RIVERGARDEN Susan Z. Cohen President Martin A. Goetz, MS, MPA Chief Executive Ollicer (hrel Financial Officer Mauri Mizrohi, PT, GCS, LNHA Associate Administrator Elliott Palevsky, MA '0 II II &Agl [lg [Ellie Ir {hief Executive Of?cer Emeritus April 14, 2020 Ron DeSantis, Governor, State of Florida Plaza Level 05, The Capitol 400 S. Monroe Street Tallahassee, FL 32399-0001 Email: Mary Mayhew, Secretary Agency for Health Care Administration 2727 Mahan Drive, Mail Stop 1 Tallahassee, FL 32308 Email: Scott A. Rivkees, MD, State Surgeon General Secretary, Florida Department of Health 4052 Bald Cypress Way, Bin Tallahassee, FL 32399 Email: ?oridasurgeongeneral@?health. gov Dear Governor DeSantis, Secretary Mayhew and Surgeon General Rivkees, Thank you for implementing ?strike teams? using the Florida National Guard to implement testing for COVID-19. What is now required is not assessments; it is testing the immediate testing of all residents and staff residing in nursing homes and ALFs. Not testing this most at-risk population, all of whom live in close quarters, is simply unconscionable. It is well understood that is particularly deadly for older people more so for seniors who are already medically compromised. It is no accident that when enters a nursing facility, the mortality rate can easily approach 50 percent. It is also well established that as many as 25 percent of individuals who are positive for the virus are an especially troubling statistic. We demand testing immediately, starting with those nursing homes and ALFs throughout Florida that have already been identi?ed as having in their facilities and quickly expanding to everyone. This is an urgent need requiring an immediate response; anything short of an immediate testing program places residents and staff in ?immediate jeopardy.? Telling facilities that testing will begin in another week is unacceptable. The need is immediate and response must be in proportion to the identi?ed threat. Betty 5. Some, CPA, MAcc A H401 Old St. Augustine Road,Jacksonvil e, Florida 32258-1402 (904) 260-1818 Fax: (904) 260-9733 Founded l946 hy the ladies Hebrew Sheltering Aid Society Sidney Entman l9ll-l981 Founding Executive Director A Beneficiary Agency of the Jewish Federation 8. Foundation at Northeast Florida Nursing Care Center Accreditation and Post-Acute (ertifiration by the Joint Commission April 14, 2020 Page 2 Many of us have been waiting patiently to hear that Public Health will be testing 100% of nursing home and ALF residents and staff, because that will be the only way to get ahead of the virus. To date, all we have accomplished is chasing where the virus has been, not where it is headed. To not be actively and aggressively testing everyone in nursing homes and assisted living facilities makes it impossible to know where the virus is and who needs to be segregated within the facility. Some of us have likened it to ?ying an airplane without instruments in a bad storm. River Garden Senior Services has implemented every directive of the Centers for Disease Control Prevention, AHCA, the Department of Health and Governor DeSantis. Without exception, we have remained focused on protecting everyone living and working on our 40-acre seniors? campus. Now please help us by mobilizing the National Guard and volunteer clinical personnel throughout Florida so that we can expeditiously test everyone. Sincerely yours, Martin A. Goetz Chief Executive Of?cer River Garden Senior Services cc: Steve Bahmer, LeadingAge Florida Emmet Reed, Florida Health Care Association