Therapy Suspended: March 16-27
Dear Walker Scottish Rite Clinic client families and partners,
Maryville University has made the difficult decision to suspend all person-to-person services provided to the general public for the next two weeks (March 16 –March 27). This suspension includes in-person services conducted by the Walker Scottish Rite Clinic, a program of Maryville University, at all locations including outreach and partner locations.
This coincides with the university’s decision to offer classes virtually for on-campus students for the same timeframe so they can monitor the coronavirus outbreak.
In-person therapy is planned to resume March 30, 2020. Should that change, I will notify you immediately.
In the meantime, we plan to provide client families with additional support as you work with your child at home. Please be on the lookout for communications from each child’s speech-language pathologist as we develop and distribute more home-practice activities and communications so that each child’s speech-language therapy home-practice can continue during the interim.
Maryville does not have any known coronavirus cases among its campus community. The decision to temporarily suspend in-person therapy services is out of an abundance of caution as the health and well-being of our clients, staff, and students is our primary concern.
Please become familiar with the CDC recommendations for prevention, and follow the practices used to prevent the cold and flu including:
- Frequent handwashing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands
- Avoid contact with people who are sick and stay home when you are sick
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces
- Get a flu vaccine
Please stay home if you’re sick, particularly if you’re experiencing a fever, cough or difficulty breathing. You should also stay home if you’ve been in close contact with someone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19. If you’re experiencing symptoms, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services has activated a statewide, 24/7 hotline at (877) 435-8411. Or, on the Illinois side, you can call (800) 889-3931.
If you have any questions on COVID-19, we recommend the following resources:
Client families, staff, and students planning personal travel should be mindful of the spread of COVID-19 and continually monitor the list of locations with an elevated risk of COVID-19 exposure both in the U.S. and abroad.
Once in-person therapy resumes, we will continue the following policies:
- Anyone who travels to locations with an elevated risk of COVID-19 exposure is asked to follow current CDC guidelines, and complete a 14-day self-quarantine away from attending the Walker Clinic.
- If your children or someone in your family develops a fever, cough, or breathing issues, please complete a 14-day self-quarantine away from the Walker Scottish Rite Clinic.
We believe these steps are in the best interest of our Clinic community.
Please contact me with any questions or concerns: 314-529-9200.
Sincerely,
Jacob Gutshall, MHS, CCC-SLP
Director, Walker Scottish Rite Clinic