January 20, 2021 @ 6:45 p.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, MD
Berenice Constant
Steven Satzger
Questions and Communications

During the COVID-19 vaccination administration, 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
Commonly Asked Questions and Answers

We continue to receive duplicate questions or questions that have already been answered. Please refer to the FAQs in the previous COVID Alerts here.

Q: I am aware that COVID-19 vaccines have been administered to most staff, however is there a possibility for immediate family members to get vaccinated?
A: We are closely following federal and state guidelines for vaccination priority. When more groups are added to the list to be vaccinated, AltaMed will share the information. 

Q: Is it recommended that an employee who got COVID in the last three months get the vaccine?
A: We recommend that anyone who has had COVID-19 still get the vaccine. They just need to be out of their isolation or quarantine period.

Q: Would AltaMed be offering Pfizer vaccine in the near future? 
A: We do not know when, if ever, we will get the Pfizer vaccine.
COVID-19 Vaccine and Testing Information

Updates
  • Dr. Anthony Fauci announced two new vaccines that are under development by AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson and could be presented to U.S. regulators for approval very soon.
  • Dr. Sherrill Brown sent a memo yesterday to all employees and confirmed that AltaMed DID NOT receive the specific lot of Moderna vaccines that may have caused allergic reactions in several people at a center in San Diego.

Training
  • Staff who will be administering or handling the COVID-19 vaccine have been assigned a training module that must be completed per CDC guidelines. If you have not already done so, please complete this training.

COVID-19 Results
  • As of today, employees and patients who have the MyAltaMed portal will be able to see their COVID-19 results once in Epic. There is no waiting 48 hours for results or waiting for providers to release the results. Please encourage patients and staff to sign up for MyAltaMed. 
Vaccine Appointments and More Sites Opening

Los Angeles County
  • Health care workers can make appointments for both their first and second doses of the vaccine on the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health website.
  • If you received your first dose through the county, we encourage you to return to the county for your second dose as they have already accounted for providing the second dose.
  • Los Angeles County has opened five large-scale coronavirus vaccination sites, including Six Flags Magic Mountain; California State University, Northridge; Pomona Fairplex; Los Angeles County Office of Education in Downey; and the Forum in Inglewood. 
  • Beginning Thursday, January 21, Los Angeles County will expand vaccinations to individuals 65 years and older through the Department of Public Health. Appointments can be made on their website. There are specific requirements and documentation to present before being able to get the vaccine. 

Orange County
  • Disneyland is also open as a COVID-19 vaccination mega-site. 

Send Proof to Employee Health
  • If you received your vaccine outside of AltaMed, please take a picture of the vaccine card and email it to Employee Health for documentation purposes.
Human Resources Reminders

Daily Employee Screening Process
  • Each day as you enter your work site, you are required to complete the Qualtrics screening process before entering. As part of this, you must enter your unique Employee ID Number, which then verifies your identity. Enter your correct Employee ID Number and verify your identity; select Yes only for your name; select No if another employee's name appears. It is very important that you enter the correct information and check for accuracy. 

Performance Review Process
  • All eligible employees were assigned a 10-minute, online course to learn more about the 2020 Performance Review process. The course is required and must be completed by Friday, February 5.
  • For additional training resources for managers, please access Performance Management for Leaders on Town Square. If you have any questions, email [email protected]. 
After Getting Your Vaccine, You Must Still Continue to Follow Safety Guidelines

  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 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. 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.
  6. Employees must wear appropriate PPE when on site.
AltaMed In the News

Southern California News Group photographed the employee vaccination event on Friday, January 8 in Anaheim. A photo featuring Darlene Dickens-Jeffers, RN, Senior Manager of Infection Prevention, vaccinating Monique Iskarous, Dentist at AltaMed Medical and Dental Group—Huntington Beach, was used in several of the group's newspapers.

Separately, on January 15, AltaMed's employee vaccination program was featured in Spectrum News1. The story included an interview with Dr. Efrain Talamantes, COO, Health Services.
Employee Social Media Guide

As AltaMed employees receive the COVID-19 vaccinations, we've all been presented with a unique opportunity to help build trust in the vaccine among our friends, family, and the communities we serve.

We are encouraging every AltaMed employee who receives a vaccination to share their experience on social media, and tag us in their posts and stories, so we may share it with our patients and followers. Please refer to the Employee Social Media Guide which provides detailed instructions on how you can share your story.
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.