TO: Ballad Health All
FROM: Ballad Health Corporate Emergency Operations Center
DATE: Feb. 16, 2022
TITLE: Implementation of Contingency Staffing
ACTION: Please post and cascade to all team members.
Due to a decrease in community and team member transmission of COVID-19, Ballad Health will return to contingency staffing, effective Wednesday, Feb. 16. Contact tracing will also resume.
This downgrades our system from the previous level – Crisis Standards of Care; Strategies to Mitigate Healthcare Personnel Staffing Shortages – that was in effect through Feb. 15.
Contingency staffing is applied when staffing shortages are occurring or are expected due to quarantine measures. The contingency guidelines apply to areas that are not high risk. High-risk areas, such as cancer centers and oncology units, Hospitots and the Niswonger Children’s Network, will follow conventional guidelines when determining if COVID-19 positive team members can return to work.
Key points to know about contingency staffing:
- All team members who test positive for COVID-19 must isolate for 5 days.
- They may return to work between days 6-10 if they are asymptomatic or have improving symptoms.
- If the team member performs an antigen test on Day 5 and is still positive, they must isolate through Day 10.
- All team members will continue to consult with Team Member Health for clearance to return to work.
Contacts with COVID-19
- High-risk contacts who are up-to-date with their COVID-19 vaccinations (primary series and booster) do not need to quarantine but must monitor for symptoms.
- High-risk contacts who are NOT up-to-date with their vaccination can work but must be tested on Day 2 and on Day 6.
Guidelines for team members returning to work
Team members who have tested positive for COVID-19:
Team members who were asymptomatic throughout their infection and are not moderately to severely immunocompromised will be cleared to return to work if:
- At least 5 days have passed since the date of their first positive viral test (Day 0), and a negative antigen test, if antigen tests are available.
Team members with mild to moderate illness who are not moderately to severely immunocompromised will be cleared to return to work if:
- At least 5 days have passed since symptoms first appeared (Day 0), and
- At least 24 hours have passed since last fever without the use of fever-reducing medications, and
- Symptoms (e.g., cough, shortness of breath) have improved and
- Team member has a negative antigen test, if antigen testing is available.
For team members who have had high-risk exposure to COVID-19, but were not known to be infected:
- Team members identified as having a high-risk exposure in the workplace will be notified via their Ballad Health email, which will contain instructions for next steps.
- If the team member is vaccinated and boosted, no work restrictions are required for conventional staffing. The team member will be tested on Day 2 and Day 6.
- If the team member is vaccinated and boosted, no work restrictions are required for contingency staffing. Testing is not required under contingency guidelines, unless the team member becomes symptomatic.
- If the team member has not received all COVID-19 vaccine doses, including a booster dose, as recommended by CDC, they may continue to work onsite throughout their 10-day post-exposure period if:
- They are tested on Day 2 after the exposure, and if negative, again on Day 6. Date of exposure is considered Day 0.
- They will use a respirator or well-fitting face mask at all times in the facility. The team member must be alone when removing their respirator or mask to eat or drink.
- The team member will self-monitor temperature and symptoms daily. If the team member develops even mild symptoms consistent with COVID-19, they will either not report to work, or stop working and notify their supervisor and Team Member Health before leaving work.
- If team members are tested and found to be infected with SARS-CoV-2, they will be excluded from work until they meet all Return to Work Criteria.
Defining high-risk exposure
High-risk exposure is defined by the CDC as a team member having prolonged contact (closer than 6 feet for a cumulative time of 15 minutes) with a patient, visitor or team member who has confirmed COVID-19 infection and was not wearing a respirator (N95), OR if wearing a facemask, the person with SARS-CoV-2 infection was not wearing a cloth mask or face mask.
In an effort to reduce high-risk exposures, it is imperative that all team members advise the patient to don their face mask before each team member entry into the room. Any issue with visitors who are noncompliant with mask-wearing will be escalated through the appropriate chain of command.
Questions
Have a question about vaccines, the Omicron variant or other COVID-related topics? Contact the Ballad Health Corporate Emergency Operations Center at BalladHealthCorporateEOC@balladhealth.org.
