A Message from the President & CEO

My heart goes out to all who have been affected by this worldwide pandemic. During times of crisis, we often come together in ways we've never come together before. We set aside insignificant things and shift our focus to what really matters most in life...the people we love and care about. As I reflect on the past months since things began to unfold with the coronavirus (COVID-19), I am humbled by and grateful for the work of our local emergency responders, hospital professionals, and other workers who are making it possible for people to get health care services, food, supplies and medications. These "Community Heroes" lend courage, strength and sacrifice through their service to others.

Being in the retirement living business, we at Morningstar Living have a monumental responsibility to take care of and protect the people we serve..."in health and in sickness." Caring for and protecting the residents and the clients we serve is what we do. We are responsible for hundreds of residents living at our two campuses in Nazareth, and the clients we provide in-home support and care to, who are living in their homes throughout the Lehigh Valley. Our residents and our clients rely on us 24/7/365. For this reason, we've taken some very extraordinary measures to limit the risk of infection and prevent the spread of the virus in our communities:

• We are currently enforcing a No Visitor Policy at both of our communities (Moravian Hall Square and Heritage Village). But because we understand how important it is to be connected to loved ones, we've acquired and installed new technology devices and software to facilitate communication for our residents with their family members and friends through virtual visits.
• Team member screening protocols have been established and are being implemented daily. Every team member is screened for temperature and other virus symptoms, two times each day...first when they arrive at work, and then again, before team members leave the workplace to go home.
• New supplies and equipment have been procured, including Personal Protection Equipment and special disinfection products and equipment to disinfect medical equipment, work stations, resident accommodations and common area surfaces around the clock, 24/7.
• Construction of several temporary isolation areas with containment walls and doors has been completed in order to be prepared in the event a resident becomes COVID-19 positive. (And we remain thankful that, to date, we have NOT yet needed to use these isolation areas.)
• Personal shopping, pick-up and delivery services for groceries, supplies and medications are being provided daily for residents to ensure they don't need to go into stores and pharmacies. Through this "new" understanding of our resident food and supply purchasing behaviors, we've been able to establish our own in-house grocery and supply fulfillment center to process and deliver orders to our residents.
• Additional technology has been purchased and set up to facilitate virtual physician visits for residents, often called "tele-health visits," which are so critically important at this time.
• To minimize team member contact in the workplace, we've provided new hardware and software to team members, making it possible for many of them to perform their job duties virtually from their homes.
• And because constant communication is key, we've expanded our communications capabilities throughout our campuses, using our in-house television channel to broadcast time-sensitive information about COVID-19 to residents, and launching a Family Member App and web link to give family members access to all resident communications and information.

As I think about these extraordinary changes that we've made in a short period of time, I am in awe of my team members, who come to work faithfully and work tirelessly around the clock to make a difference in the lives of the people we serve. Our team of Nurses, CNAs, Caregivers, Social Services, Wellness, Physical Therapy, Neighborhood and Community Life, Culinary Services, Maintenance and Security, Groundskeeping, Housekeeping, Transportation, IT and Administration...these are the Morningstar Living Heroes.

Yes, the world has certainly changed as a result of COVID-19, and so have we at Morningstar Living. Who knows how long we'll be dealing with this pandemic and its' aftermath? And while there may be more changes and uncertainty in the months that lie ahead, there is one thing of which I am absolutely certain...the mission and core purpose of Morningstar Living has never been more important.

"Making a difference...by enriching life's journey for all we serve."