COVID-19 Weekly Communication and Faqs May 1, 2020
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May 1, 2020 We continue to actively monitor the situation regarding the most recent coronavirus, known as COVID-19. In an attempt to keep you informed about the latest developments, we are sending out regular communication such as this to provide updates and answers to frequently asked questions. We encourage you to share these updates with all members of your team, especially those who may not have regular access to email. The latest all- employee communications and updated responses to FAQs can be found at: https://www.kindredhealthcare.com/employees/covid-19-updates. Dear Colleagues: We are now entering the third month of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, and we are starting to see some initial signs that our efforts to flatten the curve nationally are paying off. That’s not to say we are out of the woods just yet – we have to remain diligent in our efforts to follow guidelines related to social distancing, practicing good hygiene, etc. – but there is definitely more thought being given to what comes next. As states across the country begin to take steps to ease restrictions established to slow the spread of COVID-19, the Kindred leadership team is closely following these developments and taking proactive measures to prepare. Like all businesses, we are eager to return to some sense of normalcy, but we are fully committed to doing so only in a way that ensures the health and safety of our patients and their loved ones, our team members, and the communities we serve. There is a tremendous amount of work to do, and I want to assure you that teams throughout the company are already working to define a path forward so that we are prepared to take action when it becomes appropriate. In the meantime, I want to encourage all of our caregivers and clinicians to continue doing what you have done throughout this challenging time – delivering outstanding care to our patients, providing vital support to our nation’s health system, and showing remarkable resilience and dedication in looking out for one another. Kindred Core Moments Last week, we launched Kindred Core Moments (www.KindredCoreMoments.com), a webpage featuring short videos, self-produced by team members throughout our company, which is designed to share some of the inspirational, kind, and selfless things our coworkers are doing in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. To see the faces and hear the voices of individuals who truly embody Kindred’s Core Values is really special, so I encourage you to check the page whenever you need a boost or a reminder about what makes working at Kindred so unique. Below are links to a few notable videos that were added this week (click on the images or links below to view the videos): Direct URL: Direct URL: Direct URL: https://app.altrulabs.com/player/96163 https://app.altrulabs.com/player/95405 https://app.altrulabs.com/player/94510 Yalaka, Registered Dietician at Roger, RN at Community Brad, CEO at Kindred Hospital – Kindred Hospital – St. Louis, shared Rehabilitation Hospital North in Indianapolis, shared what makes an uplifting song to thank all Indianapolis, gave a shout out to a him proud to be part of the Kindred Kindred team members for their fellow team member who is doing team. efforts. amazing work during the pandemic. New videos are added to the page frequently, so check back on occasion to learn more about how your peers are finding silver linings in their daily lives, despite the challenges with which we all are dealing. As a reminder, if you have a story you want to share, watch for communications from your leadership team on how to submit a story for your specific division or line of business. Heroes at Work Finally, I want to share this striking image that came to us from Harry “Bud” Schawl, Hospital Division Market CEO for Las Vegas, and Estrella Sutton, Chief Clinical Officer for Kindred Hospital – Sahara in Las Vegas. The photo features Raymond, an RN, and Elizabeth, a CNA. Estrella shared the following context for the photo: “We started taking COVID-19-positive patients on April 17. These two team members were assigned to our first two patients. Raymond and Elizabeth fully embraced the idea of caring for the patients. These are dedicated, caring team members and they are ‘heroes’ at work at Kindred Hospital – Sahara!” Images like this are being shared from all of our care setting and lines of business, and no matter how many we see, each one is as moving as the last. I want to thank Raymond, Elizabeth and all of our caregivers throughout the company who are rightfully being recognized as true healthcare heroes as they care for our patients. As always, thank you for your ongoing efforts to keep our patients and fellow team members safe. We appreciate your dedication and continued support. Regards, Ben Breier President and Chief Executive Officer Kindred Healthcare Responses to Frequently Asked Questions Kindred has established a dedicated mailbox ([email protected]) to collect and answer any questions you may have. Below are responses to this week’s most frequently asked questions (FAQs). You can find the latest answers to all FAQs at https://www.kindredhealthcare.com/employees/covid-19-updates. The page is updated throughout the week, so we encourage you to check it frequently to find the most up-to- date information. Please note that, when applicable, we have created separate sections for questions that apply to all team members, as well as those that are specific to Hospital Division team members and Kindred Rehabilitation Services team members. For specific clinical or operational directives, please follow the guidelines as they apply to your respective care setting: ALL TEAM MEMBERS Q. For our patients or family members whose primary language is something other than English, are there any general educational materials related to COVID-19 we can share? A. Yes. The Betsy Lehman Patient Center for Patient Safety – a patient-centered organization in Massachusetts – published a variety of educational resources related to COVID-19 in more than 30 different languages, including Spanish, Korean, Arabic, German, Creole, Hindi, Italian, and Russian. The fact sheets are being translated by a coalition of over 150 medical students representing 35 institutions, and all materials are reviewed and vetted by faculty members at Harvard Medical School. The full list of resources and languages can be found at https://covid19healthliteracyproject.com/#languages. In addition, you can find several fact sheets available for download (many of which are available in languages other than English) on the CDC’s site at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019- ncov/communication/factsheets.html. For the full list of the most current responses to frequently asked questions and other updates, please check the following page on a regular basis: https://www.kindredhealthcare.com/employees/covid-19-updates .