View as Webpage February 10, 2021 @ 6:00 p.m.

Today's Weekly COVID-19 Briefing (Recorded at 7:45 a.m.)

Every Wednesday, Dr. Sherrill Brown, Medical Director, Infection Prevention; Berenice Constant, Vice President, Government Affairs and Civic Engagement; and Steven Satzger, Director, Learning and Training, update our clinic and corporate line of business leaders. You can listen to today's recording here.

Sherrill Brown, M.D.

Berenice Constant

Steven Satzger

Questions and Communications  During the COVID-19 vaccination administration period, we will email updates to employees as more information becomes available. Please be alert to communications from your center managers, clinic administrators, site medical directors, department managers/leaders, and Employee Health, including emails, memos, newsletters, department huddles and/or cell phone text messages. We welcome your questions, suggestions and input. We do review each question and respond appropriately, so please continue to email us—click here. Know that this is a safe space and most questions will be answered individually prior to being shared anonymously with staff. How to Stay Informed Wednesday morning COVID-19 huddles Wednesday afternoon COVID-19 Alerts emailed to all employees COVID-19 resource and policy pages on Town Square altamed.org/coronavirus Periodic emails, as needed FAQs Click here to read the weekly FAQs (answers to new questions are pending) Refer to the weekly FAQs in earlier editions of the COVID-19 Alert to see if your questions have already been answered

Vaccine Now Available to Orange County Patients Aged 65 and Older AltaMed is now offering the COVID-19 vaccine to patients aged 65 and older who live in Orange County. Please inform and encourage your Orange County patients aged 65 and older to call (888) 909-5232 today to schedule their vaccine appointment. We are hoping to receive vaccines in Los Angeles County soon. Once we do, we will communicate with our Los Angeles County patients so they may schedule appointments.

Employee Vaccination Update Dose 2 Vaccinations Employee vaccinations for the second dose of the Moderna vaccine are scheduled for February 11 and 12 at Corporate. Text and/or email reminders have been sent to those employees who opted in to receive texts/emails during the sign up process. Do not miss or change your pre-scheduled appointment. Bring your vaccination card with you. Wear a short-sleeved shirt. Dose 1 Vaccinations We continue to wait to receive additional vaccines so we may schedule appointments for employees this month. Information will be provided in the weekly COVID Alert and other forms of communications, so please make sure to read them. For questions, email Steven Satzger in Human Resources.  #OneShotAtATime We encourage AltaMed employees to share their vaccination experience on social media, and tag us in posts and stories so we can share them too. Refer to the Employee Social Media Guide which provides detailed instructions on how you can share your story.

Vaccine Availability Nationally and Locally Federal Government The Biden administration will begin shipping vaccines to community health centers next week. This program launch is to address inequities in Black and Latino communities. The allocation will be for one million doses, with roughly 250 sites receiving the vaccine in the initial phase of the program. AltaMed has received the invitation to participate in this program, and we are actively working to respond. Click here to learn more. California Update The California Department of Public Health reported Tuesday that providers have administered almost five million out of about 7.4 million doses that have been distributed to hospital systems and local health offices. For information, click here. California is still facing shortages of the COVID-19 vaccine. State and local officials noted that the need to quickly distribute vaccines must be balanced with ensuring vaccines are delivered equitably, and that California's hardest-hit, harder-to-reach communities are not left behind. Recent data released by Los Angeles County showed that Black, Latino and Native American seniors were receiving vaccinations at a lower rate than white, Asian American, and Pacific Islander seniors. To read more, click here. According to Governor Newsom, his administration and the Legislature are close to an agreement, potentially this week, on when and how to reopen schools in California. The state is prioritizing teachers in the upcoming Phase 1b of vaccinations. Click here to read more. COVID-19 Tracker Click here to see where California stands.

Supplemental Sick Pay Leave Information Last year, supplemental sick pay leave ordinances were enacted at the city and state level. Eligible employees were provided with an allocation of hours to use for COVID-19 related absences. Until further notice, any available balances as of December 31, 2020 can continue to be used for the following applicable reasons, including symptoms resulting from the vaccine. Should you have any questions, contact your Human Resources Business Partner or the Benefits Department.   Los Angeles City Supplemental Paid Sick Leave Due to COVID-19, this may be used if an employee is unable to work or telework for the following reasons: The employee takes time off due to COVID-19 infection or because a public health official or health care provider requires or recommends the employee isolate or self-quarantine to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The employee takes time off work because the employee is at least 65 years old or has a health condition such as heart disease, asthma, lung disease, diabetes, kidney disease, or weakened immune system. The employee takes time off work because the employee needs to care for a family member who is not sick but who public health officials or health care providers have required or recommended isolation or self-quarantine. The employee takes time off work because the employee needs to provide care for a family member whose senior care provider or whose school or child care provider caring for a child under the age of 18 temporarily ceases operations in response to a Public Health or other public officials recommendation. This provision is only applicable to an employee who is unable to secure a reasonable alternative caregiver.   CA COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave This may be used if an employee leaves home to perform work for the following reasons: The employee is subject to a Federal, State, or local quarantine or isolation order related to COVID-19. The employee is advised by a health care provider to self-quarantine or self-isolate due to COVID-19 related concerns.  The employee is prohibited from working by the employer due to health concerns related to the potential transmission of COVID-19.

Even After the Vaccine, Continue to Follow Safety Guidelines Wear your masks—Face masks are to be worn at all times over your nose and mouth (except when drinking or eating), and should be stored properly or discarded. Patients need to wear masks at all times in examination rooms as well.  Maintain hand hygiene—Staff should have easy access to hand sanitizer dispensers to clean hands frequently, and should wash hands for 20 seconds at a time. Practice physical distancing—Stay six feet apart from other individuals whether inside or outside. Wipe down any work surfaces you touch. Patient-facing staff, including front office if no plexiglass barrier is used, should wear a face shield or eye covering in addition to a face mask—avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. Employees must wear appropriate PPE when on site.

AltaMed In the News Dr. Norma Perez, Site Medical Director at AltaMed Medical and Dental Group-Commerce, Goodrich, was a panelist on the February 5 ABC Channel 7 town hall where doctors discussed vaccine disparities among the Latino community. Along the same topic, Dr. Efrain Talamantes, Chief Operating Officer, Health Services, was interviewed by NPR on Saturday, February 6, and discussed how the pandemic is impacting the Latino community at an exponentially higher rate. AltaMed's vaccination effort for Orange County patients aged 65 and older was featured on ABC Channel 7 on February 9. Dr. Marco Angulo, Medical Director of Medical Education, was interviewed about our work to provide vaccines to our patients. Follow AltaMed on social media and share our stories with your network of friends, family and colleagues—Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Please Note: If you are contacted by the media with questions about the coronavirus outbreak or for any other reason, please email Veronica Orozco, Sr. Manager, Public Relations. The Public Relations team monitors all media coverage of AltaMed (social and traditional platforms) to uphold our reputation. If you have questions and concerns regarding media coverage, please call Veronica at (323) 482-3073. If you'd like to read news releases from AltaMed, visit our external website, AltaMed.org under Newsroom.