Free at-home COVID-19 tests are available by mail from the Administration for Strategic Preparedness & Response (ASPR). Every U.S. household is eligible to order four free at-home tests. Tests are available at https://covidtests.gov/. There is no cost and shipping is free. Those who order an also receive email alerts to know when the tests are arriving in the mail. The tests available for order: Are rapid antigen at-home tests, not PCR Can be taken at home or other locations, and give results within 30 minutes (no lab drop-off required) Can be used for testing even if you do not have COVID-19 symptoms Can be used for testing whether you are up-to-date on your COVID-19 vaccines or not Are also referred to as self-tests or over the counter (OTC) tests Remember, team members who test positive for COVID-19 should immediately report their result to Team Member Health. Click here to visit the Team Member Health site…

Effective Friday, Feb. 2, Ballad Health is easing its masking policy in clinical areas and is discontinuing contingency staffing. We’re able to take these steps due to the recent decrease in cases of respiratory illness – influenza, COVID and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus infection) – among both our patient population throughout the region and among our team members. Contingency staffing, which applies to team members with COVID, has been discontinued and we will return to normal staffing protocol. For reference, contingency staffing is implemented when increased clinical staffing needs are occurring or are expected due to increased absenteeism caused by staff illness. Masking will no longer be required for team members and care providers in patient care areas and clinical departments in acute-care and long-term care facilities.This covers our hospitals, outpatient clinics, long-term care facilities, home health and hospice, and Ballad Health Medical Associates (BHMA) locations. Team members may continue to mask if that is their…

Due to the rise in our region of influenza, COVID and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) cases, Ballad Health will require team member masking in all clinical areas, effective Thursday, Dec. 21. This applies to our hospitals, outpatient clinics, long term care facilities and Ballad Health Medical Associates (BHMA) locations. This requirement covers team members, medical staff and vendors, but only in clinical areas. Masking for visitors will remain optional, although we do want to make visitors and patients aware that, for both our safety and theirs, our team members are masking in these critical areas. This will help protect vulnerable patients from the spread of seasonal respiratory illnesses, and also help keep our team members healthy so we can maintain safe staffing levels to care for our patients. We’ve taken this step in years past, whenever the need has arisen, and kept the mandate in place until respiratory cases decrease to a safer level. While…

TO: All Ballad Health team members   FROM: Team Member Health DATE: Dec. 11, 2023 RE: Reminder on flu/COVID/RSV protocol COVID-19 inpatient cases: 124 COVID-19 patients in ICU: 13 COVID-19 patients on ventilators: 4 COVID-19 pediatric inpatients: 2 With cases of flu, COVID-19 and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus infection) on the rise in our region, including among team members – which impacts staffing and patient care – we must do everything we canto prevent further spread. It is crucial that team members follow Ballad Health guidelines on what to do if they have symptoms of being sick, and on when they can safely return to work. We also strongly encourage all team members to get the latest COVID-19 vaccine. If you are symptomatic Team members who are experiencing signs and symptoms of respiratory illness should report to their managers and then call Team Member Health to begin the testing process. Team Member Health will obtain…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the updated COVID-19 vaccine for the fall respiratory virus season. The new vaccine is now recommended for everyone ages 6 months and up. Ballad Health insurance will cover the cost of this vaccine. If you do not have health insurance through Ballad Health, almost all insurance plans cover recommended vaccines. Vaccines are available, by appointment, at several local retail pharmacy locations, including many Walgreen’s and CVS pharmacies, and at local health departments. Appointments can be made online. You may also want to check with your primary care provider to see if they offer the vaccine. The virus that causes COVID-19 is always changing, and protection from COVID-19 vaccines declines over time. Receiving an updated COVID-19 vaccine can restore protection and provide enhanced protection against the variants currently responsible for most infections and hospitalizations in the United States. During this time of increased spread, we encourage team members to…

Given the increase of COVID-19 in our region, now is a good time to ensure you’re up-to-date on the boosters. Our COVID-19 inpatient census has risen to more than 150, while the region’s positivity rate is higher than 35%. In addition to an initial booster, many people might also be eligible and recommended to receive the second booster and either don’t realize it, or simply haven’t gotten around to it yet. But the vaccine boosters can help protect you, especially as the effectiveness of a previous COVID-19 vaccination wanes over time. People are protected best from severe COVID-19 illness when they stay up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines, which includes getting all recommended boosters when eligible. There are different COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for people who are moderately or severely immunocompromised. It is never too late to get the added protection offered by a COVID-19 booster. Who can get a booster? Everyone ages 5 years and older should…

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…

With the first deadline looming for team members to meet the federal COVID-19 vaccination mandate, we’ve compiled a list of frequently asked questions about team member vaccination status, offering more details to help you make your vaccination decision. Click here to view the FAQs in PDF format, located on our COVID-19 Vaccine Resource Center for team members, or see the questions below in the body of this article. The deadline for first-dose vaccinations is Sunday, Dec. 5, 2021. All team members must be fully vaccinated by Jan. 4, 2022 – unless you have an approved medical or religious exemption. The exemption deadline has passed. Exemption submissions were due by 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 24. Also note that our POD (points of dispensing) schedule for vaccinations has been updated, and PODs at all five of our hospital locations WILL BE OPEN on Sunday, Dec. 5, from noon to 3 p.m. Click here to view the new…

With recent news that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) mandate for novel coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination has been suspended while the matter is litigated in the courts, we’ve received questions about whether this applies to Ballad Health. To help clarify things, it is important to note that this suspension DOES NOT apply to Ballad Health or reverse the current federal mandate from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that we’re required to follow. All Ballad Health team members are still required to be vaccinated for COVID-19 – with their first dose by no later than Dec. 5, 2021, and to be fully vaccinated by Jan. 4, 2022, unless they have a medical or religious exemption. OSHA mandate that has been suspended This mandate was put forth as an Emergency Temporary Standard by OHSA to protect workers from the risk of COVID-19. It established minimum COVID-19 vaccination and testing requirements for private employers…