COVID-19 Updates

The question on almost everyone’s mind right now is “When can I get the COVID-19 vaccine?” Many people have been calling, e-mailing, texting, and even stopping us on the street or in the grocery store to ask this. We understand that your level of frustration may be mounting as days and weeks go by with no update, and we ask for your patience as the state of Vermont continues to develop its plan for the next phase of distribution.

A lot can change, and has, in the six weeks since my last Message to the Community. It had been anticipated that the spread of COVID-19 would accelerate as winter approached and that has certainly been the case. What wasn’t predicted was the rapid rate at which numbers of cases in Vermont would increase – we’d all fervently hoped that our “brave little state” would be able to continue to keep our numbers low with physical distancing and widespread mask wearing.

It’s very hard to believe that my last Message to the Community was written and sent more than two months ago; July 21st seems like it was eons ago in some respects, and like yesterday in others. If you’re like me, you take a deep breath before you look at the news in the morning; are we on a roller coaster or in spinning tea cups today? I don’t mean to imply that what our nation is going through should be taken lightly, but 2020 has certainly turned out to be a year that none of us will ever forget, for so many reasons.

This virus knows no boundaries and what we’ve learned is that the advice given from the very beginning of this pandemic continues to hold true – mask wearing, handwashing, and social distancing continue to be our most powerful weapons in the fight against coronavirus, at least until a vaccine is developed and widely distributed.

The dramatic, unprecedented changes in our world this year have dramatically impacted nearly every phase of our lives – work, school, social events, travel, and healthcare, to name just some […]

It’s been almost two months since my last Message to the Community and I’d like to bring you up to date on what’s been going on at Grace Cottage during that time. We are fully open for business, and are pleased that we have played a part in keeping our community as safe as possible. Vermont is the first state to report no new COVID-19 deaths since June 16. We have certainly flattened the curve and hope to continue this trend.

It’s been just over two months since coronavirus completely captured the attention and the actions of our nation. After more than eight weeks, it’s understandable that many people are getting complacent if they live in an area with a low incidence of the virus, as we are experiencing in Vermont. However, part of the reason we have the lowest growth rate of coronavirus of any state in the nation is that we have been so vigilant and cautious.

These messages, which I’ve been sending out weekly since March 24th, have generated such a tremendous outpouring of support, including countless e-mails from many of you with positive messages, as well as donations in the form of financial contributions and personal protective equipment. Grace Cottage has been here for almost 71 years and we feel genuinely and completely embraced and cherished by our community — a community which, as we have learned, extends across many states and several countries. We thank all of you who have reached out to Grace Cottage in one way or another, from the bottom of our hearts.

Since the Governor’s March 24th ‘Stay Home Stay Safe Order’, many of you cancelled medical appointments for wellness visits or the continuing treatment of chronic conditions. Now that the Governor has approved the resumption of outpatient medical services, we are ready, willing, and safely able to schedule your visit, the sooner the better.

The Medical Director of our Rural Health Clinic, Dr. Timothy Shafer, shared with me his extreme confidence in inviting patients to the clinic to see him. As Dr. Shafer says, we have set up many procedures to keep patients safe throughout our facility, including our medical offices, outpatient rehab, X-ray, and lab. In fact, coming here for an outpatient visit or test is safer than going to a grocery store or a gas station.

As the COVID-19 curve continues to flatten in Vermont, with a total of 855 cases in the state and just 11 patients with COVID-19 currently hospitalized statewide, we are beginning the process of gradually and safely welcoming patients back onto our campus for medical visits. We are concerned that you and your loved ones may have been postponing necessary medical care for chronic and/or urgent conditions, either because you were afraid of contracting the disease, or because you felt guilty about imposing upon a medical staff that was preparing for a possible surge due to the pandemic.

Not only has our ER remained open 24/7, but our Grace Cottage Family Health Clinic and Outpatient Rehabilitation Services have been open as well, for important medical issues not requiring ER care. As of this week, our clinic and outpatient Rehab Department are expanding hours and visits.