For Dartmouth-Hitchcock:
2023/24 COVID vaccine is not mandated but is being provided free of charge (no billing to insurance) to employees. We purchased Moderna, if they want a different
brand they are on their own. Reporting of vaccine receipt is encouraged but not required. Decision not to mandate was based on the late presence of the vaccine plus the confusion of the mandate status. “Up to date” no longer had a meaning since the new vaccine
is 1 dose for adults regardless of past vaccine history, so a completely new mandate would have been required. So it was opted to have it optional at this time.
Flu vaccine remains a mandate, including in remote workers. Now that I am somewhat established at Dartmouth Health, I am considering revising the policy to remove
the remote workers from the mandate, though I anticipate a lot of resistance.
PPE remains optional. If there is an “outbreak” in a work area (defined by the manager reporting staff shortages due to reported cases in employees), the work
area will go under mandatory masking for at least 10 days from the last known exposure. This decision is being managed by work center at Dartmouth Hitchcock (e.g. the ED, particular wards, OSC, etc) and by facility at our smaller associated hospitals. There
is no masking mandate for those who are exempted from the flu vaccine.
David
David S. Cockrum, MD, MPH
He/Him/His
Medical Director & Section Chief
Occupational & Environmental Medicine
Department of Medicine
Tel (603) 653-3881 | Fax (603) 650-0930
Dartmouth-Health.org
Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center
From: MCOH-EH <mcoh-eh-bounces@mylist.net>
On Behalf Of Charles Hackett
Sent: Sunday, October 15, 2023 7:27 PM
To: mcoh-eh@mylist.net
Subject: [MCOH-EH] Covid Vaccination **EXTERNAL**
Our system is reevaluating their approach to covid vaccination mandate. The RIDOH is being vague about mandating being up to date and leaving it to each institution
to determine want it wants to do. Do you still mandate the covid vaccine to
Our system is reevaluating their approach to covid vaccination mandate.
The RIDOH is being vague about mandating being up to date and leaving it to each institution to determine want it wants to do.
Do you still mandate the covid vaccine to work within your institution?
Do you mandate the influenza vaccine?
If yes does it apply to all employees including remote employees?
Do you require ppe if not vaccinated or just patient facing?
Do you require ppe for all employees during peak respiratory illness season?
As always
Thank you
Charlie
Charles D Hackett, MD, MPH
Medical Director, Employee and Occupational Health, Lifespan
Chief Community and Family Medicine, Rhode Island Hospital
Clinical Assistant Professor of Family Medicine, Brown University