Buffalo Hill Terrace resident tests positive for COVID-19
A female resident in the Buffalo Hill Terrace assisted-living facility in Kalispell has tested positive for COVID-19 and is currently in isolation.
Jason Cronk, CEO of Immanuel Lutheran Communities, said in a prepared statement facility officials “immediately initiated prepared response plans when the test was suspected positive on Tuesday.” Officials were notified of the positive case on Wednesday. According to a Thursday morning press release from Immanuel Lutheran, which oversees Buffalo Hill Terrace, the resident is “stable and resting comfortably.”
Since learning the resident was presumptively positive on Tuesday, Immanuel Lutheran has been working closely with the Flathead City-County Health Department on contact tracing. According to the press release, any persons who were exposed to the resident have been informed by the health department and Immanuel Lutheran “immediately informed residents and their families of the positive test and suspended activities at Buffalo Hill Terrace.”
Cronk said the organization is “cooperating fully” with state and federal health officials as well to trace the source of the exposure, analyze potential contact to other residents and staff within the community and prevent any potential spread.
“Our priorities are to provide aid and comfort to our resident and the resident’s family at this time, and to ensure that every possible measure has been taken to isolate this case to prevent further exposure.” Cronk said in a prepared statement. “Since it is seemingly impossible to defend against this virus until we have timely and accurate testing and a vaccine, our COVID-19 Response Team has been in constant preparation. The past few months have equipped us for this very moment, and I am confident that our extensive training combined with our strong clinical team that will do all that we can to eliminate this virus from our Community.”
Since March, the Immanuel Lutheran has implemented new procedures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. These measures include monitoring resident travel, asking residents who recently traveled to self-quarantine, closing dining venues and delivering meals, restricting visitors and screening all team members and essential vendors including daily temperature checks and COVID-19 testing.
As Flathead County sees an escalation in COVID-19 cases, the press release states “Immanuel Lutheran Communities continues to promote the importance of personal action to protect seniors and other vulnerable populations. Daily communications to the Immanuel Lutheran Community encourage all to follow CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] guidelines of practicing proper hand hygiene and social distancing to prevent the further spread of COVID-19.”
Reporter Kianna Gardner can be reached at 758-4407 or kgardner@dailyinterlake.com