13 Mar House Update Regarding COVID-19

March 13, 2020

Dear Friends of Ronald McDonald House Charities:

The Board of Directors and staff at the Valley’s three Ronald McDonald Houses are committed to the health and safety of the families we serve whose children are undergoing medical care in the Valley as well as the health and safety of each other.

In response to the challenges created by the Coronavirus (COVID-19), we have put in place proactive protocols and health steps based on recommendations from healthcare and medical professionals.  We continue to closely monitor announcements, reports and recommendations from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Arizona Department of Health Services, (ADHS), Maricopa County Department of Public Health (MCDPH), the World Health Organization (WHO) and our partners at Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Cardon Children’s Medical Center and Eco Lab.

Among ongoing precautionary measures already in place are:

• Ensuring that staff and resident families have information and instruction on best-practice measures to prevent getting the virus and spreading it.
• Posting information throughout the three campuses along with hand-cleaning materials and reminders to wash hands.
• Asking staff and families to wash or sterilize their hands immediately upon entering or leaving common areas.
• Providing regular updates to staff and families as information becomes available.
• Increasing sterilizing wipe downs in common areas in addition to maintaining our daily cleaning schedules.
• Creating more space between tables in the dining room and staggering dinner hours to reduce the number of families in the dining room at the same time.
• Restricting access to the campus by non-family members.

Should a family member present with flu-like symptoms, our staff will immediately recommend isolation in their rooms or apartments until they can be seen by medical professionals and we will contact our medical-support contacts to determine next steps.

As we continue to monitor COVID-19 updates and recommendations from federal and state public health authorities, we will make necessary and timely changes based on updated information.

For our volunteers, we are recommending the same precautions.  If our volunteers or staff members experience any cold or flu-like symptoms, we are asking them to stay home.

Other means of staying safe include:

• Washing your hands frequently for at least 20 seconds with soap and water.
• Avoiding touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
• Avoiding close contact with people who are sick.
• Covering your mouth with a tissue when coughing and/or sneezing.
• Avoiding handshakes and/or hugs.
• Cleaning and disinfecting regularly touched items and surfaces such as keypads phones, door handles and other items

We are all in uncharted territory in addressing this situation and, as we continue monitoring the situation, we will send updates as needed.

We deeply appreciate your concern for our families and staff and your ongoing support.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have additional questions or concerns.

Kerry Schulman
Chief Executive Officer