Three Care Homes In Roswell Report Coronavirus Cases

ROSWELL, GA — Three Roswell personal care homes reported staff or residents who have become sick from the coronavirus, the Georgia Department of Public Health said in a report released Friday.

The report includes COVID-19 activity for all licensed nursing homes, all licensed assisted living communities, and licensed personal care homes of 25 beds or more.

The Phoenix at Roswell, 11725 Pointe Place, reported that all five of its residents are sick from the coronavirus.

Phoenix Senior Living is a provider of care for seniors in the southeast.

"In response to the international crisis with the evolving COVID-19 virus, we remain committed to serving all seniors, including those directly affected by this pandemic," the company said in an April 4 press release. "Through our years of serving seniors, we have a proven track record of partnering with regulatory agencies and the healthcare system to care for our beloved seniors. This experience positions us well to safely care for seniors as well as others with COVID-19 who are asymptomatic or exhibit only mild symptoms that don’t require 24-hour nursing care."

Yolanda Doley Hunter, vice president of quality assurance and risk management for Pheonix, said its Roswell location is now "a COVID-19 positive treatment facility for asymptomatic residents recovering from COVID-19 in coordination with local healthcare systems."

"Previous residents of this community (that also had tested negative) were moved to other communities within the Phoenix Senior Living system," Hunter said. "Please note there was one asymptomatic resident who remained in residence at Roswell. All additional residents currently residing at The Phoenix at Roswell moved in COVID-19 positive and are being cared for following all protocols and standards outlined by the Centers for Disease Control."

Historic Roswell Place Assisted Living and Memory Care, 75 Magnolia St., reported one staff member who is sick with the coronavirus. As of Friday, there has not been a case reported for any of the 75 residents.

Pegasus Senior Living manages dozens of communities across the country, including Historic Roswell Place.

"Pegasus Senior Living remains committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of our residents and associates," the company said in an April 8 press release. "Our teams and residents are doing well adjusting to the 'new normal.' Our teams are also focusing on ways to bring joy to residents each day, and we are incredibly proud of the creative ways they are finding to keep residents connected. We have iPads and other mobile devices to help residents virtually connect with their loved ones. We are loving the creative virtual interactions that are occurring throughout our communities. We continue to focus on our residents having the best possible experience despite all the barriers we are up against."

Roswell Nursing and Rehab Center, 1109 Green St., reported one resident has become ill from coronavirus out of the 205 total residents. One staff member has also become ill.

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As of Monday at noon, 2,174 cases of COVID-19 and 78 deaths total were reported in Fulton County by the Georgia Department of Health.

Nursing homes and long-term care facilities have been hit especially hard — with 250 deaths out of 689 total as of Friday across Georgia, such facilities account for more than a third of the state's deaths. Older people and those with chronic underlying conditions are especially vulnerable to the coronavirus.

The Department of Public Health released responses to commonly asked questions:

Where can I find COVID-19 information on a facility type not included in this report?

If you are seeking COVID-19 information for a facility type not included in this listing, contact the facility itself or the Department of Public Health. Facilities are required to report outbreaks to the Georgia Department of Public Health, so it is possible that the Department of Public Health may have responsive information.

Why is the Georgia Department of Community Health releasing this report now?

Surveyors within the Healthcare Facility Regulation Division of the Department of Public Health have been contacting long-term care facilities for several weeks to provide monitoring and oversight support as part of the state's response to the COVID-19 public health crisis. The information collected by the Healthcare Facility Regulation Division surveyors is being used by the Georgia National Guard and state agencies to assist in planning, strategy and intervention measures. On April 13, the Georgia National Guard launched a new platform to enhance the data collection process for the Healthcare Facility Regulation Division's survey teams. The Healthcare Facility Regulation Division's Long-Term Care Facility COVID-19 Report is generated from this new database platform and is being released as a public service to aid transparency. The Healthcare Facility Regulation Division report replaces the previous report posted by the governor's office which contained similar information.

What is the department doing to address the outbreak in long-term care facilities?

The Department of Public Health and the Georgia Emergency Management Agency are leading the state's response to the COVID-19 public health emergency. The Department of Public Health is assisting Department of Public Health and the Georgia Emergency Management Agency in a variety of ways to address the outbreak of COVID-19 in long-term care facilities. For more information on the state's response efforts, refer to the executive order issued by Governor Kemp on April 8, as well as other information released by the governor's office.

Is the Healthcare Facility Regulation Division continuing to conduct surveys or inspections of facilities?

The Healthcare Facility Regulation Division has conducted some onsite surveys, but those surveys are coordinated with the Department of Public Health and the National Guard in order to minimize potential exposure of patients and residents to the virus and to conserve the supply of Personal Protective Equipment for health care workers and first responders. The Healthcare Facility Regulation Division created a desk review tool based on a COVID-19 survey process developed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and has used the tool to review critical infection control protocols with health care facilities throughout the state. The Healthcare Facility Regulation Division continues to conduct complaint investigations related to infection control issues or immediate jeopardy situations but has suspended routine survey activity in accordance with direction issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.