WATERTOWN, NY – Samaritan Medical Center is reporting its first inpatient case of COVID-19.

The patient arrived at the hospital with respiratory problems and, based on symptoms, was tested for COVID-19 and admitted to the hospital. The patient was cared for using all necessary precautions and when the test returned positive those precautions will continue, as will the patient’s mandatory isolation. While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports more than 70% of COVID-19 infections do not warrant hospitalization, individuals with certain risk factors – such as diabetes, heart, lung and kidney disease, or other underlying conditions – do need to be hospitalized. This patient has particular risk factors.

Samaritan staff treated the individual with the highest level of caution from the start of care. Appropriate use of personal protective equipment (PPE) was followed, and the patient did not come in contact with any other patients at Samaritan. Hospital staff who examined the patient and continue to provide care are using all appropriate measures to avoid exposure to the virus. Meals and other items that would normally be delivered to a patient by nonclinical hospital staff are only being delivered to this patient by a small clinical team.

“Samaritan has been anticipating its first inpatient COVID-19 case for weeks and was well-prepared for this to happen,” said Andrew Short, Chief Operating Officer. “Our caregivers are following all appropriate protocols for patient and employee safety, and we thank them for responding quickly and cautiously to this patient’s situation.”

Prior to today (April 6, 2020), individuals in Jefferson County who tested positive for COVID-19 have not needed hospitalization. This individual will remain in isolation at Samaritan for the duration of their care and, when discharged, will complete mandatory isolation under supervision of the Jefferson County Public Health Service.

As is the case for all positive COVID-19 test results, the Jefferson County Public Health Service will be in contact with any individual who may have had contact with this patient publically. Samaritan’s Employee Health team will make any staff aware that had contact with the patient.

Samaritan reminds the community that its COVID-19 Resource Line – 315-755-3100 – is staffed Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. We encourage all community members who think they might need testing, have symptoms, or been around those with COVID-19 to call and let our professional team help answer your concerns.

The community has been extremely thoughtful to stay home, maintain social distancing and using proper hygiene and we need to all continue to do so.

WATERTOWN, NY – With COVID-19 causing a nationwide shortage of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) at medical facilities, a group of local manufacturing companies, educational institutions and architects are stepping up to produce face shields for healthcare workers at Samaritan.

Face shields are critically important for infection prevention, as they provide full-face protection for healthcare workers. The clear plastic shields can be produced using 3-D printers, and several local organizations have begun dedicating space, materials and talent to make them.

The collaboration was first spearheaded by Senator Patty Ritchie’s office, which saw the need arising at area hospitals and began reaching out to local businesses, schools, and individuals with access to 3-D printers. The Senator’s office successfully pulled together a long list of partners, including representatives from: Alexandria Central School District; BCA Architects & Engineers; Car-Freshner Corporation; Carthage Central School District; General Brown Central School District; Gouverneur Central School District; Indian River Central School District; Jefferson Community College, Jefferson-Lewis BOCES; Lyme Central School District; Lowville Academy and Central School; New York Air Brake; Northern Glass; Sackets Harbor Central School District; and Watertown City School District. Community members David Maxon and Chris Nichols will also use their personal 3-D printers to assist the effort.

Knowlton Technologies has also stepped forward to offer assistance in producing face masks and gowns, two other important pieces of PPE for healthcare staff. The company is currently in the design phase.

Mari L. Cecil, Senior Principal at BCA Architects & Engineers, has taken on the role of community coordinator for these efforts and is working with all representatives to ensure face shields are of consistent quality and can be used by healthcare workers. The group has worked together to share best practices and prototypes.

“We are all connected; many of us have family and friends in the healthcare profession who not only need our support but need additional protective equipment such as the face shields,” Ms. Cecil said. “Without hesitation, we came together. We are honored to be playing a role in this effort to support our local healthcare community during this critical time, and we are also blessed to be working other local businesses and educational groups.”

Ms. Cecil said the team’s goal is to produce 1,000 face shields. Samaritan is grateful to all individuals and businesses that have stepped forward and supported the local healthcare system.

“This community support – from donations being dropped off at the hospital, to the manufacturing innovation of this local group – is incredibly humbling,” said Elizabeth Fipps, Samaritan’s Vice President for the Foundation and Community Services. “We are all trying to do our part to keep our community safe, from outfitting our healthcare workers with needed safety equipment, to social distancing and using proper hygiene. All of these actions will help flatten the curve and keep the North Country safer.”

Today — March 26, 2020 — the third and fourth cases of individuals with positive COVID-19 in Jefferson County were confirmed by LabCorp laboratory. The individuals are Jefferson County residents, and are now in mandatory isolation by the Jefferson County Public Health Service. To date, there are four (4) confirmed positive cases; and 130 negative in Jefferson County.

One of the positive COVID-19 patients confirmed today is a Samaritan Medical Center direct patient care employee. The staff member did work on Monday, March 23, and was screened before their shift with no symptoms present. While working they wore a mask at all times, since they had been in contact with another hospital patient who was under isolation precautions. This staff member did have contact with patients and staff members during their shift. Their symptoms began on March 25 and they were tested then. It is our understanding this staff member recently traveled to Long Island.

The Jefferson County Public Health Service is determining who the individual was in contact with to establish daily monitoring protocols. Staff at Samaritan Medical Center that were in contact with this employee will be screened every 12 hours and masked as a precautionary measure to help keep patients and other staff members healthy. Any current hospital inpatient that was cared for by the employee will be put under precautionary isolation measures.

The Jefferson County Public Health Service will perform a comprehensive case investigation of any exposed patient that has been discharged from the hospital, any staff members that may have been exposed, and any other community contacts of the positive individual, and initiate the appropriate type of quarantine per individual.

Samaritan Medical Center is well-prepared to keep patients and staff safe by following these measures and helping to stop the spread of the disease.

Under current New York State Department of Health COVID-19 testing guidance, health care providers are now able to conduct COVID-19 testing without authorization from county health departments. The Jefferson County Public Health Service is working closely with providers to manage patients tested and determine which patients require precautionary quarantine until test results are confirmed. Currently, there are 125 individuals in Jefferson County under precautionary quarantine.

The Jefferson County Public Health Service continues to work closely with the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) about testing protocols related to disease transmission. Travel history is still a consideration, along with presentation of specific symptoms.

To date, there are 37,258 positive COVID-19 cases in New York State, with the vast majority of cases in New York City. Local health departments are actively monitoring suspected and positive cases throughout New York State, and it is anticipated that the numbers of people requiring testing and monitoring will continue and grow.

All county health departments are in daily communication with NYSDOH communicable disease leadership to track and monitor exposure potential and possible disease transmission and occurrence in New York State.

The Jefferson County Public Health Service, working with the NYSDOH and the CDC continues to advise individuals to do their part to stop the spread of germs:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands
• Practice social distance
• Avoid contact with sick people
• Stay home if you’re sick

The Jefferson County Public Health Service will continue to update the public regarding disease risk and status.

Are you getting ready to deliver your baby at Samaritan?

Among all the precautionary measures in place to protect our patients and staff from COVID-19, here are some things you should know about delivering your baby:

• Please use Samaritan’s Car-Freshner Center for Women and Children entrance for all maternity-related visits.
• You will be screened and have your temperature taken before you enter the unit.
• We cannot allow any of your children on the unit during these restrictive visitor procedures.
• You are only able to bring one (1) support person, age 18 or older, with you for your delivery, and this person must stay in the room with you at all times. Only patients determined to be in labor will be able to have their support person with them. Until a patient is deemed to be in labor, the support person will be asked to wait outside the facility. A dedicated parking lot for maternity patients and their support person is located on the corner of Sherman and Pratt Streets.
• If you are pregnant, but having a non-obstetrics emergency, please use the Emergency Department entrance so they can care for you.

We look forward to helping you make this time a special one for your family and the safest possible experience for you and your newborn.

For pre-cautionary reasons, Samaritan is following guidance and recommendations from the NYS Department of Health, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and American College of Surgeons to cancel some elective surgeries and procedures to help preserve supplies, protect patients and staff from exposure, and to maintain hospital bed capacity at our facility during this COVID-19 pandemic. Samaritan has worked with all its surgeons and has determined that all non-essential, non-life-threatening surgeries and procedures will be rescheduled for a later date and time.

Based on guidance from the American College of Surgeons, elective surgeries and procedures are broken into three tiers. All Tier 1 procedures will be cancelled – examples include annual colonoscopy screenings, carpal tunnel surgery, and dental. Tier 2 elective surgeries and procedures, such as non-urgent knee or hip replacements, will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and decided upon at the surgeons’ discretion. All Tier 3 elective surgeries and procedures will continue as planned. These include cases involving cancer, trauma, and other highly symptomatic patients. As with every surgical case and emergency, we will always do what is best for the patient.

Following these stated guidelines will help Samaritan surgeons meet the needs of the surgical patients and conserve critical equipment and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) until the COVID-19 pandemic stabilizes.

Please remember – due to strict visitor restrictions, if a patient does have a surgical procedure that requires an inpatient hospital stay, in many cases this patient will not be able to have any visitors while they recover in the hospital. We understand this is very difficult for families, however these regulations are in place by the NYS Department of Health and are for the safety of all patients and staff. If a patient is having an outpatient procedure and no hospital stay is required, their support person will be able to wait in their car until the patient is able to go home.

Our surgical services team will use their expertise to assist areas in need, such as the Samaritan COVID-19 Resource Line, 315-755-3100, and in our Community Coronavirus Testing Site.

If you have a question about your upcoming surgery or outpatient procedure, please call your surgeon’s office directly to find out more. We want to thank each and every one of our community members for your understanding and patience during this time. Your health is our number one priority.

For the most up to date and accurate information about the Coronavirus please visit the CDC’s website or NYSDOH’s website.

As demand for medical supplies increases during the COVID-19 pandemic, medical providers are facing a shortage of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as masks, gowns, gloves and face shields. Many local doctor’s offices, long-term care facilities and hospitals are taking careful inventories, implementing stringent practices to preserve supply, and soliciting donations from community members and businesses.

Samaritan has had many people reach out to make donations — not just of PPE, but donations of food and other supplies for our staff. We thank you and are so grateful for your generosity!

Below is our general guidance for those who wish to make donations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Coordinating Your Donation

For everyone’s safety, we ask that you please contact us to coordinate when and where you should drop off your donation. Please note: we are under strict visitor restrictions and certain entrances to the hospital are no longer open to the public.

If you are ready to schedule a time to drop off your donation, or if you have any questions, please email [email protected]. You can also reach out by phone — call us at 315-785-5785 or 315-785-5725. Thank you!

Effective Thursday, March 19, 2020, the Samaritan Family Health Centers in Cape Vincent, Lacona and Sackets Harbor will temporarily close and all patients will be seen at the larger nearby Health Centers — Clayton, Adams, and LeRay, respectively.

This precautionary measure is being taken to help control patient traffic flow and support staff in these smaller centers. Patients can still call their normal doctor’s office and phone traffic will be routed to the temporary partnering center.

In addition, all patients in the Samaritan Family Health Network should expect some changes to the way in which they visit our Health Centers. More telemedicine options will be available and limiting patients in our waiting rooms are two changes you can expect to see. All patients scheduled for appointments will be called with details to help explain these changes as we respond to the Coronavirus in the best possible way.

We want to remind all community members who have questions or concerns about Coronavirus (COVID-19), or who think they have symptoms related to the Coronavirus, to please call Samaritan’s COVID-19 Resource Line at 315-755-3100.

Remember to do your part to stop the spread of germs:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hand
• Practice social distancing
• Avoid contact with sick people
• Stay home if you’re sick

Thank you for your patience and understanding.