SANTA BARBARA – Hospice of Santa Barbara (HSB) has been actively monitoring the Coronavirus situation. HSB has developed an organization-wide response and mitigation plan. As this situation continues to evolve, they will adjust the plan accordingly.
The SB County Public Health Department urged businesses, agencies, and other organizations in our county to develop a “social distancing plan” geared towards reducing person-to-person contact (see March 7 SBCPHD press release); this type of plan will play an integral role in reducing the number of people potentially exposed to the virus.
“Hospice of Santa Barbara has been assessing its programs and services, events and other gatherings to determine how best to serve our community while also taking preemptive measures to protect our patients, clients, volunteers, staff, and community members,” said David Selberg, CEO of Hospice of Santa Barbara.
HSB has taken the proactive step to activate its social distancing plan sooner rather than later. Indicators suggest that it is only a matter of time before there are confirmed cases of COVID-19 in our community; many may even exist now that are not yet confirmed due to lack of testing capabilities and the incubation period. The primary consideration is that HSB serves an at-risk population through its Bereavement, Patient Care Services, Volunteer, and Community Education programs and feels it is their responsibility to help prevent the possible spread of this virus by limiting contact. As a result, the following measures were implemented on Tuesday, March 10 and will be effective through Tuesday, March 31, at the earliest.
To protect the health of our community and employees, the following measures will be activated:
- Transition in-office and on-school campus counseling appointments to telephone or other electronic format.
- Bereavement Support Groups during the period will be paused and rescheduled.
- Transition Patient Care Services from in-person care management to telephone/virtual support and guidance.
- Community events, meetings, and gatherings during this period will be paused and rescheduled.
- HSB’s Response Team will be meeting regularly between now and March 31 to assess the risk and adjust the plan.
Hospice of Santa Barbara: Hospice of Santa Barbara provides professional counseling, support groups, and patient care services free of charge to individuals and families who are grieving the death of a loved one or experiencing the impact of a life-threatening illness. Hospice of Santa Barbara also provides counseling in our offices and on fifteen local junior and high school campuses to children and teens who are grieving the loss of a loved one. For more information about Hospice of Santa Barbara, including volunteer opportunities, call (805) 563-8820 or visit www.hospiceofsantabarbara.org.