Residents, employee at Fort Scott PMMA test positive for COVID-19

Three assisted living residents and an essential health care worker have tested positive for COVID-19 at Fort Scott Presbyterian Village. Additionally, two previously positive employees who no longer have symptoms of the virus continue to test positive.

“The safety of our residents and employees remains our highest priority,” said Jeanne Gerstenkorn, PMMA’s infection preventionist and vice president for health and wellness.

This past weekend, we tested all residents and employees through the Kansas Department of Health and Environment following exposure from an employee who tested positive November 7. All other tests came back negative.

The residents will remain in their individual apartments and will recover under the care of designated staff.

The essential health care worker last worked November 13 and screened in before their shift, wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) at all times.

This brings our seven day total to 3 residents and 1 employee, as well as the 2 employees who continue to test positive after previously testing positive.

The Bourbon County Health Department has been notified and recommends continuing our testing of residents and employees.

The COVID positive residents will recover in isolation and be cared for by designated staff. We will follow KDHE guidelines for when the residents may come out of isolation. Under the current guidelines, symptomatic residents may leave isolation when at least 72 hours have passed since resolution of the resident’s fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and the resident’s symptoms have improved and at least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared. Asymptomatic positive residents will quarantine for 14 days. Designated staff members are following doctor’s orders for treatment protocols and following CDC infection prevention protocols.

We will follow CDC and KDHE guidelines for when an employee may return to work. Under the current guidelines, symptomatic employees may return to work when at least 72 hours have passed since resolution of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and the employee’s symptoms  have improved and at least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared. Asymptomatic positive employees or contractors will quarantine for 14 days. Upon their return to work, we will follow CDC recommendations related to work practices and restrictions.

Presbyterian Manor will follow any additional guidance from the Bourbon County Health Department, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment epidemiology hotline and the CDC.

All employees are encouraged to follow CDC guidelines and best practices as these are continually updated. The community regularly reinforces with all staff that an employee should not report to work if he or she is experiencing symptoms of a respiratory illness or not feeling well.

For more information about Fort Scott Presbyterian Village’s response, go to PMMA’s (Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America’s) website, presbyterianmanors.org/media-room.