Dear VNA Community,
As you’ve heard in the news, the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a mounting concern. This disruption to our way of living is unprecedented. Since this is a new or novel virus, this is an emerging, rapidly evolving situation, and the full clinical picture is incomplete. The Visiting Nurse Association of Greater St. Louis will continue to monitor the situation, but it’s our full intent to carry out our mission of providing care to our patients in the midst of this pandemic. In order to do so, our Executive team and Patient Care Services Committee have developed the following procedures using information from the World Health Organization, National Hospice & Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to direct patient care and internal staff operations.
Patient Care Procedures
Visiting Nurse Association of Greater St. Louis has made sure that our nurses, aides, field staff and volunteers:
Review the importance, selection and proper use of personal protective equipment.
Fully understand the symptoms of a potential COVID-19 infection.
Report any suspected cases to physicians and program directors.
Practice hand hygiene frequently.
Visiting staff will follow the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines for hand hygiene.
Visiting Nurse Association of Greater St. Louis’ office team members are also taking precautions such as wiping down surfaces in their area, wiping down common areas and all surfaces such as light switches, copiers, handles, etc. Gloves will be used when handling outside packages and mail. Visitors are screened at the front desk.
VNA Staff Procedures
For all Visiting Nurse Association of Greater St. Louis team members, the following procedures have been implemented:
Anyone who travels to an affected area must call Human Resources. If they have any symptoms, they must see a physician, and anyone with symptoms or confirmed COVID-19 must stay at home.
Employees must not have any symptoms and will be required to take and report their temperature to a manager by phone or email before returning to work.
Visiting Nurse Association of Greater St. Louis will also contact appropriate agencies if an employee is confirmed with COVID-19.
For more than 100 years, the Visiting Nurse Association of Greater St. Louis has been a trusted provider for people as they age. During that time, we’ve been honored to serve patients and their families during some of the most uncertain points in their lives. We all are facing uncertainty right now, but with the proper precautions and practices, we can stay safe and healthy. Through it all, our team is here and will continue providing quality, compassionate care to patients.
Stay safe and be well,
Nesa Joseph, MHA, Ed.D
President & CEO
