Keeping You Informed
As we work together to keep our patients and each other healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic, we will be issuing these alerts to provide you with the latest information about the state of the outbreak and what you need to know to keep you healthy.
Here is a recap of a few of the steps we are taking to deal with the impact of the outbreak
to protect our patients and staff:
- Isolate patients who present with suspected symptoms and immediately notify the local health department, state health department, and the CDC.
- Interview the patient and close contacts, such as family members and co-workers, to obtain detailed information on the nature of exposure.
- Ensure our staff use defined infection control protocols and measures including how to put on and remove personal protective equipment (PPE) to ensure the safety of staff and our environment.
- Monitor the health of our providers who care for the patient.
- AltaMed has created a robust process to capture patient medical history and identify risk factors. We have also implemented screening tools to identify patients who present with symptoms of infection. If any are identified, protocols are in place to care for and carefully monitor these patients.
- All of these workflows and many other resources are posted on our Infection Control page on Town Square.
- Please speak with your supervisor if you have questions or concerns.
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Message from Louis Gutierrez, VP, Human Resources
Temporary HR Policies in Place to Respond to the Impact of COVID-19
AltaMed is working very hard to create temporary policies to ensure the safety of our employees. As we create additional policies to allow us to respond safely and effectively to the COVID-19 outbreak, we will share them with you.
The first of these policies, "Coronavirus Workforce Management" is effective Monday, March 16 and until further notice. The gist of the policy is that any employee traveling to an area on the
CDC list (see attached link)
for COVID-19 ongoing community transmission concern, as it is updated, must notify their supervisor and consult their primary care physician immediately upon return to the U.S. In addition, any employee who experiences symptoms of COVID-19 infection, or who has come into close contact with a person believed to be infected, must also notify their supervisor and may be asked to remain at home. There are more details in the policy, which is linked in the paragraph below.
I ask that you closely read and review the
attached policy,
and speak with your direct supervisor if you have any questions.
We will respond to any questions we receive and will keep you updated as new information becomes available, and new temporary polices are put in place. Thank you.
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Federal Government Declares State of Emergency Over Coronavirus Outbreak
This action frees up billions of dollars in federal funds and allows the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to send funds back to the states for costs relating to caring for patients with COVID-19 and preventing the spread of the virus.
- Better coordination. FEMA, the Health and Human Services Department (HHS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, can better work together with coordinated decision-making authority.
- More access to funding. Provides states and cities with over $40 billion in federal funding and allows states to request a 75% federal cost-share for expenses related to COVID-19 response efforts.
- More access to resources. FEMA Administrator Peter Gaynor told lawmakers recently that the agency’s warehouses are stocked with supplies across the country. The emergency declaration will now make these resources available where they are needed.
- FEMA may also be able to help with logistics like transport of residents and putting up temporary medical facilities.
- Confers broad new authorities to HHS Secretary Alex Azar. He will now be able to:
- Waive provisions of applicable laws and regulations to give doctors, hospitals, and health care providers maximum flexibility to respond to the virus.
- Includes waivers of some federal licensing requirements.
After the President declared the federal state of emergency earlier today, House Speaker Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Mnuchin reached an agreement on an economic stimulus package to address the coronavirus pandemic.
- Provide $500 million to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children.
- $400 million to the Emergency Food Assistance Program.
- Allows the Department of Agriculture to approve state plans to provide emergency SNAP assistance to households affected by school closures.
- $100 million to the Department of Agriculture to provide nutrition assistance to Puerto Rico, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands.
- $5 million to the Department of Labor to administer the emergency paid sick days program.
- $250 million for the Senior Nutrition Program in the Administration for Community Living, providing meals to low-income seniors.
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