Emporia PMMA residents pass away; more positive COVID-19 tests

Two health care residents of Emporia Presbyterian Manor who previously tested positive for COVID-19 have passed away.

It is never easy to say goodbye to beloved residents. It’s even more difficult during this awful pandemic. The entire Emporia Presbyterian Manor family is in mourning at this time.

While we strive for transparency in what we do, we are bound by federal guidelines under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which protects the privacy rights of our residents even into death. Our medical director follows all established federal laws in notifying families of any change in the medical condition of their loved ones.

At this time, Emporia Presbyterian Manor continues its focus on ensuring the well-being of our residents and employees. We will continue to monitor residents for signs and symptoms of COVID-19 on each shift, and care for those residents who are positive in the COVID-19 isolation area.

Two health care residents and a non-direct care employee at Emporia Presbyterian Manor have tested positive for COVID-19. The employee last worked on February 18, screening in prior to their shift and wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) while working.

“We continue to prioritize the health and safety of our residents and employees,” said Susan Siepelmeier, executive director.

We have notified the Flint Hills Community Health Department and will continue with surveillance testing next week.

The COVID positive residents will recover in isolation and be cared for by designated staff. We will follow CDC and KDHE guidelines for when the resident 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 at least 10 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 the 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 will quarantine for at least 10 days. Upon their return to work, we will follow CDC recommendations related to work practices and restrictions.

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 Emporia Presbyterian Manor’s response, go to PMMA’s (Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America’s) website, presbyterianmanors.org/media-room.