Melanie   -  this is why we all look to you for guidance.

 

Well done!

 

Maria

Maria C. Lanzi, MS, MPH, ANP-BC, COHN-S, CTH

Nurse Practitioner/Program Coordinator

Employee Occupational Health

Corporal Michael J Crescenz Veterans Affairs Medical Center

3900Woodland Avenue

Philadelphia, PA 19104

Work:  215 823 5800 x 2592

Fax:  215 823 5968

 

 

 

From: MCOH-EH <mcoh-eh-bounces@mylist.net> On Behalf Of Swift, Melanie D., M.D., M.P.H. via MCOH-EH
Sent: Thursday, October 10, 2019 8:03 AM
To: MCOH-EH <mcoh-eh@mylist.net>
Cc: Swift, Melanie D., M.D., M.P.H. <Swift.Melanie@mayo.edu>
Subject: Re: [MCOH-EH] [EXTERNAL] Re: Flu Vaccine Status Indicators

 

My personal opinion, but informed by reading the paucity of literature on the use of masks for asymptomatic theoretical source control, is that this really isn’t about patient protection. Hand washing is, staying home when sick is, but masking well people because they aren’t vaccinated is not.

Consider this: every so often we get early surveillance data that warns us that the seasonal vaccine is a mismatch for the circulating strains - instead of the expected 60% effectiveness in healthy adults, it’s 0-10%. (Recall that one the Osterholm metanalysis establishing the 59% average effectiveness estimate, these mismatch seasons were excluded) In those seasons, if the patient protection rationale holds, shouldn’t all vaccinated people also wear masks for the rest of the season? Which we now realize often extends into May? And what if the HCW is 70 years old and their (even high dose) vaccine is only reducing their risk of infection by 20% - although it may prevent complications it’s not great at preventing infection in seniors - shouldn’t all HCW over 65 have to wear a mask even if vaccinated?

Contrary as ever,

Melanie

Sent from my iPhone



On Oct 9, 2019, at 6:42 PM, Tara Dockery <tdockery@oceanbeachhospital.com> wrote:



Our facility had a nurse that wanted to start a class action lawsuit last year because she felt her personal beliefs were HIPAA protected, and that if we asked her to wear a mask when she administered Chemotherapy because she hadn’t had a flu vaccine that it would be a violation of her right to privacy if she would have to tell the patients she wears the mask because she didn’t get the flu vaccine.  We then had to take it to the lawyers to be sure, and they told us that our cute little “promotional badges that advertise flu vaccines to patient and visitors by saying “I got my flu shot” were the ones that were in violation” so we had to stop asking that to be a marker for who does and doesn’t need to mask, and that if we changed to some buttons that said “get your flu shot” and made them optional to wear (all the admitting staff demanded them, as they wanted it known as the first person who greets a patient or visitor)  that we would be ok, and if our masking policy were written with safety as its focus, and put the owness on managers to monitor their staff for compliance, then we would be ok legally.

 

We had to amend our policy, for fear of such lawsuit, to state they had to wear the masks in patient care areas or when working with or talking to patients. I guess the whole hubbub is they can take a mask off when walking in the hallways as long as not with or talking to a patient, but put them on in the rooms, care areas, or at the desk as visitors and patients often come up and ask questions at the desk?

 

Either way, its been eye opening…

 

Tara

 

From: MCOH-EH [mailto:mcoh-eh-bounces@mylist.net] On Behalf Of Reichen, Catherine
Sent: Wednesday, October 9, 2019 1:02 PM
To: MCOH-EH <mcoh-eh@mylist.net>
Subject: Re: [MCOH-EH] Flu Vaccine Status Indicators

 

CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders.

Deb,


That is interesting.  Our HR employee rights lawyer told us that this is not a HIPPA violation.  We use different colored stickers with the year on them to indicate vaccination and declination (without  the wording of “I got my flu shot” on them).  Our policy states that they have to have a sticker by Dec 1 and they must be placed on the front of the badge for identification of compliance.

 

Cathy

 

From: MCOH-EH [mailto:mcoh-eh-bounces@mylist.net] On Behalf Of da.sampson via MCOH-EH
Sent: Wednesday, October 09, 2019 3:53 PM
To: MCOH-EH <mcoh-eh@mylist.net>
Cc: da.sampson <da.sampson@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [MCOH-EH] Flu Vaccine Status Indicators

 

Hello Anne

Several years ago legal counsel at another medical center in NH indicated that placing a sticker on an ID badge for flu vaccination was not a great idea since this is a public acknowledgment of individual medical information and could be challenged as a HIPAA violation regardless of facility policies.

Just a thought.

 

Deb Sampson 

 

 

 

Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone

 

-------- Original message --------

From: Anne Mills <amills@crhc.org>

Date: 10/9/19 4:23 PM (GMT-04:00)

Subject: [MCOH-EH] Flu Vaccine Status Indicators

 

Hello,

 

We recently transitioned to a influenza vaccine policy that requires masking for non-vaccinated health care personnel.  We use badge stickers as status indicators.  I am curious how others have made this work.  We are a regional medical center with multiple, off-site primary care and specialty practices.  We have many non-employed credentialed providers who participate in this program.

 

Flu vaccine is provided in Employee Health Services and department-based, "Flu Vaccine Ambassadors".  However, there are so many others that vaccinate elsewhere, or are in departments without an Ambassador.

 

We have not been able to identify an efficient means to deploy stickers. Your experiences are welcomed.

 

Anne

 

 


 

Anne C. Mills, MSN, RN, COHN-S

Concord Hospital

Director Employee Health Services 

| ( (603) 230-1962| 7 (603) 227-7126

 

----------------------------------------- CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This e-mail communication and any attachments may contain confidential and privileged information for the use of the designated recipients named above. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that you have received this communication in error and that any review, disclosure, dissemination, distribution, copying or reliance upon the contents of this email and attachments is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error or are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender by replying to this email and destroy all copies of this communication and any attachments. To contact Glens Falls Hospital, or for a copy of our privacy practices, please visit us on the Internet at www.glensfallshospital.org.

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