Update on COVID-19 at NACC 4/21/2020
April 20, 2020
Boozhoo Nawemaaganag! Hau Mitakeyapi! (“Hello Relatives!”)
Today, NACC learned that a member of our team tested positive for the novel coronavirus, the virus that causes COVID-19 disease.
It has been clear for some time now that community transmission is widespread. After consulting with the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), we are confident that there has not been transmission from staff to patients. In response to this incident, and in preponderance of caution and a desire to protect our staff, our patients, and the community, NACC leadership has taken aggressive steps and moved swiftly to contain the risk for further transmission.
Commencing immediately, NACC is ceasing all patient visits to the clinic and transitioning fully to a Telehealth model for at least the next two weeks. Patients will be able to complete their visits by telephone and/or cell, computer or other mobile devices (e.g. iPads, iPhones, Android phones or other tablets) and will be referred by their provider to a partnering clinic for any lab and diagnostic services if necessary.
There will be no change to the operations of our Intensive Outpatient Treatment Program (IOP) or Behavioral Health since these clinics are already providing patient care exclusively on Telehealth platforms.
We will also use the next two weeks to fully sanitize and disinfect the clinic environment, and implement more stringent practices to ensure safety for all!
Moving forward, we will actively monitor all clinic staff who are on-site for signs and symptoms of COVID19 and will test all clinic staff who show symptoms for the virus. We will double down on our use of recommended universal precautions, including:
Wearing masks and gloves at all times
Encouraging frequent hand washing and use of hand sanitizer
Consistent sanitization of door handles, fixtures and other frequently handled objects throughout the clinic work day, as well as thorough sanitization overnight
Enforcing social distancing of at least 6 feet
Staff will eat lunch at their desks
Staff will be encouraged to practice social distancing at home and refrain from congregating in and out of the clinic
Staff will be screened for COVID19 symptoms, including having their temperatures taken each day when they report to work
Staff with active symptoms (or who have reason to believe they have been exposed at home or in the community) will be advised to stay at home and will get tested before returning to work.
We appreciate the trust that you have placed in us for the care of you and your family. We take that seriously and honor your trust in us. We are confident that we will be able to return to in-clinic services very soon, and deliver the highest quality culturally-responsive care that you have come to expect from us!
Watch our website and Facebook page for updates on this incident; we promise to keep you fully informed!
We continue to wish you and your loved ones safety and health and wellbeing!
Migwitch and Pidamaye!
Dr. Antony Stately
Chief Executive Officer