Dear residents, staff, families and supporters,

I want to inform you we have positive Covid cases on 2nd floor of Woodland Terrace. At the current time, this is the only location. Some staff have also tested positive. When visiting with the Nurse Practitioner who comes to our building, she is reporting many cases within communities and in the public. The symptoms are fairly mild but the transmission is very quick and widespread. People may have one to several of the following symptoms: low grade fever, runny nose, cough, sore throat, body aches.

A few tips if you come to visit and regulations that have changed:
• Visitors may visit anywhere in the building.
• Masks are required until 14 days after all cases are recovered.
• If you visit a Covid positive person you will wear the personal protective gown and mask while visiting.
• No cross-floor activities – 2nd floor residents, families and visitors should not visit someone else or attend activities in a different area.
• Church will happen at the Chapel with social distancing and masks.
• Church will happen at Linden Place and Eichhorn Haus with social distancing and masks.

If staff or residents have symptoms they will be tested. Staff should speak to their supervisor if they have symptoms and or need tested! Bartels is still required to report positive test results.

As the beginning of January is upon us, rate increase letters were sent. For Woodland Terrace and Evergreen Arbor, these were sent electronically if we had your email address. The electronic email will come from OneSpan. All other letters were mailed. Please call Melissa Holthaus at 319-352-6566 if you have any questions, did not receive a letter or would like your email address updated. The Board of Directors and Administration have worked diligently to keep the increases across campus to 3 percent or below.

The Bartels staff will be recognized with a staff Holiday Party on December 7. I am also pleased the Board of Directors has approved a holiday bonus for staff which will be received on the December 7 paychecks. We appreciate our staff and hope this helps show how much you mean to all of us!

I will say that with all of the continued distractions in the world, the people we serve give us a continued focus on doing good work and honoring others. The rules and regulations can be a lot to maneuver but the team is doing excellent work and I am proud to communicate the current data reflects we are at a 5-star facility.

“Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do.” – Pele, Brazilian soccer player

I want to thank the team for their continued determination over the past year! We most certainly did not want to head into the holidays wearing masks and talking about Covid but we have gotten very good at adapting!

As always I will communicate if there are other changes.

Paula Geise, RN, MSN, CEO

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