TO: Ballad Health All
FROM: Corporate Emergency Operations Center
DATE: Jan. 31, 2022
TITLE: Clarification on N95 masks; also, Helping Hands in critical need
ACTION: Please post and cascade to all team members.
This briefing includes information on:
- N95 mask clarification
- Helping Hands program in critical need of support
- COVID-19 vaccination deadlines
- Colonial Heights Urgent Care closing temporarily
N95 mask clarification
As a follow-up to our update from Thursday, Jan. 27, on critical staffing, to clarify on use of N95 masks – team members are NOT required to wear N95 masks. They are available for team members in clinical areas who choose to wear them instead of a surgical mask during this time of crisis staffing.
- Otherwise, all team members are required to wear well-fitted surgical masks at all times.
- N95 masks are still required for anyone entering the room of a patient in airborne isolation or enhanced droplet isolation, or when performing an aerosol-generating procedure.
All departments should also continue to follow strict guidelines of social distancing, replacing in-person meetings with virtual or phone meetings, and not gathering for meals – which contact tracing has shown is causing spread of COVID-19 in our facilities. NOTE: Cloth masks are no longer acceptable within our facilities.
Helping Hands program needs support
Because of our critical staffing shortage, we are making an urgent plea to support our frontline teams through the Helping Hands Program – where team members volunteer to do paid work supporting our front lines, either in addition to normal work duties or in place of a normal workday.
Right now we are treating more than 400 COVID-19 inpatients and have more than 800 team members out of work due to testing positive or being exposed to COVID-19. Our frontline team members have worked under the strain of the pandemic since it arrived in early 2020. They have been pushed to their limit, both physically and emotionally, so any relief we can provide will make a huge difference.
We have many team members working in administrative and corporate offices, so we appreciate any support they can provide to our clinical team members on the front line.
Here’s how you can help:
- Speak with your manager about temporarily working an eight-hour shift during the week in one of our hospitals, in place of your normal workday.
- Or if that’s not an option, you can volunteer to work extra (paid) shifts, outside your regular work hours, in support roles for our frontline team members.
New Helping Hands Volunteers – If this is your first time signing up for the Helping Hands program, click here on the intranet to share your availability and learn more about the process and opportunities to serve. NOTE: To access the Helping Hands page on the Ballad Health intranet, you must be on a Ballad Health network device.
Active Helping Hands Volunteers – If you have already signed up and actively volunteered, reach back out to the leader of the area where you worked to see how you can help.
Passive Helping Hands Volunteers – If you signed up earlier, but have yet to volunteer, reach out to the following Operational Excellence team member who is coordinating this effort for your area.
- Southern Market – Tamra.clontz@balladhealth.org
- Northwest Market (not including Wise) – Sandi.wilson@balladhealth.org
- Wise – Kelly.lane@balladhealth.org
- Northeast Market – Kelly.lane@balladhealth.org or Michael.godsey@balladhealth.org
If you’re already participating in Helping Hands, we sincerely thank you. If not, we strongly encourage you to help if you can.
The most critical need is for sitters and screeners in the hospitals. Additional Helping Hands opportunities include unit liaisons, ED liaisons, food service, environmental services, supply support, and serving as a contact tracer.
Vaccination reminder
The deadline for all team members to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 is Friday, March 11, unless the team member has an approved medical or religious exemption. Click here to read more about the vaccination deadline and exemption process.
Here are key dates on the vaccination time line:
- Monday, Jan. 31, at 5 p.m. – Exemption requests must be completed online from the HR department page. If requesting a medical exemption, any supporting documentation needs to be submitted to Team Member Health by Monday, Jan. 31. If a team member is filing a religious exemption, both forms needs to be completed by Monday, Jan. 31, at 5 p.m. After submission, please monitor your Ballad Health email. Team member health will message you if additional information is needed.
- Friday, Feb. 4 – Exemption decisions will be communicated by this date to team members. They will need to check their email for communication regarding any exemption requests.
- Friday, Feb. 11 – Deadline for team members to have received their first dose of the vaccine.
- Friday, March 11 – Deadline for all team members to be fully vaccinated (unless they have an approved exemption).
Colonial Heights Urgent Care
Due to severe shortages in availability of staffing, the Colonial Heights Urgent Care location at 4600 Fort Henry Drive in Kingsport, effective Monday, Jan. 31, through Monday, Feb. 28, will remain closed, with walk-in patients being redirected to the Kingsport Urgent Care, located at 111 W. Stone Drive, Suite 110.
Questions?
For other questions related to our response to COVID-19, reach out to the CEOC at BalladHealthCorporateEOC@balladhealth.org. If you have questions about the vaccine, a member of the clinical executive team will ensure you have credible information to help you make an informed decision.
