COVID-19 surveillance testing reveals COVID cases at Wichita

One essential health care worker and one non-direct resident care employee have tested positive for COVID-19 in employee surveillance testing April 5 at Wichita Presbyterian Manor.

The essential health care employee last worked April 6 in assisted living, and the non-direct resident care employee last worked April 6 in health care. Both employees were notified immediately of the positive tests and were sent home to quarantine. The employees passed pre-shift screening and wore personal protective equipment as required. All other employee tests were negative for the virus.

No residents meet the criteria of close contacts for either employee. One non-direct resident care employee is at risk for exposure and has been sent home to quarantine.

The Sedgwick County Health Department and Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) Epidemiology Hotline have been notified.

Visitation has been suspended in assisted living and health care in accordance with CMS guidance until outbreak testing is completed. Residents and staff in the affected areas will be tested Monday, April 12. If there are no positive cases identified, the outbreak will be closed and visitation will resume. Families are encouraged to schedule window and virtual visits with their loved ones.

Our focus remains on ensuring the well-being of our residents and employees. We continue to follow all guidance related to patient care, employee safety, and efforts to reduce the spread of COVID-19, as provided by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). We are working closely with Jeanne Gerstenkorn, PMMA’s infection preventionist and vice president for health and wellness, in implementing our Emergent Infectious Disease (EID) Outbreak Management Plan.  

All residents and 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.

As the vaccine becomes more widely available, PMMA strongly encourages our families, employees and residents to carefully consider obtaining a vaccine for themselves as well as their loved ones. Every person who receives the vaccine will strengthen the protection for all residents, staff and the community at-large.

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

‍