Coronavirus (COVID-19) Announcement

The Cornerstone of Recovery, Inc., in accordance with The Joint Commission, supports the CDC’s recommendations on Universal Masking within healthcare settings.

The Cornerstone of Recovery, Inc. believes that Universal Masking is a critical tool to protect staff and patients from exposure to asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic individuals infected with COVID-19. To address asymptomatic (infected individuals who do not show observable symptoms) and pre-symptomatic (infected individuals who have yet to develop symptoms)  COVID-19 transmission, the CDC recommends that healthcare facilities “… implement source control for everyone entering a healthcare facility (e.g., healthcare personnel, patients, visitors), regardless of symptoms.”

Source control involves having people wear a cloth face covering or medical grade face mask (surgical or procedural mask) over their mouth and nose to contain their respiratory secretions and thus reduce the dispersion of droplets from potentially infected individuals. For source control to be effective, it requires that everyone wear a mask within healthcare buildings to prevent the spread of respiratory viruses such as COVID-19.

Masking universally — in addition to physically distancing and practicing frequent hand hygiene — will significantly decrease the likelihood that an individual in the community with an unrecognized COVID-19 infection could infect others.

PATIENTS: All patients will be instructed to wear at least a cloth face covering when entering any Cornerstone of Recovery/Stepping Stone to Recovery building. If they arrive without a face covering, one will be provided. In accordance with CDC recommendations, face masks and cloth face coverings will not be placed on anyone who is having difficulty breathing or on anyone who is unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance. Patients may remove their face covering when in their rooms, eating, or outside and able to physically distance from one another. Patients experiencing any respiratory illness symptoms (e.g., persistent cough or sneeze) will be required to wear a surgical or procedural mask.

CORNERSTONE OF RECOVERY/STEPPING STONE TO RECOVERY STAFF: The current standard for all Cornerstone of Recovery / Stepping Stone to Recovery employees is that they wear a face mask at all times when in any Cornerstone of Recovery/Stepping Stone to Recovery building while continuing to physically distance, practice good hand hygiene, and continually monitoring themselves for signs and symptoms of illness. There are very few areas or situations in which staff are not required to wear a face mask. Here are a few. They are not required to wear a face mask when outside and at least six feet away from patients and other staff, when eating, or when they are alone in non-patient-care areas. If staff have face-to-face meetings with one or more of their colleagues in an enclosed area such as an office or a break room, however, they will wear a face mask if any one of them is not fully vaccinated. However, fully vaccinated HCP could dine and socialize together in break rooms and conduct in- person meetings without source control or physical distancing. If unvaccinated HCP are present, everyone should wear source control and unvaccinated HCP should physically distance from others.

Physically Distancing, Practicing Frequent Hand Hygiene, Daily Monitoring for Signs and Symptoms, & Universal Masking. These are the four main pillars of our viral transmission-based precautions. One does not negate the importance of the other. They are all essential.

Thank you for your continued support.

Steve McGrew, CEO/ President