Dear Family and Friends,

Viewcrest Care Center conducted entire-site testing for both residents and staff on Wednesday, September 1^st. Today, we were notified of one positive resident from that round of testing so far. We are testing again today, Friday September 3rd. Our COVID segregation unit remains open.

Due to the positive cases at Viewcrest, we are still unable to host indoor or outdoor visits at this time.

We continue to offer alternative options for visitation including, window visits, virtual visits, compassionate care and essential caregiver visits. If you would like more information on visitation please contact Jeremy Brew @ 218-279-4210.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to Tara Adkins, Administrator, at 218-279-4203 if you have any questions or concerns.

Dear Family and Friends,

Viewcrest Care Center conducted entire-site testing for both residents and staff on 8/26/2021. We are excited to announce that we have no additional cases of COVID-19 this week. We will be testing again on 8/30/2021. Our COVID segregation unit remains open.  

Due to the positive cases at Viewcrest, we are still unable to host indoor or outdoor visits at this time. In order for visits to occur, the facility must have complete two rounds of testing with no new cases. An update on our outbreak testing will be posted upon receiving all results from testing on 8/30/2021. 

We continue to offer alternative options for visitation including, window visits, virtual visits, compassionate care and essential caregiver visits.  If you would like more information on visitation please contact Jeremy Brew @ 218-279-4210. 

Looking for ways to help? We have a variety of positions available with flexible scheduling and on the job training. For more information or to apply, visit www.jobswithus.org.

Please follow our Facebook page (@Viewcrest Health Center) or our website (www.sfhs.org) for all COVID updates and information on what is happening inside our care center. Please do not hesitate to reach out to Tara Adkins, Administrator, at 218-279-4203 if you have any questions or concerns.

Dear Family and Friends,

Today we were notified that a resident has tested positive for COVID-19. Due to the positive case in our care center, we have begun point-prevalence testing of all staff and residents regardless of vaccination status. This will occur until 2 rounds of testing return with no new positive cases. We are following recommendations from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

We have activated our COVID unit. The unit is segregated from the rest of our community. The designated staff that care for this resident will not have physical contact with other non-segregated residents.

MDH requires us to restrict indoor visitation until all testing results return negative. At this time, we can continue Compassionate Care visits.  Resident activities, dining, and doctor appointments will also continue in areas not impacted. We encourage our family and friends to reach out to us to schedule window visits or virtual visits during this time.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to Tara Adkins, Administrator at 218-279-4203.

Dear Family and Friends,

Due to county positivity, our care center routinely tests unvaccinated staff monthly and when an employee or resident show signs or symptoms of COVID-19 or has had exposure to a confirmed case of COVID-19. As of today, we have no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in our care center. We are following recommendations from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

Unfortunately, COVID-19 case numbers have recently spiked, bringing Minnesota’s positivity rate up to 3%.  Health officials are warning that the highly contagious Delta variant of the Coronavirus now accounts for more than 75% of the state’s new COVID-19 cases. The Delta variant is highly transmissible and is causing significant, quickly spreading increases in infections in some areas.

Our residents are the most at risk for severe and fatal symptoms. Becoming vaccinated is the best way to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus and it’s variants and we have strongly encouraged everyone in our communities to get a vaccine as soon as possible, however, we do not mandate that our staff get the COVID-19 vaccine at this time. Continued infection prevention and control strategies remain essential in our efforts to keep COVID-19 out of our settings. These include the continued screening of staff, visitors, and residents, good hand hygiene, appropriate and consistent use of PPE, efforts to increase vaccination percentages, and testing for early identification of COVID-19.

We are thankful for all those who stepped forward to receive the vaccine, helping to lower positivity rates in our communities and allowing visitors back into our care centers. We continue to educate those in our community about the COVID-19 vaccine to ensure the safety of our residents and our staff. Please follow our Facebook page (@Viewcrest Health Center) or our website (www.sfhs.org) for all COVID updates and information on what is happening inside our care center. Please do not hesitate to reach out to Tara Adkins, Administrator at 218-279-4203 if you have any questions or concerns.

June 4, 2021

Dear Family and Friends,

“Our care center continues to routinely test non-vaccinated staff monthly and when an employee or resident show signs or symptoms of COVID-19 or has had exposure to a confirmed case of COVID-19. As of today, we have no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in our care center. We are following recommendations from the MDH, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).”

Thank you again for helping us fight this COVID-19 virus. Your support, prayers, and caring will not be forgotten. Please follow our Facebook page (6) Viewcrest Health Center | Facebook or our website (www.sfhs.org) for all COVID updates and information on what is happening inside our care center. Please do not hesitate to reach out to Tara Adkins, Administrator @ 218-279-4203 if you have any questions or concerns.

Dear Family and Friends,

Our care center continues to test staff and residents weekly as part of outbreak testing.  While we haven’t received all results from this weeks’ testing, no new cases have been reported at this time.  We are following recommendations from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Indoor visitation will resume once all test results are received and negative from testing completed on 4/1/21. 

As of this week, 80 percent of seniors have gotten at least one dose of coronavirus vaccine as well as 38 percent of residents aged 50 to 64. More than 1 million Minnesotans are now fully vaccinated and 1.66 million, or 38 percent have gotten at least one shot. On Tuesday, March 30^th, Minnesota expanded vaccine eligibility to all Minnesotans ages 16 and up. Although vaccinations are ramping up, Minnesota’s seven-day rolling average positivity rate has been increasing, and as of the latest data, it is at 5.3%, putting the state in the “caution” status.

We encourage you to do your part in stopping the spread of COVID-19 by connecting with your primary health care provider or using the Vaccine Locator map (Vaccine Locations / COVID-19 Updates and Information – State of Minnesota (mn.gov)) to find a vaccine appointment near you.  Please continue to wear face masks, social distancing, wash your hands often and get tested if you have been exposed to someone who has tested positive or are experiencing COVID symptoms.

Looking for ways to help? We have a variety of positions available with flexible scheduling and on the job training. For more information or to apply, visit www.jobswithus.org.

Please follow our Facebook page (@Viewcrest Health Center) or our website (www.sfhs.org) for all COVID updates and information on what is happening inside our care center. Please do not hesitate to reach out to Tara Adkins, Administrator at 218-279-4203 if you have any questions or concerns.

Dear Family and Friends,

As of today, we have 1 new suspected case of COVID-19 in our care center and no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Suncrest. Our care center is testing staff weekly at this time. We are following recommendations from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

Due to the case of COVID-19 in our care center, we will be suspending all visitation at this time. We will begin point prevalence testing (PPT) on 3/15/21. As a reminder, we must go two consecutive weeks without any new cases to resume indoor visits and discontinue testing.

Please follow our Facebook page (@Viewcrest Health Center) or our website (www.sfhs.org) for all COVID updates and information on what is happening inside our care center. Please do not hesitate to reach out to Tara Adkins, Administrator at 218-279-4203 if you have any questions or concerns.

Dear Family and Friends,

As of today, we have no new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in our care center and no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Suncrest. Our care center is testing staff monthly. We are following recommendations from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

We continue to receive questions on how and when family and friends will receive their vaccine. Health officials have created a Vaccine Connector tool found at https://vaccineconnector.mn.gov/. This tool helps Minnesotans find out when, where, and how to get a COVID-19 vaccine. After you fill out a simple form, the Vaccine Connector will alert you when you are eligible to receive a vaccine, connect you to resources to schedule a vaccine appointment, and notify you if there are vaccine opportunities in your area.

It is not necessary to sign up if:

• You have already received your COVID-19 vaccine.

• You previously registered for the COVID-19 Vaccine Pilot Program or the COVID-19 Community Vaccination Program. You’re already on the Vaccine Connector list, and there is no need to re-submit your information.

• You completed the Minnesota COVID-19 Vaccine Education and Child Care survey. You’re already on the Vaccine Connector list, and there is no need to re-submit your information.

• You completed the Health Care Connection Form, you do not need to re-submit your information. The Minnesota Department of Health will work with health systems and local public health agencies to notify you about when and where you can get vaccinated.

We look forward to the day we can throw our doors wide open to the community. Until then, there are multiple ways residents in our setting can interact with one another and with their loved ones. We have resumed socially distanced communal dining and small group activities. We are currently able to offer indoor visits, virtual visits, essential caregiver visits, and compassionate care visits. We do ask that visitors are tested prior to entering our care center. Due to cost, we will no longer be able to test essential caregivers, compassionate caregivers or visitors in the care centers.

Looking for ways to help? We have a variety of positions available with flexible scheduling and on the job training.

For more information or to apply, visit www.jobswithus.org.Please follow our Facebook page (@Viewcrest Health Center) or our website (www.sfhs.org) for all COVID updates and information on what is happening inside our care center. Please do not hesitate to reach out to Tara Adkins, Administrator at 218-279-4203 if you have any questions or concerns.

Dear Family and Friends,

As of today, we have no new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in our care center and no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Suncrest. Our care center will begin monthly testing next week. We are following recommendations from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

The CDC released a report that indicates a national average vaccination rate for care center residents of 77.8% and of care center staff, 37.5%. Minnesota is in a category with higher rates for both, with more than 80% of residents and more than 40% of staff. As of Wednesday of this week, 70,049 residents and staff of Minnesota’s long term care centers have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. We have conducted our second vaccine clinic giving many residents and staff their second dose of the Moderna vaccine! We will be hosting our 3^rd Clinic in March. 

Viewcrest is excited to announce that we will begin limited indoor visitation starting on 2/8/2021.  These visits must be scheduled in advance with the activities department, please contact Jeremy Brew @ 218-279-4210 for more information.

Looking for ways to help? We have a variety of positions available with flexible scheduling and on the job training. For more information or to apply, visit www.jobswithus.org.

Please follow our Facebook page (@Viewcrest Health Center) or our website (www.sfhs.org) for all COVID updates and information on what is happening inside our care center. Please do not hesitate to reach out to Tara Adkins, Administrator at 218-279-4203 if you have any questions or concerns.