What we know about the Samaritan staff sickened with COVID-19

MOSES LAKE — On Monday, Samaritan Healthcare announced that two of its staff members had tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

In an interview Gretchen Youngren, Executive Director of Development and Communication at Samaritan, divulged additional information regarding where those employees worked, when they first presented symptoms and where they are believed to have been infected.

Though Youngren declined to specify what roles the two employees served out of concern for their privacy, both worked in non-clerical patient care positions, she said Monday.

As of Monday morning, Samaritan had run 345 COVID-19 tests, with 215 negative results, 108 tests pending results and 22 positives. Of those positives, six were Moses Lake residents. In addition, three people awaiting test results are currently hospitalized at a Samaritan facility with COVID-19 symptoms, Youngren said.

However, although their cases are still under investigation, Youngren said that there is no reason at this time to believe that the staff members were infected inside of a Samaritan facility. Rather, they are believed to have been infected while out in the community, Youngren added, and Samaritan currently considers the risk to patients to be low.

Both employees started exhibiting symptoms the week of March 16, and their symptoms were detected during a daily wellness check, which Samaritan began conducting with staff and visitors on March 19. Working in patient care, the two employees were considered to be high risk and were able to access a test for the novel coronavirus, Youngren said. Since presenting with symptoms, both staff members were placed under isolation while they waited for test results, Youngren continued.

Samaritan learned of their test results over the weekend, Youngren added, but waited to inform the public until healthcare workers could be notified.

Youngren said she was not aware of any other Samaritan staff currently showing COVID-19 symptoms or placed in isolation. Staffing shortages are currently not a concern, Youngren added, due to the number of staff being reallocated from services, such as elective procedures, that have been postponed during the current outbreak.

“However, we do know that we could go down in staffing based on people getting sick, Youngren added. “The hard part, and I think this is true for every healthcare administration in the country right now, we’re not in the worst of it yet. We’re doing everything we can to make sure our staff are prepared, are equipped, and well-rested.”

Emry Dinman can be reached via email at edinman@columbiabasinherald.com.