Coronavirus Update: 3/13/2020

From Doug Padgett: TK CEO & President

I am happy to hear that so many of us are taking personal responsibility seriously, as I encouraged everyone to do in my previous update. Our team continues to monitor the information from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to ensure that we are taking actions that comply with CDC recommendations. This advice includes paying close attention to our local state and county authorities also. With this in mind, Totally Kids has implemented reductions in exposure intended to keep the children in our care, their families, and our staff free from viral and bacterial infection, and we have implemented the appropriate waiver to comply with California Code of Regulations (CCR) Title 22: 72527(a).

Effective Wednesday, March 11, 2020:

• Visits to Totally Kids Rehabilitation Hospital acute and subacute units will be limited to parents or legal guardians only.
• Children will not be allowed to visit in the hospital; however, you may consider skype or similar media visits.
• All visitors should continue to carefully screen themselves for signs of illness including fever. (Please DO NOT visit if you are ill or have been in close contact with anyone who is ill.)

Additionally, we have temporarily canceled clinical school rotations and tours, volunteer programs and special events; including birthday parties and the annual Easter Party in order to further protect our patients.  

Please be sure to share this information with other family members and friends so this temporary change can occur as smoothly as possible. Remember, this temporary change is specifically designed to provide your children, yourselves, and all staff and visitors a safer environment during this time. 

Let’s look for a moment at the impact of our actions as a community. We are hearing reports about the success of precautions used by caregivers when they are giving care to patients who have tested positive for COVID-19 and how they have remained infection-free. We are also noting how limiting the exposure by self-isolation when one has signs of respiratory illness is reducing the rate of the spread of the virus (see #FlattenTheCurve ). Let’s keep working together to keep this a low-level event by staying away from non-essential events. My personal hope is that you will decide that worship to God remains an essential part of your life as we fall to our knees in collective prayer for relief through the reduction of the outbreak and the quick recovery of those infected.

I want to acknowledge the importance of uncertainty. At the early stages of an outbreak, there is much uncertainty, and probably more than everyone would like. Our guidelines and practices are likely to be fluid and subject to change as we learn more about this virus. We are devoted to the daily updating of our knowledge by using credible sources. I want to recognize that while we are moving fast, it’s very likely this will be more of a marathon than a sprint. 

I want to acknowledge change. Our practices and approaches will change as we learn more about the virus and develop best practices that lessen risk to you, your children, and our staff and contractors. Since things are changing, because viruses are unpredictable, and because there will be local adaptation, it is likely that at any given moment there could be confusing or conflicting information. We are committed to minimizing and clearing up any misconceptions.

If you are authorized family, you may call and ask for the bedside nurse who can update you on your child’s health status. I will announce changes to greater or less restrictive infection prevention measures along the way. Let’s keep working together to keep our community safe.