North Central Health Care Weekly Community Information Briefing

Press Release

For Immediate Release: April 7, 2020

(April 7, 2020, Wausau, WI) – On March 28, 2020, North Central Health Care was informed that a case of COVID-19 had been confirmed for an employee of Mount View Care Center in Wausau. As of today, April 7, 2020, North Central Health Care reports that there are no additional employees who have tested positive for Covid-19 and additionally there are no residents, clients or patients who have tested positive for Covid-19.

“Sixteen days have passed since the North Central Health Care employee who tested positive for Covid-19 was last at Mount View Care Center after developing symptoms while at work. Because of this employee’s faithful reporting of a change in health and the quick actions of our teams to respond and put additional healthcare precautions in place, there have been no additional employees who have tested positive for Covid-19, and additionally there are no residents, clients or patients who have tested positive for Covid-19. We see this as indication that our approach can be successful in containment of spread but we also remain realistic of the challenges this virus could bring in the days ahead. We are extremely proud of our team of committed employees across our entire organization who respond each day to the demands of their profession, while practicing healthcare precautions advised by our federal, state and local public health officials, our collective adherence in this regard remains a critical priority,” states Michael Loy, CEO of North Central Health Care.

To prevent further spread of illness, North Central Health Care continues to practice these additional healthcare precautions as advised by local health officials and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):

  • Personal protective face masks will be worn at all times by employees within all NCHC facilities.
  • All nursing home residents will wear a mask or cloth face covering any time they exit their rooms.
  • Residents’ vital signs will be monitored multiple times per day.
  • Frequent cleaning of high-touch surfaces.
  • Restricting all visitation including hospice visitation. Management has been working with families individually on a case-by-case basis for special circumstances.
  • All staff are required to complete Covid-19 screening upon arrival to work. Temperature monitoring for staff working in Restricted Zones takes place every 4 hours.
  • Continued emergency zone implementation throughout the Wausau Campus to limit exposure to residents and patients in 24/7 care areas.

North Central Health Care continually monitors the latest information provided by the CDC, state and local public health officials to ensure that policies and procedures reflect the latest recommendations.

North Central Health Care provides compassionate, high-quality care for individuals and families with mental health, recovery and skilled nursing needs in Marathon, Langlade and Lincoln counties. Services are provided for mental health, substance abuse, crisis, developmental disabilities, adult protection, aquatic physical therapy and skilled nursing care. North Central Health Care operates two skilled nursing facilities, Mount View Care Center in Wausau and Pine Crest Nursing Home in Merrill.

Find North Central Health Care online: News | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn | www.norcen.org

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North Central Health Care asks our media partners to respect the privacy of our employees, patients, clients and residents during this time as we continue to focus our efforts on preventing the spread of illness and caring for those we serve.

Media contact:
North Central Health Care

Jessica Meadows, Public Information Officer

Marketing & Communications Director
1100 Lake View Drive • Wausau, WI 54403
715.370.1547 jmeadows@norcen.org www.norcen.org