Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, we are all navigating a very challenging and quickly changing medical landscape. At Integrated Rehab Consultants (IRC), we are thankful to be able to support our Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) partners by continuing to provide the most comprehensive clinical care for patients. Many IRC providers are going above and beyond to help their SNFs during this time, so we wanted to start highlighting them to say thank you!
UPDATE: The amount of stories coming in from SNFs we work with and our providers is truly inspiring! We’ll keep updating this page as quickly as we can to share all the good going on and help shine a light on our providers and staff at the SNFs around the country with which we partner!
The first physician we want to acknowledge is Dr. Azlan Tariq. Dr. Tariq is a Board-Certified Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation physician and the Chief Clinical Officer for IRC. Dr. Tariq secured 1,000 masks and donated them to three SNFs in Indiana he works with; Symphony of Dyer, Symphony of Crown Point, and Symphony of Chesterton. Dr. Tariq delivered them in person on April 7th to the facilities, and they were all very excited and grateful for the much needed PPE.
In addition to donating masks, Dr. Azlan Tariq’s been buying lunch at some of his facilities to say thank you! On April 20th, he coordinated lunch for 75 staff members at Warren Barr South Loop. “It took a lot of coordination, but the staff was extremely grateful, and they really appreciated it. It was just a small gesture to say thank you, but small gestures can go a long way and help staff morale,” stated Dr. Tariq.
Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer, and IRC physician, Dr. Amish Patel has been working overtime to help the SNFs he works with in any way that he can. He’s been securing PPE and even ordering hot food for the staff to take a much-needed break. So far, he has been able to donate 160 N95 masks to Aperion Care International the week of April 7th. He has another 500 N95 masks ordered that should arrive the week of April 13th to donate as well.
In addition, Dr. Patel has been ordering food to some of the facilities to say thank you and ensure they are taking a much-needed break during this time! On April 20th he ordered individual lunches for over 56 staff members at Alden Town Manor from Paisans Pizza down the street!
He’s also ordered breakfast for Aperion Care Forest Park to thank them for all of their hard work!
“I just want to make sure the facilities I work with know how much I appreciate them and see how hard they are working. Unfortunately, SNF’s don’t always get the appreciation they deserve,” Stated Dr. Patel.
Dr. Patel also purchased over 3,000 KN95 masks to send out to IRC providers across the nation who are having difficulty securing them with the shortages.
In Missouri and Kansas, Dr. Beth Shelton has been showing she cares by making sure there’s plenty to eat!! The week of April 20th to the 24th, she provided lunch for the entire staff of 40-60 people at 3 SNF communities she works with, Northland Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center, Tiffany Springs Senior Living Community, and Carnegie Village Senior Living Community!
On the other side of the country, Dr. Amit Patel, in Florida, ordered 76 individual box lunches from Panera Bread for one of his SNF facilities, Consulate Health Care of Brandon.
“I plan on doing the same for my other facilities. It’s a simple and easy way I can thank the staff at the SNFs and let them know their hard work and dedication is noticed and appreciated,” says Dr. Amit Patel.
Our group knows physiatrists are an essential part of the health care team in a SNF, probably now more than ever. As the pandemic evolves, facilities are having to make tough decisions about how and where treatment is performed. We feel blessed to be able to help SNFs navigate this challenging time.
All IRC providers follow CDC, state, and facility guidelines and take extra precautions to ensure we maintain our health, the health of our patients, and the facility staff. We are helping to minimize the spread and exposure of the COVID-19 virus with specific COVID-19 Quick Screens, evaluations, treatment recommendations to nursing and therapy, safe discharge planning, and of course, helping reduce avoidable discharges and the need for outside appointments, like orthopedic or pain clinic visits.
Additional precautions and steps our providers take to minimize the spread of the COVID-19 virus include:
- Telehealth Visits – To help reduce the risk of exposure and transmission in the facility. IRC providers can now utilize telehealth visits, especially for patients with a confirmed or suspected diagnosis of COVID-19. This will help ensure all patients continue getting the best medical care possible.
- Maintaining Safe Distances – Communicating with staff and evaluating patients using a safe distance of 6 feet or more.
- Minimizing Multiple Facility Contact – IRC Providers will not round at multiple facilities in the same day.
- Minimizing and eliminating (when possible) all injections during this outbreak.
Again, we are so thankful for our amazing SNF partners and will work with them in any way we can to ensure patients and staff stay as safe and healthy as possible throughout this challenging time!