-14 days.

On June 5^th, Gov. Doug Burgum signed an executive order that modifies restrictions on visitation at long-term care facilities in North Dakota during the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing for a three phased approach to resuming visitation as outlined in the state’s Vulnerable Population Protection Plan (VP3).  Bethany was given approval to move into Phase 1 and we are now making plans to move into Phase 2 later next week if we are given approval from the State of North Dakota VP3 Taskforce.

Phase 1 allows for limited group activities, but residents must practice social distancing.  Scheduled outdoor visits may occur between residents and their families while exercising social distancing.  Anyone visiting must wear clean face masks, stay 6 feet apart and perform proper hand hygiene.  Please contact the Director of Community Life to set up a Skilled Care outside visit or call the Towers or Gables desk to schedule an assisted living or basic care outside visit.

Once a facility enters Phase 2, visitation within the facility may be scheduled, and non-medically necessary trips outside the building may occur with the utilization of masks among residents and staff.  Visitations will be restricted to one visitor per resident.  Both the visitor and the resident will be required to wear mask and visitors also adding a face shield.  We strongly encourage all family members to get into the habit of being tested for COVID-19 weekly or as often as offered by the ND Department of Health and Cass County Public Health.  (Outdoor drive-up testing will take place in the west parking lot of the FARGODOME from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday, June 25 and Friday, June 26.)  Once visitation in Phase 2 is allowed, we will ask visitors if they have been tested recently.  If visitors have not been regularly tested, we will change from allowing visitation in a resident’s room to a common space far away from all of the residents’ living area to prevent touching of handrails, door knobs, furniture and other high touch areas residents use.  We cannot risk a massive outbreak in our facilities as we introduce hundreds of people into our buildings.  Many residents who live at Bethany have underlying health conditions, so please take advantage of testing when you have the opportunity.

We conducted 1,042 COVID-19 swab tests on Monday, June 22nd, for residents and staff at both Bethany on 42^nd and Bethany on University.  The results should be in by Thursday, June 25^th.  Our next round of testing is next Monday, June 29^th for both residents and employees.  We will be moving from every week testing to every other week testing in July, so our testing dates will be Monday, July 13^th and Monday, July 29^th.  We will be posting updated information after we receive our testing results.

June 17, 2020 |3:30 PM

Bethany Retirement Living FAQs and COVID-19 Cases as of 6/17/20 2:00pm

Dear families and friends of Bethany Retirement Living:

We received great results from the 1042 COVID-19 swab tests completed on Monday, June 15^th, for residents and staff at both Bethany on 42^nd and Bethany on University.   There were only two new staff cases and one new resident case at Bethany on University-Skilled Care.  The resident was a recent admission from the hospital and was only with us for a very short time, he/she most likely contracted COVID-19 before their stay with us and he/she is already discharging home today.   Bethany nursing staff, in coordination with the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDOH), will continue conducting COVID-19 surveillance swab testing on all skilled care, basic care, assisted living and independent living residents and staff at Bethany on University and Bethany on 42^nd every Monday in June.  Ongoing testing is an important step to comply with the nursing home reopening guidelines recently published by the North Dakota Department of Health.

Testing will be conducted every remaining Monday in June—June 22^nd and 29^th.  Employee testing will begin at 5:30am and conclude at 5:30pm.  Resident testing will take place in the residents’ rooms and will be coordinated by the Skilled Care and Assisted Living/Basic Care nursing teams.  Employee testing will be drive-through at Bethany on 42^nd.

It is anticipated test results will be returned within 48-72 hours. Bethany staff will attempt to contact all residents, regardless of the results, but will prioritize positive test calls. The test is free of charge. If you have any questions or concerns about the test, please contact the social worker or unit manager in Skilled Care or the Nurse in Assisted Living/Basic Care.  At this time, we have no active resident cases at Bethany on 42^nd Skilled Care, Bethany Gables or Bethany Towers-Basic Care.

At Bethany, if an employee tests positive for COVID-19, they are immediately removed from the schedule and told to quarantine at home until they have two negative test results.

Bethany will continue to provide updates via e-mail and our website as our COVID-19 cases change.  You are also able to call us with any questions.  Please refer to the frequently asked questions below.  We are providing this link to the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) COVID19 website for your convenience https://www.health.nd.gov/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/north-dakota-coronavirus-cases .  As we update our information, here are a few guidelines we will be following.

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the North Dakota Department of Health.
• We will not be identifying employees, residents or patients who test positive due to confidentiality.
• All employees who are ill are not allowed to work for 14 days and will need two negative COVID-19 tests prior to return to work.
• We will not give information on resident deaths due to confidentiality.

Here are the latest COVIDD-19 numbers as reported on the North Dakota Department of Health website.  We also added the new resident case.  At Bethany we require two negative COVID-19 tests before we consider someone to be COVID-19 free.  This may mean that we keep someone is isolation a little longer than what the State website would count as a positive case—meaning we are being extremely cautious before considering someone COVID-19 free.

Facility Name                                                  County             City               Facility Bed Size          Current Active Positive Residents         Current Active Positive Staff           Facility type of positive Resident

Bethany Towers               Cass       Fargo       133                                                                     0                     0        Assisted

Bethany on 42nd              Cass       Fargo       116                           0                                        2                     Skilled

Bethany on University   Cass       Fargo       172                                                                     1                     1        Skilled

Sincerely,

Shawn Stuhaug, CEO

Frequently Asked Questions:

What have you done to decrease the risk of COVID-19 for residents and educate family members?

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the North Dakota Department of Health.
• Among the first acts undertaken to limit potential exposure was to restrict visitors and lock the entrances to Bethany buildings. Only limited access to family members is granted on a case-by-case basis for compassionate reasons such as end of life.
• All visitors are screened as they enter the buildings.

• The Bethany website has been enhanced by adding a “Coronavirus Information” tab to share up-to-date information about the pandemic in general and at Bethany Retirement Living.

• Numerous emails have been sent to families from our Social Services team.
• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages have been distributed by the CEO for education to family member primary contact.
• Letters have been mailed to primary Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) resident contacts, SNF residents without dementia/memory issues, and residents of Towers, Gables and Grace Pointe.

• All potential admissions are screened for symptoms and fever.
• All SNF admissions are initially processed through one unit (TCU) with increased monitoring of potential symptoms.
• A negative COVID test is required for all new admissions or for hospital returns.
• Bethany may admit COVID positive residents periodically if we have a COVID-positive area set up.
• Screening of all SNF residents occurs two times/day and, at times, three times/day. Symptoms monitored include a full set of vital signs along with the observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Screening of all Assisted Living and Basic Care residents occurs daily and, at times, two times/day. Symptoms to monitor include temperature, pulse and O2 stats along with observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Resident Activities of Daily Living (ADL) sheets are updated to include prompts for hand sanitizing of resident hands and resident mask placement.
• All non-emergent resident appointments are being decreased or canceled.
• No group activities are scheduled.
• Residents are required to stay in their own rooms.
• No therapy is being conducted in the therapy/wellness centers. Individual therapy sessions are being done in the resident rooms.
• No communal dining for SNF residents unless the resident eating in their room is a safety risk.
• No communal dining for Towers or Gables assisted living residents.
• Use of masks is encouraged for all residents.
• Use of hand sanitizer is encouraged for each resident interaction.

Telemedicine is encouraged.

• Each Bethany campus has a designated Infection Preventionist to provide surveillance and oversight.
• Visual alerts such as signage and posters have been added throughout the facility to encourage hand sanitizing for both residents and staff.

What have you done to educate staff and decrease the risk of COVID-19?

• See above question above as some information applies to both questions.

• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages to staff related to education.
• Several YouTube Videos (10 total) that have been produced and sent to ALL staff cell phones.
• Educational videos and verbal education are reviewed at shift change/daily huddles etc.
• Mandatory Healthcare Academy Education on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Hand Hygiene, COVID-19 and infection prevention have been assigned and made mandatory for all employees.
• Surveillance and auditing of employees is being conducted to ensure proper use of PPE and handwashing is occurring.
• Hand sanitizer is required for all nursing staff to have on the person (this is not new, but an uncommon practice for most SNFs).
• Facemasks are required for staff when in resident areas.
• Facemask and face shield requirements have been enhanced as guidance has evolved.
• Employees are monitored for Covid-19 symptoms at the start of each shift, as well as with staff that call in ill prior to their shift. A detailed spreadsheet enables close tracking of all employees with symptoms and tracks adherence to the Return-to-Work guidance from the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH).
• A daily phone call is placed to all employees that have been taken off the schedule due to Covid-19 symptoms.
• ALL employees are requested to limit employment to “Bethany Only” or be removed from schedules until the COVID-19 crisis has passed. This was a difficult decision for both Bethany and our staff, but the risk of infection when working many different jobs and coming in contact with many different people works against the concept of social distancing to limit the spread.
• A COVID-19 Leadership team meets three times weekly to discuss PPE supply and to analyze additional vendors for increased PPE supply, new guidance on COVID-19, etc.
• Meetings are held five days a week to discuss employees who are furloughed and their plans for return to work.
• Leadership team members are on-call 24 hours per day/7 days a week to deal with employee and family questions and concerns.
• Weekly meetings and/or conference calls/webinars/education reviews are held with the NDDoH, Centers for Disease Control, Public Health, ND Long Term Care Association, and American Health Care Association.
• Contact tracing if/when applicable is coordinated with the ND Department of Health.
• Excess chairs have been removed in our break room areas to limit tables to two staff members at a table only. Additional space has been opened up for employee breaks to allow for social distancing.
• Visual alerts such as signs and posters have been added throughout all buildings that encourage staff hand hygiene, resident hand hygiene and proper use of PPE.
• Increased hand hygiene stations have been installed throughout all buildings.

We have received notification that a resident at Bethany has tested positive for COVID-19 and we have the following questions.

Will all residents now be tested?

• Resident testing (mass surveillance testing of all residents) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health. A resident that is symptomatic is tested at the direction of the resident’s physician.

Will all staff be tested?

• Bethany employees complete a health screening at the start of their shift. If an employee triggers a concern on the health screening, they are immediately removed from the schedule.   A Bethany staff member then works with the employee on symptom monitoring, communication with their physician and return to work protocol.
• Staff testing (mass surveillance testing of all staff) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health.

Will COVID-19 positive residents be taken to the hospital?

• A transfer to the hospital is coordinated by the resident’s physician, Bethany staff and the ND Department of Health. Residents who have in a decline in health status may be transferred to the hospital as directed by their physician.  Bethany would call 911 in an emergency situation.

June 17, 2020 |3:30 PM

Bethany Retirement Living FAQs and COVID-19 Cases as of 6/17/20 2:00pm

Dear families and friends of Bethany Retirement Living:

We received great results from the 1042 COVID-19 swab tests completed on Monday, June 15^th, for residents and staff at both Bethany on 42^nd and Bethany on University.   There were only two new staff cases and one new resident case at Bethany on University-Skilled Care.  The resident was a recent admission from the hospital and was only with us for a very short time, he/she most likely contracted COVID-19 before their stay with us and he/she is already discharging home today.   Bethany nursing staff, in coordination with the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDOH), will continue conducting COVID-19 surveillance swab testing on all skilled care, basic care, assisted living and independent living residents and staff at Bethany on University and Bethany on 42^nd every Monday in June.  Ongoing testing is an important step to comply with the nursing home reopening guidelines recently published by the North Dakota Department of Health.

Testing will be conducted every remaining Monday in June—June 22^nd and 29^th.  Employee testing will begin at 5:30am and conclude at 5:30pm.  Resident testing will take place in the residents’ rooms and will be coordinated by the Skilled Care and Assisted Living/Basic Care nursing teams.  Employee testing will be drive-through at Bethany on 42^nd.

It is anticipated test results will be returned within 48-72 hours. Bethany staff will attempt to contact all residents, regardless of the results, but will prioritize positive test calls. The test is free of charge. If you have any questions or concerns about the test, please contact the social worker or unit manager in Skilled Care or the Nurse in Assisted Living/Basic Care.  At this time, we have no active resident cases at Bethany on 42^nd Skilled Care, Bethany Gables or Bethany Towers-Basic Care.

At Bethany, if an employee tests positive for COVID-19, they are immediately removed from the schedule and told to quarantine at home until they have two negative test results.

Bethany will continue to provide updates via e-mail and our website as our COVID-19 cases change.  You are also able to call us with any questions.  Please refer to the frequently asked questions below.  We are providing this link to the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) COVID19 website for your convenience https://www.health.nd.gov/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/north-dakota-coronavirus-cases .  As we update our information, here are a few guidelines we will be following.

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the North Dakota Department of Health.
• We will not be identifying employees, residents or patients who test positive due to confidentiality.
• All employees who are ill are not allowed to work for 14 days and will need two negative COVID-19 tests prior to return to work.
• We will not give information on resident deaths due to confidentiality.

Here are the latest COVIDD-19 numbers as reported on the North Dakota Department of Health website.  We also added the new resident case.  At Bethany we require two negative COVID-19 tests before we consider someone to be COVID-19 free.  This may mean that we keep someone is isolation a little longer than what the State website would count as a positive case—meaning we are being extremely cautious before considering someone COVID-19 free.

Facility Name                                                  County             City               Facility Bed Size          Current Active Positive Residents         Current Active Positive Staff           Facility type of positive Resident

Bethany Towers               Cass       Fargo       133                                                                     0                     0        Assisted

Bethany on 42nd              Cass       Fargo       116                           0                                        2                     Skilled

Bethany on University   Cass       Fargo       172                                                                     1                     1        Skilled

Sincerely,

Shawn Stuhaug, CEO

Frequently Asked Questions:

What have you done to decrease the risk of COVID-19 for residents and educate family members?

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the North Dakota Department of Health.
• Among the first acts undertaken to limit potential exposure was to restrict visitors and lock the entrances to Bethany buildings. Only limited access to family members is granted on a case-by-case basis for compassionate reasons such as end of life.
• All visitors are screened as they enter the buildings.

• The Bethany website has been enhanced by adding a “Coronavirus Information” tab to share up-to-date information about the pandemic in general and at Bethany Retirement Living.

• Numerous emails have been sent to families from our Social Services team.
• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages have been distributed by the CEO for education to family member primary contact.
• Letters have been mailed to primary Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) resident contacts, SNF residents without dementia/memory issues, and residents of Towers, Gables and Grace Pointe.

• All potential admissions are screened for symptoms and fever.
• All SNF admissions are initially processed through one unit (TCU) with increased monitoring of potential symptoms.
• A negative COVID test is required for all new admissions or for hospital returns.
• Bethany may admit COVID positive residents periodically if we have a COVID-positive area set up.
• Screening of all SNF residents occurs two times/day and, at times, three times/day. Symptoms monitored include a full set of vital signs along with the observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Screening of all Assisted Living and Basic Care residents occurs daily and, at times, two times/day. Symptoms to monitor include temperature, pulse and O2 stats along with observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Resident Activities of Daily Living (ADL) sheets are updated to include prompts for hand sanitizing of resident hands and resident mask placement.
• All non-emergent resident appointments are being decreased or canceled.
• No group activities are scheduled.
• Residents are required to stay in their own rooms.
• No therapy is being conducted in the therapy/wellness centers. Individual therapy sessions are being done in the resident rooms.
• No communal dining for SNF residents unless the resident eating in their room is a safety risk.
• No communal dining for Towers or Gables assisted living residents.
• Use of masks is encouraged for all residents.
• Use of hand sanitizer is encouraged for each resident interaction.

Telemedicine is encouraged.

• Each Bethany campus has a designated Infection Preventionist to provide surveillance and oversight.
• Visual alerts such as signage and posters have been added throughout the facility to encourage hand sanitizing for both residents and staff.

What have you done to educate staff and decrease the risk of COVID-19?

• See above question above as some information applies to both questions.

• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages to staff related to education.
• Several YouTube Videos (10 total) that have been produced and sent to ALL staff cell phones.
• Educational videos and verbal education are reviewed at shift change/daily huddles etc.
• Mandatory Healthcare Academy Education on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Hand Hygiene, COVID-19 and infection prevention have been assigned and made mandatory for all employees.
• Surveillance and auditing of employees is being conducted to ensure proper use of PPE and handwashing is occurring.
• Hand sanitizer is required for all nursing staff to have on the person (this is not new, but an uncommon practice for most SNFs).
• Facemasks are required for staff when in resident areas.
• Facemask and face shield requirements have been enhanced as guidance has evolved.
• Employees are monitored for Covid-19 symptoms at the start of each shift, as well as with staff that call in ill prior to their shift. A detailed spreadsheet enables close tracking of all employees with symptoms and tracks adherence to the Return-to-Work guidance from the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH).
• A daily phone call is placed to all employees that have been taken off the schedule due to Covid-19 symptoms.
• ALL employees are requested to limit employment to “Bethany Only” or be removed from schedules until the COVID-19 crisis has passed. This was a difficult decision for both Bethany and our staff, but the risk of infection when working many different jobs and coming in contact with many different people works against the concept of social distancing to limit the spread.
• A COVID-19 Leadership team meets three times weekly to discuss PPE supply and to analyze additional vendors for increased PPE supply, new guidance on COVID-19, etc.
• Meetings are held five days a week to discuss employees who are furloughed and their plans for return to work.
• Leadership team members are on-call 24 hours per day/7 days a week to deal with employee and family questions and concerns.
• Weekly meetings and/or conference calls/webinars/education reviews are held with the NDDoH, Centers for Disease Control, Public Health, ND Long Term Care Association, and American Health Care Association.
• Contact tracing if/when applicable is coordinated with the ND Department of Health.
• Excess chairs have been removed in our break room areas to limit tables to two staff members at a table only. Additional space has been opened up for employee breaks to allow for social distancing.
• Visual alerts such as signs and posters have been added throughout all buildings that encourage staff hand hygiene, resident hand hygiene and proper use of PPE.
• Increased hand hygiene stations have been installed throughout all buildings.

We have received notification that a resident at Bethany has tested positive for COVID-19 and we have the following questions.

Will all residents now be tested?

• Resident testing (mass surveillance testing of all residents) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health. A resident that is symptomatic is tested at the direction of the resident’s physician.

Will all staff be tested?

• Bethany employees complete a health screening at the start of their shift. If an employee triggers a concern on the health screening, they are immediately removed from the schedule.   A Bethany staff member then works with the employee on symptom monitoring, communication with their physician and return to work protocol.
• Staff testing (mass surveillance testing of all staff) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health.

Will COVID-19 positive residents be taken to the hospital?

• A transfer to the hospital is coordinated by the resident’s physician, Bethany staff and the ND Department of Health. Residents who have in a decline in health status may be transferred to the hospital as directed by their physician.  Bethany would call 911 in an emergency situation.

June 17, 2020 |3:00 PM

NDDoH Visitation Guidelines

The North Dakota Department of Health has provided Long Term Care facilities with reopening guidelines for visitation.  A phased-strategy approach will be utilized to gradually relax restrictions.

Bethany is currently in Phase 1 of 3.  We will need to remain in Phase 1 for 14 days.  To move into Phase 2, Cass County will need to be moved from a medium risk county to a low risk county.  When this happens, Bethany will apply for permission to move into Phase 2.

We strongly encourage all family members to get into the habit of being tested weekly or as often as offered by the ND Department of Health and Cass County Public Health.  We may require visitors to provide proof of a recent negative Covid-19 test, in order to be allowed into Bethany to visit as part of our Phase 2 strategy to keep residents safe.  We cannot risk a massive outbreak in our facilities as we introduce hundreds of people into our buildings.  Many residents who live at Bethany have underlying health conditions, so please take advantage of testing when you have the opportunity.  Testing will benefit our residents now, while we are offering outside visitation, and in the future as we plan for internal visitation.  Please see the attached news release for information on testing options.

June 11, 2020 | 7:00 am

Bethany Retirement Living FAQs and COVID-19 Cases

Bethany Retirement Living FAQs and COVID-19 Cases as of 6/11/20 10:00am:

Dear families and friends of Bethany Retirement Living:

We received remarkable results from the 1059 COVID-19 swab tests we completed on Monday, June 8^th, for residents and staff at both Bethany on 42^nd and Bethany on University.   There was only one new staff case.  No new resident cases.  Bethany nursing staff, in coordination with the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDOH), will continue conducting COVID-19 surveillance swab testing on all skilled care, basic care, assisted living and independent living residents and staff at Bethany on University and Bethany on 42^nd every Monday in June.  Ongoing testing is an important step to comply with the nursing home reopening guidelines recently published by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and North Dakota Department of Health.

Testing will be conducted every remaining Monday in June—June 15^th, 22^nd and 29^th.  Resident testing will start after 8:00am and be concluded around 11:30am.  Employee testing will begin at 5:30am and conclude at 5:30pm.  Resident testing will take place in the residents’ rooms and will be coordinated by the Skilled Care and Assisted Living/Basic Care nursing teams.  Employee testing will be drive-through at Bethany on 42^nd.

It is anticipated test results will be returned within 48-72 hours. Bethany staff will attempt to contact all residents, regardless of the results, but will prioritize positive test calls. The test is free of charge. If you have any questions or concerns about the test, please contact the social worker or unit manager in Skilled Care or the Nurse in Assisted Living/Basic Care.  At this time, we have no active resident cases at Bethany on 42^nd Skilled Care, Bethany Gables or Bethany Towers-Basic Care.  The one Towers assisted living resident who tested positive last week was moved to the skilled care area for isolation.

At Bethany, if an employee tests positive for COVID-19, they are immediately removed from the schedule and told to quarantine at home until they have two negative test results.

Bethany will continue to provide updates via e-mail and our website as our COVID-19 cases change.  You are also able to call us with any questions.  Please refer to the frequently asked questions below.  We are providing this link to the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) COVID19 website for your convenience https://www.health.nd.gov/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/north-dakota-coronavirus-cases .  As we update our information, here are a few guidelines we will be following.

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the North Dakota Department of Health.
• We will not be identifying employees, residents or patients who test positive due to confidentiality.
• All employees who are ill are not allowed to work for 14 days and will need two negative COVID-19 tests prior to return to work.
• We will not give information on resident deaths due to confidentiality.

Here are the latest COVIDD-19 numbers as reported on the North Dakota Department of Health website.   At Bethany we require two negative COVID-19 tests before we consider someone to COVID-19 free.  This may mean that we keep someone is isolation a little longer than what the website would count as a positive case—meaning we are being extremely caution before considering someone COVID-19 free.

Sincerely,

Shawn Stuhaug, CEO

Frequently Asked Questions:

What have you done to decrease the risk of COVID-19 for residents and educate family members?

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the North Dakota Department of Health.
• Among the first acts undertaken to limit potential exposure was to restrict visitors and lock the entrances to Bethany buildings. Only limited access to family members is granted on a case-by-case basis for compassionate reasons such as end of life.
• All visitors are screened as they enter the buildings.
• The Bethany website has been enhanced by adding a “Coronavirus Information” tab to share up-to-date information about the pandemic in general and at Bethany Retirement Living.
• Numerous emails have been sent to families from our Social Services team.
• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages have been distributed by the CEO for education to family member primary contact.
• Letters have been mailed to primary Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) resident contacts, SNF residents without dementia/memory issues, and residents of Towers, Gables and Grace Pointe.
• All potential admissions are screened for symptoms and fever.
• All SNF admissions are initially processed through one unit (TCU) with increased monitoring of potential symptoms.
• A negative COVID test is required for all new admissions or for hospital returns.
• Bethany may admit COVID positive residents periodically if we have a COVID-positive area set up.
• Screening of all SNF residents occurs two times/day and, at times, three times/day. Symptoms monitored include a full set of vital signs along with the observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Screening of all Assisted Living and Basic Care residents occurs daily and, at times, two times/day. Symptoms to monitor include temperature, pulse and O2 stats along with observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Resident Activities of Daily Living (ADL) sheets are updated to include prompts for hand sanitizing of resident hands and resident mask placement.
• All non-emergent resident appointments are being decreased or canceled.
• No group activities are scheduled.
• Residents are required to stay in their own rooms.
• No therapy is being conducted in the therapy/wellness centers. Individual therapy sessions are being done in the resident rooms.
• No communal dining for SNF residents unless the resident eating in their room is a safety risk.
• No communal dining for Towers or Gables assisted living residents.
• Use of masks is encouraged for all residents.
• Use of hand sanitizer is encouraged for each resident interaction.

Telemedicine is encouraged.

• Each Bethany campus has a designated Infection Preventionist to provide surveillance and oversight.
• Visual alerts such as signage and posters have been added throughout the facility to encourage hand sanitizing for both residents and staff.

What have you done to educate staff and decrease the risk of COVID-19?

• See above question above as some information applies to both questions.
• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages to staff related to education.
• Several YouTube Videos (10 total) that have been produced and sent to ALL staff cell phones.
• Educational videos and verbal education are reviewed at shift change/daily huddles etc.
• Mandatory Healthcare Academy Education on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Hand Hygiene, COVID-19 and infection prevention have been assigned and made mandatory for all employees.
• Surveillance and auditing of employees is being conducted to ensure proper use of PPE and handwashing is occurring.
• Hand sanitizer is required for all nursing staff to have on the person (this is not new, but an uncommon practice for most SNFs).
• Facemasks are required for staff when in resident areas.
• Facemask and face shield requirements have been enhanced as guidance has evolved.
• Employees are monitored for Covid-19 symptoms at the start of each shift, as well as with staff that call in ill prior to their shift. A detailed spreadsheet enables close tracking of all employees with symptoms and tracks adherence to the Return-to-Work guidance from the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH).
• A daily phone call is placed to all employees that have been taken off the schedule due to Covid-19 symptoms.
• ALL employees are requested to limit employment to “Bethany Only” or be removed from schedules until the COVID-19 crisis has passed. This was a difficult decision for both Bethany and our staff, but the risk of infection when working many different jobs and coming in contact with many different people works against the concept of social distancing to limit the spread.
• A COVID-19 Leadership team meets three times weekly to discuss PPE supply and to analyze additional vendors for increased PPE supply, new guidance on COVID-19, etc.
• Meetings are held five days a week to discuss employees who are furloughed and their plans for return to work.
• Leadership team members are on-call 24 hours per day/7 days a week to deal with employee and family questions and concerns.
• Weekly meetings and/or conference calls/webinars/education reviews are held with the NDDoH, Centers for Disease Control, Public Health, ND Long Term Care Association, and American Health Care Association.
• Contact tracing if/when applicable is coordinated with the ND Department of Health.
• Excess chairs have been removed in our break room areas to limit tables to two staff members at a table only. Additional space has been opened up for employee breaks to allow for social distancing.
• Visual alerts such as signs and posters have been added throughout all buildings that encourage staff hand hygiene, resident hand hygiene and proper use of PPE.
• Increased hand hygiene stations have been installed throughout all buildings.

We have received notification that a resident at Bethany has tested positive for COVID-19 and we have the following questions.

Will all residents now be tested?

• Resident testing (mass surveillance testing of all residents) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health. A resident that is symptomatic is tested at the direction of the resident’s physician.

Will all staff be tested?

• Bethany employees complete a health screening at the start of their shift. If an employee triggers a concern on the health screening, they are immediately removed from the schedule.   A Bethany staff member then works with the employee on symptom monitoring, communication with their physician and return to work protocol.
• Staff testing (mass surveillance testing of all staff) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health.

Will COVID-19 positive residents be taken to the hospital?

• A transfer to the hospital is coordinated by the resident’s physician, Bethany staff and the ND Department of Health. Residents who have in a decline in health status may be transferred to the hospital as directed by their physician.  Bethany would call 911 in an emergency situation.

June 8, 2020 | 4:30 pm

Phased-In Visitation Schedule

Phased approach to resuming visitation

On June 5^th, Gov. Doug Burgum signed an executive order that modifies restrictions on visitation at long-term care facilities in North Dakota during the COVID19 pandemic, allowing for a phased approach to resuming visitation as outlined in the state’s Vulnerable Population Protection (VP3) Plan.  The (VP3) Plan is a three-phased approach for reopening skilled care, basic care and assisted living facilities.  All phases require a minimum of 14 days spent in each phase.  A member of the VP3 task force needs to approve each facility plan to move into the next phase.  Steps in each phase may be altered or changed if any new COVID-19 cases are confirmed or additional risks arise.

Most Fargo/West Fargo facilities are in Phase 1 or making progress towards Phase 1, which advises the same restrictions and practices we are now following, including not allowing any visitors in our facilities, except for end-of-life situations.  Phase 1 does allow for limited group activities, but residents must practice social distancing.  Scheduled outdoor visits may occur between residents and their families while exercising social distancing.  Anyone visiting must wear clean face masks, stay six feet apart and perform proper hand hygiene.  We will communicate how we intend to schedule outdoor visits in the next few days since we just received approval to move into Phase 1.

In order to move into Phase 2, a facility’s county, in our case Cass, must be at a “low-risk level” according to the state’s plan.  Currently Cass County is a moderate-risk level.  Once a facility enters Phase 2, visitation within the facility may be scheduled, and non-medically necessary trips outside the building may occur with the utilization of masks among residents and staff.  Visitations will be restricted to one visitor per resident.  Both the visitor and the resident will be required to wear masks.

To enter Phase 3, a facility’s county must be at a “new normal level” according to the state’s plan and there must continue to be no new cases of COVID-19 in the facility.  At this phase, visitation within the facility is fully opened, communal dining and group activities may resume, and non-medically necessary trips may continue.

June 5, 2020 | 7:00 am

Bethany Retirement Living FAQs and COVID-19 Cases

Bethany Retirement Living FAQs and COVID-19 Cases as of 6/2/20 1:00pm:

Dear families and friends of Bethany Retirement Living:

We received all results from the 1005 COVID-19 swab tests that we completed on Monday, June 1^st for residents and staff at both Bethany on 42^nd and Bethany on University.   There was only one new staff case and two new resident cases.  One resident tested positive at Bethany Towers and one in skilled care at Bethany on University.  The skilled care positive test was a recent admission that was only with us for 2 days before the test, so most likely this case originated in the hospital.  Bethany nursing staff in coordination with the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDOH) will continue conducting COVID-19 surveillance swab testing on all skilled care, basic care and assisted living residents and staff at Bethany on University and Bethany on 42^nd every Monday in June.  Ongoing testing is an important step to comply with the nursing home reopening guidelines recently published by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and North Dakota Department of Health.

Testing will be conducted every Monday in June—June 8^th, 15^th, 22^nd and 29^th.  Resident testing will start after 8:00am and be concluded around 11:30am.  Employee testing will begin at 5:30am and conclude at 5:30pm.  Resident testing will take place in the residents’ rooms and will be coordinated by the Skilled Care and Assisted Living/Basic Care nursing teams.  Employee testing will be drive through at Bethany on 42^nd.

It is anticipated test results will be returned within 48-72 hours. Bethany staff will attempt to contact all residents, regardless of the results, but will prioritize positive test calls. The test is free of charge. If you have any questions or concerns about the test, please contact the social worker or unit manager in Skilled Care or Nurse in Assisted Living/Basic Care.

At Bethany, if an employee tests positive for COVID-19, they are immediately removed from the schedule and told to quarantine at home until they have two negative test results.  At this time, we have no active resident cases at Bethany on 42^ndSkilled Care, Bethany Gables or Bethany Towers-Basic Care.

Bethany will continue to provide updates via e-mail and our website as our COVID-19 cases change.  You are also able to call us with any questions.  Please refer to the frequently asked questions below.  We are providing this link to the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) COVID19 website for your convenience https://www.health.nd.gov/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/north-dakota-coronavirus-cases .  As we update our information, here are a few guidelines we will be following.

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the North Dakota Department of Health.
• We will not be identifying employees, residents or patients who test positive due to confidentiality.
• All employees who are ill are not allowed to work for 14 days and will need two negative COVID-19 tests prior to return to work.
• We will not give information on resident deaths due to confidentiality.

Here are the latest COVIDD-19 numbers as reported on the North Dakota Department of Health website.   At Bethany we require two negative COVID-19 tests before we consider someone to COVID-19 free.  This may mean that we keep someone is isolation a little longer than what the website would count as a positive case—meaning we are being extremely caution before considering someone COVID-19 free.

Sincerely,

Shawn Stuhaug, CEO

Frequently Asked Questions:

What have you done to decrease the risk of COVID-19 for residents and educate family members?

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the North Dakota Department of Health.
• Among the first acts undertaken to limit potential exposure was to restrict visitors and lock the entrances to Bethany buildings. Only limited access to family members is granted on a case-by-case basis for compassionate reasons such as end of life.
• All visitors are screened as they enter the buildings.
• The Bethany website has been enhanced by adding a “Coronavirus Information” tab to share up-to-date information about the pandemic in general and at Bethany Retirement Living.
• Numerous emails have been sent to families from our Social Services team.
• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages have been distributed by the CEO for education to family member primary contact.
• Letters have been mailed to primary Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) resident contacts, SNF residents without dementia/memory issues, and residents of Towers, Gables and Grace Pointe.
• All potential admissions are screened for symptoms and fever.
• All SNF admissions are initially processed through one unit (TCU) with increased monitoring of potential symptoms.
• A negative COVID test is required for all new admissions or for hospital returns.
• Bethany may admit COVID positive residents periodically if we have a COVID-positive area set up.
• Screening of all SNF residents occurs two times/day and, at times, three times/day. Symptoms monitored include a full set of vital signs along with the observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Screening of all Assisted Living and Basic Care residents occurs daily and, at times, two times/day. Symptoms to monitor include temperature, pulse and O2 stats along with observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Resident Activities of Daily Living (ADL) sheets are updated to include prompts for hand sanitizing of resident hands and resident mask placement.
• All non-emergent resident appointments are being decreased or canceled.
• No group activities are scheduled.
• Residents are required to stay in their own rooms.
• No therapy is being conducted in the therapy/wellness centers. Individual therapy sessions are being done in the resident rooms.
• No communal dining for SNF residents unless the resident eating in their room is a safety risk.
• No communal dining for Towers or Gables assisted living residents.
• Use of masks is encouraged for all residents.
• Use of hand sanitizer is encouraged for each resident interaction.

Telemedicine is encouraged.

• Each Bethany campus has a designated Infection Preventionist to provide surveillance and oversight.
• Visual alerts such as signage and posters have been added throughout the facility to encourage hand sanitizing for both residents and staff.

What have you done to educate staff and decrease the risk of COVID-19?

• See above question above as some information applies to both questions.
• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages to staff related to education.
• Several YouTube Videos (10 total) that have been produced and sent to ALL staff cell phones.
• Educational videos and verbal education are reviewed at shift change/daily huddles etc.
• Mandatory Healthcare Academy Education on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Hand Hygiene, COVID-19 and infection prevention have been assigned and made mandatory for all employees.
• Surveillance and auditing of employees is being conducted to ensure proper use of PPE and handwashing is occurring.
• Hand sanitizer is required for all nursing staff to have on the person (this is not new, but an uncommon practice for most SNFs).
• Facemasks are required for staff when in resident areas.
• Facemask and face shield requirements have been enhanced as guidance has evolved.
• Employees are monitored for Covid-19 symptoms at the start of each shift, as well as with staff that call in ill prior to their shift. A detailed spreadsheet enables close tracking of all employees with symptoms and tracks adherence to the Return-to-Work guidance from the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH).
• A daily phone call is placed to all employees that have been taken off the schedule due to Covid-19 symptoms.
• ALL employees are requested to limit employment to “Bethany Only” or be removed from schedules until the COVID-19 crisis has passed. This was a difficult decision for both Bethany and our staff, but the risk of infection when working many different jobs and coming in contact with many different people works against the concept of social distancing to limit the spread.
• A COVID-19 Leadership team meets three times weekly to discuss PPE supply and to analyze additional vendors for increased PPE supply, new guidance on COVID-19, etc.
• Meetings are held five days a week to discuss employees who are furloughed and their plans for return to work.
• Leadership team members are on-call 24 hours per day/7 days a week to deal with employee and family questions and concerns.
• Weekly meetings and/or conference calls/webinars/education reviews are held with the NDDoH, Centers for Disease Control, Public Health, ND Long Term Care Association, and American Health Care Association.
• Contact tracing if/when applicable is coordinated with the ND Department of Health.
• Excess chairs have been removed in our break room areas to limit tables to two staff members at a table only. Additional space has been opened up for employee breaks to allow for social distancing.
• Visual alerts such as signs and posters have been added throughout all buildings that encourage staff hand hygiene, resident hand hygiene and proper use of PPE.
• Increased hand hygiene stations have been installed throughout all buildings.

We have received notification that a resident at Bethany has tested positive for COVID-19 and we have the following questions.

Will all residents now be tested?

• Resident testing (mass surveillance testing of all residents) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health. A resident that is symptomatic is tested at the direction of the resident’s physician.

Will all staff be tested?

• Bethany employees complete a health screening at the start of their shift. If an employee triggers a concern on the health screening, they are immediately removed from the schedule.   A Bethany staff member then works with the employee on symptom monitoring, communication with their physician and return to work protocol.
• Staff testing (mass surveillance testing of all staff) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health.

Will COVID-19 positive residents be taken to the hospital?

• A transfer to the hospital is coordinated by the resident’s physician, Bethany staff and the ND Department of Health. Residents who have in a decline in health status may be transferred to the hospital as directed by their physician.  Bethany would call 911 in an emergency situation.

June 2, 2020 | 1:00 pm

Bethany Retirement Living FAQs and COVID-19 Cases

Bethany Retirement Living FAQs and COVID-19 Cases as of 6/2/20 1:00pm:

Dear families and friends of Bethany Retirement Living:

On Monday, June 1st, we conducted 1005 COVID-19 swab tests on residents and staff for both Bethany on 42^nd and Bethany on University.  Bethany nursing staff, in coordination with the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDOH), will be conducting COVID-19 surveillance swab testing on all skilled care, basic care and assisted living residents and staff at Bethany on University and Bethany on 42^nd every Monday in June.  Ongoing testing is an important step to comply with the nursing home reopening guidelines recently published by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).  Even though CMS does not regulate assisted living and basic care, the guidelines will be followed for those care settings also.

Testing will be conducted every Monday in June—June 1^st, 8^th, 15^th, 22^nd and 29^th.  Resident testing will start after 8am and be concluded around 11:30am.  Employee testing will begin at 5:30am and conclude at 5:30pm.  Resident testing will take place in the residents’ rooms and will be coordinated by the Skilled Care and Assisted Living/Basic Care nursing teams.  Employee testing will be drive through at Bethany on 42^nd.

It is anticipated test results will be returned within 48-72 hours.  Bethany staff will attempt to contact all residents, regardless of the results, but will prioritize positive test calls.  The test is free of charge.  If you have any questions or concerns about the test, please contact the social worker or unit manager in Skilled Care or Nurse in Assisted Living/Basic Care.

The North Dakota Department of Health website has been updated to reflect active cases of COVID-19 for residents and staff rather than aggregate numbers they previously reported which included inactive cases and lumped resident and staff cases together.  At Bethany, if an employee tests positive, they are immediately removed from the schedule and told to quarantine at home until they have two negative test results.  At this time, we have no active resident cases at Bethany on 42^nd Skilled Care, Bethany Gables, Bethany Towers-Basic Care and Assisted Living.  Our active resident cases at Bethany on University Skilled Care are all on one isolated, self-contained unit.

Bethany will continue to provide updates via e-mail and our website as our COVID-19 cases change.  You are also able to call us with any questions.  Please refer to the frequently asked questions below.  We are providing this link to the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) COVID19 website for your convenience https://www.health.nd.gov/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/north-dakota-coronavirus-cases .  As we update our information, here are a few guidelines we will be following.

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the North Dakota Department of Health.
• We will not be identifying employees, residents or patients who test positive due to confidentiality.
• All employees who are ill are not allowed to work for 14 days and will need two negative COVID-19 tests prior to return to work.
• We will not give information on resident deaths due to confidentiality.

Here are the latest COVIDD-19 numbers as reported on the North Dakota Department of Health website.  At Bethany we require two negative COVID-19 tests before we consider someone to COVID-19 free.  This may mean that we keep someone in isolation a little longer than what the website would count as a positive case—meaning we are being extremely cautious before considering someone COVID-19 free.

Sincerely,

Shawn Stuhaug, CEO

Frequently Asked Questions:

What have you done to decrease the risk of COVID-19 for residents and educate family members?

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the North Dakota Department of Health.
• Among the first acts undertaken to limit potential exposure was to restrict visitors and lock the entrances to Bethany buildings.Only limited access to family members is granted on a case-by-case basis for compassionate reasons such as end of life.
• All visitors are screened as they enter the buildings.

• The Bethany website has been enhanced by adding a “Coronavirus Information” tab to share up-to-date information about the pandemic in general and at Bethany Retirement Living.

• Numerous emails have been sent to families from our Social Services team.
• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages have been distributed by the CEO for education to family member primary contact.
• Letters have been mailed to primary Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) resident contacts, SNF residents without dementia/memory issues, and residents of Towers, Gables and Grace Pointe.

• All potential admissions are screened for symptoms and fever.
• All SNF admissions are initially processed through one unit (TCU) with increased monitoring of potential symptoms.
• A negative COVID test is required for all new admissions or for hospital returns.
• Bethany may admit COVID positive residents periodically if we have a COVID-positive area set up.
• Screening of all SNF residents occurs two times/day and, at times, three times/day.Symptoms monitored include a full set of vital signs along with the observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Screening of all Assisted Living and Basic Care residents occurs daily and, at times, two times/day.Symptoms to monitor include temperature, pulse and O2 stats along with observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Resident Activities of Daily Living (ADL) sheets are updated to include prompts for hand sanitizing of resident hands and resident mask placement.
• All non-emergent resident appointments are being decreased or canceled.
• No group activities are scheduled.
• Residents are required to stay in their own rooms.
• No therapy is being conducted in the therapy/wellness centers.Individual therapy sessions are being done in the resident rooms.
• No communal dining for SNF residents unless the resident eating in their room is a safety risk.
• No communal dining for Towers or Gables assisted living residents.
• Use of masks is encouraged for all residents.
• Use of hand sanitizer is encouraged for each resident interaction.

Telemedicine is encouraged.

• Each Bethany campus has a designated Infection Preventionist to provide surveillance and oversight.
• Visual alerts such as signage and posters have been added throughout the facility to encourage hand sanitizing for both residents and staff.

What have you done to educate staff and decrease the risk of COVID-19?

• See above question above as some information applies to both questions.

• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages to staff related to education.
• Several YouTube Videos (10 total) that have been produced and sent to ALL staff cell phones.
• Educational videos and verbal education are reviewed at shift change/daily huddles etc.
• Mandatory Healthcare Academy Education on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Hand Hygiene, COVID-19 and infection prevention have been assigned and made mandatory for all employees.
• Surveillance and auditing of employees is being conducted to ensure proper use of PPE and handwashing is occurring.
• Hand sanitizer is required for all nursing staff to have on the person (this is not new, but an uncommon practice for most SNFs).
• Facemasks are required for staff when in resident areas.
• Facemask and face shield requirements have been enhanced as guidance has evolved.
• Employees are monitored for Covid-19 symptoms at the start of each shift, as well as with staff that call in ill prior to their shift.A detailed spreadsheet enables close tracking of all employees with symptoms and tracks adherence to the Return-to-Work guidance from the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH).
• A daily phone call is placed to all employees that have been taken off the schedule due to Covid-19 symptoms.
• ALL employees are requested to limit employment to “Bethany Only” or be removed from schedules until the COVID-19 crisis has passed.This was a difficult decision for both Bethany and our staff, but the risk of infection when working many different jobs and coming in contact with many different people works against the concept of social distancing to limit the spread.
• A COVID-19 Leadership team meets three times weekly to discuss PPE supply and to analyze additional vendors for increased PPE supply, new guidance on COVID-19, etc.
• Meetings are held five days a week to discuss employees who are furloughed and their plans for return to work.
• Leadership team members are on-call 24 hours per day/7 days a week to deal with employee and family questions and concerns.
• Weekly meetings and/or conference calls/webinars/education reviews are held with the NDDoH, Centers for Disease Control, Public Health, ND Long Term Care Association, and American Health Care Association.
• Contact tracing if/when applicable is coordinated with the ND Department of Health.
• Excess chairs have been removed in our break room areas to limit tables to two staff members at a table only.Additional space has been opened up for employee breaks to allow for social distancing.
• Visual alerts such as signs and posters have been added throughout all buildings that encourage staff hand hygiene, resident hand hygiene and proper use of PPE.
• Increased hand hygiene stations have been installed throughout all buildings.

We have received notification that a resident at Bethany has tested positive for COVID-19 and we have the following questions.

Will all residents now be tested?

• Resident testing (mass surveillance testing of all residents) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health.A resident that is symptomatic is tested at the direction of the resident’s physician.

Will all staff be tested?

• Bethany employees complete a health screening at the start of their shift.If an employee triggers a concern on the health screening, they are immediately removed from the schedule.   A Bethany staff member then works with the employee on symptom monitoring, communication with their physician and return to work protocol.
• Staff testing (mass surveillance testing of all staff) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health.

Will COVID-19 positive residents be taken to the hospital?

• A transfer to the hospital is coordinated by the resident’s physician, Bethany staff and the ND Department of Health.Residents who have in a decline in health status may be transferred to the hospital as directed by their physician. Bethany would call 911 in an emergency situation.

June 1, 2020 | 5:00 pm

Bethany Retirement Living FAQs and COVID-19 Cases

Bethany Retirement Living FAQs and COVID-19 Cases as of 6/1/20 5:00pm:

Dear families and friends of Bethany Retirement Living:

We appreciate your ongoing support and prayers for our residents and staff during this challenging time.  I want to recognize the amazing employees we have at Bethany.  They continue to work hard and provide outstanding care while dealing with the very challenging pandemic.  The North Dakota Department of Health website has been updated to reflect active cases of COVID-19 for residents and staff rather than aggregate numbers they previously reported which included inactive cases and lumped resident and staff cases together.  At Bethany, if an employee tests positive, they are immediately removed from the schedule and told to quarantine at home until they have two negative test results.  At this time, we have no active resident cases at Bethany on 42^nd Skilled Care, Bethany Gables, Bethany Towers-Basic Care and Assisted Living.  Our active resident cases at Bethany on University Skilled Care are all on one isolated, self-contained unit.

Bethany will continue to provide updates via e-mail and our website as our COVID-19 cases change.  You are also able to call us with any questions.  Please refer to the frequently asked questions below.  We are providing this link to the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) COVID19 website for your convenience https://www.health.nd.gov/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/north-dakota-coronavirus-cases .  As we update our information, here are a few guidelines we will be following.

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the North Dakota Department of Health.
• We will not be identifying employees, residents or patients who test positive due to confidentiality.
• All employees who are ill are not allowed to work for 14 days and will need two negative COVID-19 tests prior to return to work.
• We will not give information on resident deaths due to confidentiality.

Here are the latest COVIDD-19 numbers as reported on the North Dakota Department of Health website.

Sincerely,

Shawn Stuhaug, CEO

Frequently Asked Questions:

What have you done to decrease the risk of COVID-19 for residents and educate family members?

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the North Dakota Department of Health.
• Among the first acts undertaken to limit potential exposure was to restrict visitors and lock the entrances to Bethany buildings. Only limited access to family members is granted on a case-by-case basis for compassionate reasons such as end of life.
• All visitors are screened as they enter the buildings.

• The Bethany website has been enhanced by adding a “Coronavirus Information” tab to share up-to-date information about the pandemic in general and at Bethany Retirement Living.

• Numerous emails have been sent to families from our Social Services team.
• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages have been distributed by the CEO for education to family member primary contact.
• Letters have been mailed to primary Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) resident contacts, SNF residents without dementia/memory issues, and residents of Towers, Gables and Grace Pointe.

• All potential admissions are screened for symptoms and fever.
• All SNF admissions are initially processed through one unit (TCU) with increased monitoring of potential symptoms.
• A negative COVID test is required for all new admissions or for hospital returns.
• Bethany may admit COVID positive residents periodically if we have a COVID-positive area set up.
• Screening of all SNF residents occurs two times/day and, at times, three times/day. Symptoms monitored include a full set of vital signs along with the observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Screening of all Assisted Living and Basic Care residents occurs daily and, at times, two times/day. Symptoms to monitor include temperature, pulse and O2 stats along with observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Resident Activities of Daily Living (ADL) sheets are updated to include prompts for hand sanitizing of resident hands and resident mask placement.
• All non-emergent resident appointments are being decreased or canceled.
• No group activities are scheduled.
• Residents are required to stay in their own rooms.
• No therapy is being conducted in the therapy/wellness centers. Individual therapy sessions are being done in the resident rooms.
• No communal dining for SNF residents unless the resident eating in their room is a safety risk.
• No communal dining for Towers or Gables assisted living residents.
• Use of masks is encouraged for all residents.
• Use of hand sanitizer is encouraged for each resident interaction.

Telemedicine is encouraged.

• Each Bethany campus has a designated Infection Preventionist to provide surveillance and oversight.
• Visual alerts such as signage and posters have been added throughout the facility to encourage hand sanitizing for both residents and staff.

What have you done to educate staff and decrease the risk of COVID-19?

• See above question above as some information applies to both questions.

• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages to staff related to education.
• Several YouTube Videos (10 total) that have been produced and sent to ALL staff cell phones.
• Educational videos and verbal education are reviewed at shift change/daily huddles etc.
• Mandatory Healthcare Academy Education on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Hand Hygiene, COVID-19 and infection prevention have been assigned and made mandatory for all employees.
• Surveillance and auditing of employees is being conducted to ensure proper use of PPE and handwashing is occurring.
• Hand sanitizer is required for all nursing staff to have on the person (this is not new, but an uncommon practice for most SNFs).
• Facemasks are required for staff when in resident areas.
• Facemask and face shield requirements have been enhanced as guidance has evolved.
• Employees are monitored for Covid-19 symptoms at the start of each shift, as well as with staff that call in ill prior to their shift. A detailed spreadsheet enables close tracking of all employees with symptoms and tracks adherence to the Return-to-Work guidance from the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH).
• A daily phone call is placed to all employees that have been taken off the schedule due to Covid-19 symptoms.
• ALL employees are requested to limit employment to “Bethany Only” or be removed from schedules until the COVID-19 crisis has passed. This was a difficult decision for both Bethany and our staff, but the risk of infection when working many different jobs and coming in contact with many different people works against the concept of social distancing to limit the spread.
• A COVID-19 Leadership team meets three times weekly to discuss PPE supply and to analyze additional vendors for increased PPE supply, new guidance on COVID-19, etc.
• Meetings are held five days a week to discuss employees who are furloughed and their plans for return to work.
• Leadership team members are on-call 24 hours per day/7 days a week to deal with employee and family questions and concerns.
• Weekly meetings and/or conference calls/webinars/education reviews are held with the NDDoH, Centers for Disease Control, Public Health, ND Long Term Care Association, and American Health Care Association.
• Contact tracing if/when applicable is coordinated with the ND Department of Health.
• Excess chairs have been removed in our break room areas to limit tables to two staff members at a table only. Additional space has been opened up for employee breaks to allow for social distancing.
• Visual alerts such as signs and posters have been added throughout all buildings that encourage staff hand hygiene, resident hand hygiene and proper use of PPE.
• Increased hand hygiene stations have been installed throughout all buildings.

We have received notification that a resident at Bethany has tested positive for COVID-19 and we have the following questions.

Will all residents now be tested?

• Resident testing (mass surveillance testing of all residents) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health. A resident that is symptomatic is tested at the direction of the resident’s physician.

Will all staff be tested?

• Bethany employees complete a health screening at the start of their shift. If an employee triggers a concern on the health screening, they are immediately removed from the schedule.   A Bethany staff member then works with the employee on symptom monitoring, communication with their physician and return to work protocol.
• Staff testing (mass surveillance testing of all staff) is coordinated and directed by the ND Department of Health.

Will COVID-19 positive residents be taken to the hospital?

• A transfer to the hospital is coordinated by the resident’s physician, Bethany staff and the ND Department of Health. Residents who have in a decline in health status may be transferred to the hospital as directed by their physician.  Bethany would call 911 in an emergency situation.

May 29, 2020 | 3:00 pm

Bethany Retirement Living FAQs and COVID-19 Cases

Bethany Retirement Living FAQs and COVID-19 Cases as of 5/29/20 3:00pm:

Dear families and friends of Bethany Retirement Living:

We appreciate your ongoing support and prayers for our residents and staff during this challenging time.  I want to recognize the amazing employees we have at Bethany.  They continue to work hard and provide outstanding care while dealing with the very challenging pandemic.  We are excited to announce that the North Dakota Department of Health website has been updated to reflect active cases of COVID-19 for residents and staff rather than aggregate numbers they previously reported which included inactive cases and lumped resident and staff cases together.  At Bethany, if an employee tests positive, they are immediately removed from the schedule and told to quarantine at home until they have two negative test results.  At this time, we have no active resident cases at Bethany on 42^nd Skilled Care, Bethany Gables, Bethany Towers-Basic Care and Assisted Living.  Our active resident cases at Bethany on University Skilled Care are all on one isolated, self-contained unit.

Bethany will continue to provide updates via e-mail and our website as our COVID-19 cases change.  You are also able to call us with any questions.  Please refer to the frequently asked questions below.  We are providing this link to the North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) COVID19 website for your convenience https://www.health.nd.gov/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/north-dakota-coronavirus-cases .  As we update our information, here are a few guidelines we will be following.

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the North Dakota Department of Health.
• We will not be identifying employees, residents or patients who test positive due to confidentiality.
• All employees who are ill are not allowed to work for 14 days and will need two negative COVID-19 tests prior to return to work.
• We will not give information on resident deaths due to confidentiality.

Here are the latest COVIDD-19 numbers as reported on the North Dakota Department of Health website.

Sincerely,

Shawn Stuhaug, CEO

Frequently Asked Questions:

What have you done to decrease the risk of COVID-19 for residents and educate family members?

• We are following recommendations and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the North Dakota Department of Health.
• Among the first acts undertaken to limit potential exposure was to restrict visitors and lock the entrances to Bethany buildings. Only limited access to family members is granted on a case-by-case basis for compassionate reasons such as end of life.
• All visitors are screened as they enter the buildings.

• The Bethany website has been enhanced by adding a “Coronavirus Information” tab to share up-to-date information about the pandemic in general and at Bethany Retirement Living.

• Numerous emails have been sent to families from our Social Services team.
• Everbridge (Mass Communication System) messages have been distributed by the CEO for education to family member primary contact.
• Letters have been mailed to primary Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) resident contacts, SNF residents without dementia/memory issues, and residents of Towers, Gables and Grace Pointe.

• All potential admissions are screened for symptoms and fever.
• All SNF admissions are initially processed through one unit (TCU) with increased monitoring of potential symptoms.
• A negative COVID test is required for all new admissions or for hospital returns.
• Bethany may admit COVID positive residents periodically if we have a COVID-positive area set up.
• Screening of all SNF residents occurs two times/day and, at times, three times/day. Symptoms monitored include a full set of vital signs along with the observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Screening of all Assisted Living and Basic Care residents occurs daily and, at times, two times/day. Symptoms to monitor include temperature, pulse and O2 stats along with observation of any of the following: coughing, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle aches and loss of taste/smell.
• Resident Activities of Daily Living (ADL) sheets are updated to include prompts for hand sanitizing of resident hands and resident mask placement.
• All non-emergent resident appointments are being decreased or canceled.
• No group activities are scheduled.
• Residents are required to stay in their own rooms.
• No therapy is being conducted in the therapy/wellness centers. Individual therapy sessions are being done in the resident rooms.
• No communal dining for SNF residents unless the resident eating in their room is a safety risk.
• No communal dining for Towers or Gables assisted living residents.
• Use of masks is encouraged for all residents.
• Use of hand sanitizer is encouraged for each resident interaction.