February 2, 2022 @ 2:30 p.m.
Every Tuesday, Sherrill Brown, M.D., Medical Director, Infection Prevention; Olivia Lee, Manager, Legislative and Advocacy Affairs; and Denise Gomez, Benefits Specialist, Human Resources, update our clinic and corporate lines of business leaders.

You can listen to the recording here or read the notes here.
Moderna Vaccine Approved by FDA

The FDA has approved Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine, making it the second to be fully licensed for use in the United States. The approval for those ages 18 and older will make it easier for schools and workplaces to require vaccination against the virus now that there are two approved vaccines to choose from, including the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 shot. Click here to read more.
Booster Mandate Extended to March 1

The California booster mandate on health care workers has been extended to Tuesday, March 1. All eligible AltaMed employees will be required to comply with this mandate as a condition of employment.

At AltaMed, we have achieved a more than 70% booster rate with employees still eligible to get boosted.

If You Receive the Booster Outside of AltaMed

Make Your Booster Appointment
  • Email Employee Health.
  • Call Employee Health at (323) 765-6153.
  • Contact the Employee Health lead at your respective clinic.
Expanded MD Labs Testing Schedule for AltaMed Patients

Please refer to the updated MD Labs schedule for providing free COVID-19 PCR testing to AltaMed patients. Testing hours for each location are from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Appointments are not required and results will take 24 to 72 hours.

  • AltaMed Medical Group – Garden Grove (Tuesdays and Wednesdays)
  • AltaMed Medical and Dental Group – Anaheim (Monday through Friday)
  • AltaMed Medical and Dental Group – South Gate (Monday through Friday)
 
Direct AltaMed patients seeking primary diagnosis of COVID-19 to these sites. They will need to provide an ID, and if they have insurance, they will need to provide that information as well. Patients without insurance will still be tested. An email address is also required so the results can be sent to them.
Grand Rounds Update

Sherrill Brown, M.D., Medical Director, Infection Prevention, presented at a special Grand Rounds on COVID-19 Treatment, Vaccine Updates, and Q&A Forum on Tuesday, February 1. 

Topics Discussed:
  • mPulse texting for COVID-19 test results to target start February 8
  • COVID-19 registry to sunset February 11
  • Results coming in after February 11 should be followed up by provider team for outreach
  • MD Labs will continue with added Garden Grove location on Tuesdays and Wednesdays
  • MD Labs to continue at least through February 14
  • Update to HRSA COVID-19 test kits
  • Case scenarios for COVID-19 outpatient treatment
 
Resources:
 
All COVID-19 Grand Rounds materials and recordings can be found on Town Square on the Provider Portal Grand Rounds page. 
Stay Safe at AltaMed

  1. 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.
  2. Maintain hand hygiene—Staff should have easy access to hand sanitizer dispensers to clean hands frequently, and should wash their hands for 20 seconds at a time.
  3. Practice physical distancing—Stay six feet apart from other individuals whether inside or outside.
  4. Wipe down any work surfaces you touch.
  5. If employees need to be within six feet of someone for a prolonged period of time, wear a face shield and face mask in both administrative and clinical settings—avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. In addition, a face shield and face mask need to be worn at all times when interacting with patients.
  6. Employees must wear appropriate PPE when on site. 
Questions and Communications

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

FAQs
  • Click here to read the most recent FAQs
  • Refer to the weekly FAQs in earlier editions of the COVID-19 Alert to see if your questions have already been answered
Please Note: If you are contacted by the media with questions about the coronavirus outbreak or for any other reason, email Sandy Nesheiwat Rodriguez of Miller Geer & Associates. 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, call Sandy at (714) 606-7075. If you'd like to read news releases from AltaMed, visit our external website, AltaMed.org under Newsroom.