COVID-19 cases at Sitter & Barfoot Veterans Care Center
The Virginia Department of Veterans Services (DVS) is currently monitoring five positive cases of COVID-19 related to the state veterans nursing home in Richmond, Virginia. The cases at the Sitter & Barfoot Veterans Care Center (SBVCC) involve one resident and four staff members.
The resident has been receiving care at a Richmond-area hospital since April 5, and continues to improve. Currently, there are no positive COVID-19 cases among the residents within the facility.
Four affected staff members are at home in self-isolation and are under the care of their personal health care providers.
One staff member who had previously tested positive has recovered. The employee returned to duty after being retested with a negative result.
The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) is notified immediately of all positive COVID-19 cases and assists DVS with response measures. SBVCC also notifies residents, family members, and staff of confirmed positive COVID-19 cases.
Measures currently in place to protect the health and safety of SBVCC residents and staff include:
- SBVCC is closed to all visitors. The only exception is for family members to visit a resident in an end-of-life stage, with prior-approval;
- Resident trips are cancelled, except for visits to outside medical facilities for medically necessary appointments or emergency room (ER) visits;
- Residents who have been admitted to a hospital must have a negative COVID-19 result that is less than 24 hours old, and must not have been tested or treated on any dedicated COVID-19 wing or isolation unit of the hospital before being readmitted to the SBVCC;
- Any resident with a temperature above 100.4 or showing other potential signs of COVID-19 exposure is immediately isolated and additional screening procedures implemented. A COVID-19 test is conducted upon the direction of the SBVCC medical director;
- Residents are served their meals in their rooms, rather than in the facility dining room;
- SBVCC has taken steps to reduce the number of staff members who enter a resident room. All staff who enter a resident room are wearing masks. If a resident’s condition calls for it, additional Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), such as gloves and gowns, is worn per VDH protocol;
- All persons entering the building are screened (temperature taken) and are asked about overseas travel or potential COVID-19 exposure. Persons with a fever or a positive response to the questionnaire are denied entry;
- Staff are following CDC guidelines related to handwashing, using alcohol-based hand sanitizers, covering coughs, and use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE);
- Staff who are sick have been directed to stay home and contact their medical care provider;
SBVCC continues to follow the latest Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), VDH, and other guidelines closely.
The Sitter & Barfoot Veterans Care Center (SBVCC) in Richmond is a residential, skilled nursing care facility operated by the Virginia Department of Veterans Services (DVS). It is exclusively for veterans of the Armed Forces of the United States. It has a capacity of 200 residents in all-private rooms. It delivers three types of care: long-term skilled nursing care, Alzheimer’s/memory care, and short-term in-patient rehabilitative care.
As of April 24, 2020, there were 180 residents at the Sitter & Barfoot Veterans Care Center. Over 360 staff members care for them.