Coronavirus Update

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 November 23, 2020

 Dear PTFK Families,

We would like to extend our best wishes to all our Prime Time families for a Happy and Healthy Thanksgiving! Please note that Wednesday, November 25th is a half day for students, they will be dismissed at 11:30am.
Many of you have asked about a closure or a holiday pause, and I wanted to reach out to let you know that we are not planning to close Prime Time.

Because the health and safety of our staff and students is our #1 priority, we continue to be cautious when any child has a COVID-19 symptom or has been exposed to someone who has tested positive. This abundance of caution is one reason we have been able to remain open since September 9th. In order to continue to provide in-person services for our students, we all must remain diligent as a school community regarding the spread of COVID-19.

Please be sure to continue to complete health checks for your child each morning before sending him/her to school. Please continue social distancing, wearing masks, and hand washing, especially during the holiday weekend, and inform us immediately if your child has had any contact with someone who is COVID positive. Thank you for your continued support of our program and of our efforts to keep everyone safe.

Let’s keep working together from farther apart!

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns,

Melissa McDonald

November 20, 2020

Dear Member of The Arc Rockland Residential Family, 

OPWDD issued updated guidance today to all providers as a result of the high positivity rate of COVID-19 in certain areas of NY State. As you may have heard, areas of Rockland County are considered “High Rate Areas or Cluster Zones”. These zones are designated Yellow, Orange, and Red with increasing restrictions in that order. Yesterday Governor Cuomo significantly expanded the COVID-19 Micro-cluster zone in Rockland County due to high positivity rates of COVID-19 in those areas. 

Twenty-five of our residential programs have been deemed by NY State and therefore OPWDD to be in the “Yellow-Precautionary Zone”. As of today, several Day/Community programs are included in this designation as well. We are happy to report that none of our programs (day or residential) are in the Orange or Red zones, which have additional restrictions imposed upon them. 

The twenty-five (25) residences currently identified in the Yellow Zone are: 

1. Blanchard IRA 

2. Buena Vista IRA 

3. Colonial Court IRA 

4. Hemptor IRA 

5. Highview IRA 

6. Hobart IRA 

7. 147 Lafayette Ave 

8. 149 Lafayette Ave 

9. Laurel IRA 

10. Lea Court IRA 

11. McNamara IRA 

12. Monsey Heights IRA 

13. Muller Court IRA 

14. North Main St Apt. 

15. Pascack IRA 

16. Pearl River IRA 

17. Red Hill IRA 

18. Ridge Rd IRA 

19. Scenic IRA 

20. Skokie IRA 

21. Sloane IRA 

22. Sterling IRA 

23. Tamarack IRA 

24. Tulip IRA 

25. Viola IRA 

While no immediate program closures are required, in accordance with directives from OPWDD, we must take enhanced precautions. 

The Agency is expected to refer both staff and individuals associated with the above programs to seek COVID-19 testing on a weekly basis. If your loved one resides in one of these homes, we will be reaching out to his or her Primary Care Physician and/or Rockland DOH for further guidance. 

We will continue to monitor positivity rates and zone designations on a daily basis and keep you posted if any changes or updates are required. Also, while the OPWDD mandate is directed towards the staff and individuals involved with the above programs, all agency staff, especially those who live in these state-designated clusters/zones are encouraged to get tested. 

Additionally, we are strongly encouraging families to consider getting COVID-19 testing, particularly if you plan to visit your family member at one of our houses or if you plan to bring your loved one to your home for a visit. This is particularly critical if you happen to live in one of the “Cluster Zones”. 

Below are some resources regarding testing that you may find helpful: 

Contact the NYS COVID-19 Hotline at 1-888-364-3065. 

They will refer you promptly for testing at the closest location to your residence. Remember, testing is free, and regardless of whether or not you have symptoms. 

In addition to the above you can also reach out to your PCP and local Urgent Care, CVS and Rite Aid Pharmacies 

If you unsure if you reside in one of the designated areas, you can check by going to this link https://covidhotspotlookup.health.ny.gov/#/home 

As I hope you realize, we have been taking the health and safety of your loved one and our staff extremely seriously. This guidance is intended to further our efforts in this area. 

Thank you for your understanding and please reach out to your program management team or me with any questions. 

Sincerely, 

Jessica Pizzutello 

Managing Director of Residential Services 

Cc: 

Jane Zemon, Chief Program Officer 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

September 3, 2020

The Arc Rockland has reopened our Day Habilitation programs on a limited basis. Each program has a COVID-19 Safety Plan which addresses all requirements of the OPWDD Reopening Guidance. Daily health screenings and procedures for addressing individuals and staff exhibiting symptoms are key elements of the plans. In addition, all individuals and staff must follow the social distancing guidelines and wear face coverings. Each program has strict hygiene and cleaning protocols. Please review the posted Safety Plans for details and contact Senior Director of Community Services Daniel Werges at 845.267.2500 ext. 3140 or dwerges@TheArcRockland.org with any questions.

COVID-19 safety plan Franklin Square day program

COVID-19 safety plan Hemlock Drive day program

COVID-19 safety plan Phillips Hill day program

COVID-19 safety plan East Central day program

 

To: The Arc Rockland Persons Supported, Staff and Families

From: Carmine G. Marchionda, Chief Executive Officer

Date: July 15, 2020

Subject: Financial Update-COVID-19 and Proposed Residential Funding Reductions

It’s been more than two months since we’ve communicated about our emergency cost reduction measures in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. During that time, the Executive Management team has been diligently working to develop measures to secure our position. While there has been much good news in New York about the decline in COVID-19 cases and deaths, substantial challenges still abound, particularly in the financial arena.

I am pleased to report that it’s been about two months since we have had any positive cases and things have stabilized relating to the health of our individuals and employees. We continue to maintain all precautions related to cleaning and disinfecting, using PPE and social distancing and have prepared a NY Forward Re-opening Safety Plan incorporating these elements. We are working on our guidelines to resume home visits, reintroduce individuals to residences after extended home visits, commence community outings and phase reopening of Arc’s day/community services.

As previously reported, the pandemic added significant unbudgeted expenses. In addition to this, the State has proposed substantial cuts to our Residential reimbursement in the next few months, amounting to a reduction of over $1.7 million annually for The Arc Rockland, which will be very difficult to absorb.

Specifically, on May 27, 2020, the Department of Health published a public notice in the New York State Register announcing proposed cuts in reimbursement for IRA and ICF residential programs to include:

• Eliminating the occupancy adjustment resulting from vacancies
• Reducing reimbursement by 50% for retainer days when residents are in the hospital or nursing home
• Reducing therapeutic leave days for family visits by 50% and imposing an annual “cap” of 96 days of therapeutic leave days, after which reimbursement would be reduced to zero

While OPWDD issued interim guidance regarding the reopening of day services, there is a great deal of uncertainty in the loss of the day hab retainer day funding which will be eliminated on July 21, 2020 and what impact that will have on revenues.
As a result of our continued COVID-19 operating losses and these proposed residential funding reductions, we have had to make some very difficult decisions.

• Twelve positions have been eliminated through attrition, reassignment or layoff from Administration, Residential and Community Services
• Several employees who were furloughed April 27th will remain out through the end of the year
• Several more employees have had a reduction in their standard weekly hours
• The five Residential communities have been consolidated and reduced to four, with those residences in the fifth community consolidated into the other four

The reductions outlined above reflect the most immediate actions we are required to take toward financial stability. All affected employees have been notified and have been given the opportunity to apply for open positions, although there are few at this time. While these decisions have not been made lightly, they have been made with the expectation that they will enable us to emerge in a stronger position.

We must not allow these funding cuts to overshadow the outstanding work of our Arc staff, who pulled together at all levels to ensure the safety, support and care of our individuals during this national healthcare crisis. We will continue to strongly advocate for the necessary funding to support our individuals and our remarkable staff.

A series of family stakeholder sessions will be held over the next week to discuss the above cuts as well as continued reopening plans/guidelines. Program leadership and administration will participate in these calls to present more specific information, answer questions and receive stakeholder feedback. Meeting dates will be communicated through our One Call Now notification system and will also be posted on the website under our COVID-19 announcements.

Working together we will get through these difficult times.

 

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

 

To: The Arc Rockland Persons Supported, Staff and Families

From: Carmine G. Marchionda, Chief Executive Officer

Date: July 13, 2020

Subject: A Message from Commissioner Kastner on Interim Guidance

 

Commissioner Kastner issued guidance from OPWDD on Friday evening on the reopening of day programs, home visits for individuals residing in certified settings, return to residences after extended home visits and the reinstatement of community outings.

The above guidance is effective on July 15 assuming The Arc Rockland has the necessary reopening plans, guidelines, documentation, training and risk mitigation strategies in place. I reassure you that our entire team is focused on finalizing these plans which are required in the guidance for the reopening of day services and for reinstituting home visits.

It is unfortunate that OPWDD opted to distribute this message on a Friday evening with no advance notice and without any dialogue and/or discussions with families, providers, self-advocates and care management organizations. I ask for your patience and understanding as we work through the more than 16 pages of guidance, requirements and directives which must be in place prior to permitting community outings, home visitation and day program services to resume.

Communication will be sent to you shortly outlining The Arc Rockland’s effective dates for the above activities and what you can expect moving forward. We are committed to safeguarding our individuals, staff and the greater Rockland County community and will work hard to make sure everything is in place to ensure compliance.

Should you have specific questions regarding Day/Community Services, please contact Jane Zemon at jzemon@thearcrockland.org and Jessica Pizzutello for Residential questions at jrusso@thearcrockland.org.

Thank you for your continued support.