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Vaccine Update

March 9, 2021 By

Who can get their vaccine now?

  • Minnesotans aged 65 or older
  • Health care workers and people working at health care facilities, first responders who provide direct patient care as part of the EMS system, and primary caregivers for people with complex medical needs or disabilities
  • Long-term care residents and staff members at long-term care facilities in Minnesota
  • Pre-kindergarten through Adult Basic and Community Education school staff members, or contracted school staff members, at schools in Minnesota
  • Child care staff members at licensed and certified child care centers or programs in Minnesota
  • People with specific underlying health conditions:
    • Sickle cell disease, Down Syndrome, or oxygen-dependent chronic lung or heart conditions, and those who are in active cancer treatment or immunocompromised from organ transplant
  • Targeted essential workers
    • Food processing plants
  • People with rare conditions or disabilities that put them at higher risk
  • People age 45 and older with ONE or more underlying medical conditions; or, age 16 and over with TWO or more underlying medical conditions*
  • People 50+ in multi-generational housing
  • Essential frontline workers
    • Agricultural, airport staff, additional child care workers not previously eligible, correctional settings, first responders, food production, food retail, food service, judicial system workers, manufacturing, public health workers, public transit, Postal Service workers

Who will get their vaccine soon?

May-June

  • 16+ with any underlying medical condition*
  • Age 50-64 (regardless of health condition)
  • All other essential workforces
    • Transportation and logistics, finance, housing/shelter construction, IT/communications, energy, media, legal, public safety, water, and wastewater

Summer

  • General public
    By this summer, every Minnesotan who wants a shot will be able to get one!

*Underlying Medical Conditions

  • Active cancer
  • Chronic kidney disease
  • COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
  • Diabetes – Type 1 or 2
  • Down Syndrome
  • Heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies
  • Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) from solid organ transplant, HIV, bone marrow disease, chronic steroids for more than 30 days, immunodeficiency disease, or taking immunosuppressive medications
  • Obesity – body mass index (BMI) greater than 30 kg/m2
  • Pregnancy
  • Sickle cell disease
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Weekly Live update with Stacy Longnecker, MD and Allan Ross, MD

February 19, 2021 By

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COVID Vaccine Update

January 15, 2021 By

OAHS’s rollout of vaccine to Phase 1a vaccinations came to completion this week. Local public health also continued vaccination of Phase 1a individuals. 

Vaccine planning is changing rapidly. 

This week following federal guidance, MN Governor announced that individuals 65+ should be able to get the vaccine. We are excited and ready to administer to the 1b group of patients, but we do not yet have the vaccine to do this. South Dakota Department of Health is also moving quickly to meet these changes on priorities. The announcement is overall good news; it opens the vaccine up to many more individuals. However, vaccine shortage still exists making it difficult and, in some cases, impossible to make vaccine widely available in Minnesota and our region. Currently, Minnesota is receiving about 60,000 doses per week, and there are estimated to be over 2 million Minnesota residents ages 65+. Despite the reports that the federal government has released all held doses, Minnesota and other states have not seen an increased allocation and no confirmation on when to expect increased allocations.  

However, SD and MN are approaching this announcement and priority groups differently, making clear messaging for a border community challenging.  

On Monday, January 18th, South Dakota partners will begin scheduling and vaccinating residents in South Dakota’s next phase. Our understanding is that South Dakota is not holding any second dose allocations. SD residents will have designated vaccination sites within each county. South Dakota distribution of vaccination is thru the health systems designated by the county. Sanford, Avera, Monument Health, Mobridge Hospital, and Northern Plains Health Network are the vaccine providers. Patient messaging to South Dakota residents and patients of those South Dakota partners has begun as well as the ability to be screened and to get scheduled. Our understanding is that at this time, MN residents cannot get vaccinated in SD.

Minnesota and our specific region continue to vaccinate any individuals in Phase 1a at this time. Contrary to the South Dakota decision, the Minnesota department of health’s guidance is that all second doses in MN freezers identified for second doses should be held for second doses. The latest information shows that we are at least 2.5 weeks out from the possibility of receiving a vaccine that may be available to begin vaccinating individuals who are 65+.  

We do not yet know when people in phase 1b and 1c will be able to get the vaccine in Minnesota. People do not need to get on a waiting list or make an appointment at this time. Updates will be provided when we are able to start vaccinating more people, and we will provide more information at that time for how eligible people can get vaccinated. OAHS does not know when we will be allocated vaccine to begin Phase 1b or when we can begin to vaccinate the next priority groups.  

If South Dakota patients have the opportunity to get vaccinated, we encourage them to do so at those designated sites and locations.  

Minnesota COVID-19 Vaccine Information 

https://mn.gov/covid19/vaccine/index.jsp

South Dakota COVID-19 Vaccine Information

https://doh.sd.gov/COVID/Vaccine/

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When will I get my COVID Vaccine?

January 11, 2021 By

Lots of excitement last week as FWV Senior Communities received COVID vaccinations.

Phase 1a roll out of COVID-19 vaccination had many levels of priority within it, by the end of this week OAHS along with public health will have been able to offer and deliver COVID vaccinations to those Phase 1a groups in our communities.

The Phase 1b groups that will come after the Phase 1a groups are frontline essential workers and adults 75 years and older for phase 1b. For phase 1c, adults ages 65-74 years, people ages 16 to 64 years with high-risk medical conditions, and other essential workers will be able to get vaccinated. We do not yet know when people in phase 1b and 1c will be able to get the vaccine in Minnesota.This will depend on how much vaccine the manufacturers are able to make and send out, and how many people get vaccinated in the first priority groups. People do not need to get on a waiting list or make an appointment at this time. Updates will be provided when we are able to start vaccinating more people and we will provide more information at that time for how eligible people can get vaccinated. OAHS does not know when we will be allocated vaccine to begin Phase 1b or when we can begin to vaccinate the next priority groups.

Health systems in our region along with Sanford have started to provide patient education with Phase 1b groups thru various messaging and letters.

For more information:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/

 

https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/vaccine.html

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2021 OAHS New Year’s Baby

January 6, 2021 By

Welcome, Kysen Adriel, our 2021 New Year’s Baby! He was born to Mary and Terry from Twin Brooks, SD and joins siblings Keishana, Chadwin, & Zaiden. Dr. Stacy Longnecker delivered Kysen on January 3rd at 2:05am, weighing 6lbs 6oz and measuring 20.5″ long.

Happy New Year!

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OAHS Christmas Baby 2020

January 4, 2021 By

Introducing Waylon Nell, the 2020 OAHS Christmas Baby.

Waylon Nell was born December 29th at 8:39 pm to Ashly and Matt from Madison, MN. Waylon measured 19.5″, weighed 7lbs 15oz and was delivered by Dr. Amanda McMahon. Pictured here with with mom, dad, and big brother Wesley. Congratulations!

 

 

 

 

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Introducing Dr. Sarah Fischer – Part 1

October 8, 2020 By

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Dr. Sarah Fischer Joins OAHS

August 31, 2020 By

(Ortonville, MN) August 28, 2020 – Ortonville Area Health Services (OAHS) is pleased to announce that Sarah Fischer, MD has joined Northside Medical Clinic and is now seeing patients.

Dr. Fischer received her Medical Degree from the University of Minnesota Medical School in Duluth and Minneapolis. She completed her Family Medicine specialty training at Altru Health Systems in Grand Forks, ND. In coordination with OAHS providers and leaders, she also completed an additional obstetrics fellowship at Altru Health Systems in Grand Forks, ND. Dr. Fischer is originally from the Dumont, MN area and over the past 8 years she has spent time training at OAHS as part of her formal medical education.

“I went into medical school with the hope of returning to my hometown region to serve my community and practicing at OAHS is fulfilling that goal” said Dr. Fischer. “Family Medicine allows me to see every patient, no matter the age and treat them like a person or friend instead of a time slot on my schedule. I want to work with my patients to help attain their health goals and stay out of my office so they can enjoy the gifts this world has to offer. While my subspecialty is obstetrics, don’t let that deter you from seeing me as I have a soft spot for farmers being the daughter of a 3rd generation farmer. I’m happy to be ‘home’ and am looking forward to forming lasting relationships with the community and each of my patients.”

For more information on Ortonville Area Health Services or to schedule an appointment with Sarah Fischer, MD please contact 320-839-6157.

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Dr. David Collins Joins OAHS

July 9, 2020 By


(Ortonville, MN) July 7 – Ortonville Area Health Services (OAHS) is pleased to announce that David Collins, MD has joined Northside Medical Clinic and is now seeing patients.

Dr. Collins received his Medical Degree in 2017 from the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Additionally, he completed his Emergency Medicine Residency this spring through University of Missouri – Columbia Program in Columbia, MO.

“”I didn’t realize how much of an impact doing rotations at OAHS had made on my medical school education” said Dr. Collins. “When I had gotten back to my main site during my third year of medical school, one of my classmates made the observation I talked about Ortonville a lot. I came to appreciate a great deal of what I’d experienced at Ortonville shaped me into the physician I am today. Being able to return to where it all began and provide acute/urgent/emergent care to Ortonville and its surrounding communities is one of the best ways I can think of to pay it forward.”

For more information on Ortonville Area Health Services or to schedule an appointment with David Collins, MD please contact 320-839-6157.

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Spanish Resources

May 19, 2020 By

OAHS quiere que nuestra comunidad tenga toda la informacion que necesitan sobre la pandemia de COVID. Creamos estos videos de YouTube para la poblacion hispana. Tambien incluimos enlaces educativos adicionales de COVID a los sitios web del Departamento de Salud de Minnesota y de los Centros para el Control de Enfermedades. Si tiene mas preguntas, no dude en responder a esta publicacion o llame a OAHS al 320-839-6157.

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MyChart Video Visits at Ortonville Area Health Services

April 14, 2020 By

Northside Medical Clinic is encouraging the use of MyChart video visits during this pandemic. Video visits are a great way to limit the time you spend in the clinic while still having a regular visit with your provider. You do need a MyChart account for this, but luckily, setting up an account is easy. If you need to set up an account, call the clinic at 320-839-6157 and our registration staff will be happy to help you. Once you have an account, this video will show you how to check-in for a MyChart video visit that has been scheduled for you.

*** Please ensure you login to your MyChart account on a device with both camera and microphone capabilities.***

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Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) – What you need to know

March 16, 2020 By

Welcome to our page about the Coronavirus Disease 2019(COVID-19). We will use this site to keep you up to date on the preparations being taken at Ortonville Area Health Services and Fairway View Senior Communities as well as any important local information we feel you should know about. Please bookmark this page to continue to see the latest local updates.

Thursday, September 17th, 2020

On Monday, September 14th, all of our 160 FWV staff and contracted staff who serve our residents at Fairway View Senior Communities completed our first round of COVID-testing as required by Medicare. We are pleased to share that all 160 staff members tested NEGATIVE for COVID-19. This is wonderful news! We are so appreciative of all that our staff gives of themselves to serve and protect our residents. Thank you to everyone in our organization and community who continues to take the necessary precautions to limit the spread of COVID and protect our seniors and those most vulnerable.

The next round of weekly testing, as required by Medicare, will take place on Monday. Per Medicare, effective September 2nd, all 15,600 nursing homes, serving 1.5 million residents across the United States, are required to test all staff for COVID-19 at least one time per month to at most twice per week based on the positivity rate in our county.

Tuesday, March 24th, 2020

OAHS CEO was on KDIO this morning and shared the latest updates on COVID-19 in our area.

 

Monday, March 23rd, 2020

Due to COVID-19 and the push for social distancing most insurance coverages are allowing you to have a telephone or video visit instead of an in person visit (coinsurance and deductible apply). If you are concerned about having an in person visit please call 320-839-6157 to see if you would qualify for a telephone or video visit. Ortonville Area Health Services is dedicated to providing you and our community quality care in a safe and appropriate manner.

First reported cases in Big Stone and Lac Qui Parle counties.

Sunday, March 22nd, 2020

Message from the Medical Staff at OAHS:
We have been hearing from some of you tonight about concerns and worries. OAHS is committed to keeping our communities safe. We are prepared, we have a plan, we will take care of you. There are some things that you can do to help us. First is if you have fever or cough or shortness of breath please call your healthcare provider to discuss whether you need to come in to be seen. Keep in mind even if we test you today it may be several days before we have the result. For most patients the test result does not change the recommended course of action which is go home and self-isolate yourself. Second, please maintain social distance, there are sound reasons why we recommend it. Third, try and limit your exposure by only taking necessary trips outside your home. Keep in mind the more you interact with the public, this increases your chance of infection. When you go to the store and open the door or touch other objects think about the number of people who could have touched that object over the previous 3 hours. Lastly, practice good hand washing or use of hand sanitizer. Again, we are prepared, we have a plan and we will take care of you, please help us in this mission.

The OAHS Medical Staff

 

Community Call to Action……Can You Sew Us these Masks?
We may have a long battle with COVID ahead and we need to think ahead when it comes to protective masks. Tag someone who lives in our area or reach out to them by phone who can sew us some masks.
Comment or PM us if you can help.
https://www.sewgoodgoods.org/face-mask-covid-19

THURsday, March 19th, 2020

OAHS CEO Dave Rogers and Twila Mursu PMHNP gave updates on COVID-19 and shared tips on maintaining good mental health through this this trying time.

Tuesday, March 17th, 2020

Today Jon Rogers was on KDIO to give an update on COVID-19

Monday, March 16th, 2020

NEW VISITOR RESTRICTIONS

 

 

 

 

Friday, March 13th, 2020

For the safety of everyone at Fairway View Senior Communities, beginning today March 13, 2020, visitors will no longer be allowed on the Fairway View Campus.

For more information please call 320-487-4398.

 

If you have concerns about the symptoms related to COVID-19 or the flu, we ask that you please give us a call at 320-839-6157 before you come in for an appointment. Calling ahead allows us to ask additional questions to help direct you to the proper course of action.

For more information on COVID-19 please click the link below.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/index.html

Do you know the proper way to put on a mask?

Put on the N95 respirator.

  1. Hold the respirator in the palm of your hand with the straps facing the floor.
  2. Place the N95 respirator on your face covering your nose and mouth.
  3. Pull the bottom strap up and over top of your head, and put it behind your head below your ears.
  4. Take the upper strap and put it behind your head towards the crown of your head.
  5. Mold the nose piece of the respirator over the bridge of your nose to obtain a tight seal. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions for wearing a respirator.
  6. Perform a fit check to ensure there is a good seal against the skin.

 

Thursday, March 12th, 2020

Click below to listen to today’s KDIO interview with Dr. Al Ross, Clinic director, Liz Sorenson, and OAHS CEO, Dave Rogers as they discuss Coronavirus and how it is affecting Ortonville Area Health Services and Fairway View Senior Communities.

Wednesday, March 11th, 2020

For the safety of the tenants and residents of Fairway View Senior Communities, Donnie’s Diner is closed until further notice. We apologize for the inconvenience, but the health of our seniors is our number one priority.

Please click the link below for tips from the CDC on what you can do to help keep your household ready.  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/home/checklist-household-ready.html

There is a lot of misinformation currently circulating. Click here for the CDC’s list of COVID-19 FAQs.https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/home/faq.html

Monday, March 9th, 2020

The Ortonville Area Health Services Coronavirus Response Team is meeting twice weekly to discuss the information we are collecting from state and national sources regarding data on the spread of coronavirus and recommended actions to take. We are particularly concerned about the health and wellness of our seniors and persons of all ages with chronic illnesses. Beginning Tuesday, March 10th, we will be implementing additional screening questions for patients with appointments at the clinic and hospital. Fairway View Senior Communities continues to discourage visitors who have symptoms of the illness. FWV is also informing groups that host meetings on-site that they will have to find an alternative meeting place for the near future.

This is an emerging, rapidly evolving situation. The risk may change daily and so will our level of response. We recommend that community members turn to the CDC for reliable information and direction regarding Coronavirus. We will routinely post updates on this page regarding precautionary measures we are taking at our hospital, clinic, home health, and senior community.

The one overarching message we want to pass along is that we are looking to the CDC as our one source of truth when it comes to COVID-19 information. Below you will find a link to their website.

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/index.html

 

 

 

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