January 27, 2021 @ 4:45 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, M.D.
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
  • Refer to the weekly FAQs in earlier editions of the COVID-19 Alert to see if your questions have already been answered
#OneShotAtATime

AltaMed employees began receiving the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine earlier this month. Some have shared their stories expressing why they got the vaccine—to see their parents and grandparents, to visit with friends, to take care of their patients, and for the overall health of our communities. Now more than ever, it is our responsibility as health care leaders and providers to serve as an example to our patients. 
Commonly Asked Questions and Answers

Please refer to the FAQs in the previous COVID Alerts—most questions have already been answered.

Managers: Please cascade information to your staff. Encourage them to read the COVID Alerts that are sent to all employees as these provide timely and important updates.

Q: I signed the declination stating I did not want the COVID-19 vaccine, but I've changed my mind and now want the vaccine. Can I still get it?

A: Yes. Even though you signed the declination, employees can change their minds and ask to receive the vaccine. We will automatically remove your name from the declination list after you get the vaccine. At this time, however, we are waiting for additional vaccines. Once we have more, we will inform employees of available dates and times for their first dose vaccinations.

Q: I have my appointment for the second dose vaccination. Can I change my appointment date and time?

A: Unfortunately, no. We cannot accommodate individual requests to change appointment dates or times. We have to account for the number of doses that we have to administer on each scheduled day, and any individual changes may disrupt our vaccine count. 
Employee and Patient Vaccine Updates

Employee Vaccinations
Please refer to the memo sent from Dr. Sherrill Brown on Monday, January 25 regarding the first and second doses of employee vaccinations. We continue to wait to receive additional vaccines; once we have more, we will plan to provide first dose vaccinations to our remaining employees.

Patient Vaccinations
We are waiting to receive additional vaccines to start vaccinating patients. Until then, please share the following with your patients to help them stay informed:
  • AltaMed COVID-19 Vaccine Hotline (888) 909-5232: This recording is updated regularly and provides the latest information about the vaccine process.
  • AltaMed.org/vaccine Webpage: Our vaccine webpage is updated regularly with the most current information and additional resources for our patients and the community.
Information from Government Relations

Federal Government
  • President Biden identified the following immediate priorities:
  • Invest $25 billion in a vaccine manufacturing and distribution plan that will guarantee the vaccine reaches every American, cost-free.
  • Protect older Americans and others at high risk.
  • Establish a COVID-19 Racial and Ethnic Disparities Task Force to provide recommendations and oversight on disparities in the public health and economic response. At the end of this health crisis, it will transition to a permanent Infectious Disease Racial Disparities Task Force.
  • Implement mask mandates nationwide.

California Stay-at-Home Orders
  • California lifted stay-at-home orders for all regions on Monday, January 25. The stay-at-home orders applied to regions of the state where availability in ICUs had dropped below 15 percent.

My Turn Website
  • While COVID-19 vaccine supply is still limited, California is prioritizing vaccines for specific groups based on exposure risks, health risks, and health equity. Go to My Turn to find out if it is your turn to get vaccinated and schedule vaccination appointments. If it is not yet your turn, you can register to be notified when you become eligible.
  • Note: This is a pilot site. Health care workers and individuals 65 and older in Los Angeles and San Diego counties can book appointments immediately. Online appointment scheduling for other groups and residents of other counties will be available soon.

COVID-19 Tracker
  • Click here to see where California stands.
Even After the Vaccine, Continue to Follow Safety Guidelines

  1. Wear your masksFace 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 hygieneStaff 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 distancingStay 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.
Human Resources Reminders

2021 Holiday Schedule
  • Please refer to the 2021 observed holiday schedule here. The Human Resources department will keep employees informed of any changes. For information regarding the AltaMed holiday policy, please click here.

2021 PTO Cash-Out Request Form
  • The 2021 PTO Cash-Out Request form is now available. To receive your elected PTO Cash-Out request in 2021, please complete and submit your form to the Payroll Department any time between now and December 17, 2021. PTO Cash-Out requests are only paid on regular paydays and must be received the Friday prior to payday. Elected PTO Cash-Out hours not requested to be paid out during 2021 will automatically be processed in the last paycheck of the calendar year in 2021.
AltaMed In the News

Dr. Sherrill Brown, Medical Director of Infection Prevention, provided her expertise for a story on healthline.com about whether to avoid taking pain relievers after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.

According to Dr. Brown, "I would recommend waiting until someone experiences side effects of fever or pain that require fever-reducing or pain-reducing medications, and not to take them as a prophylaxis to prevent vaccine-related symptoms. Some people are not able to take either acetaminophen or ibuprofen due to other underlying health conditions. In those cases, it would be best to consult with their trusted health care provider or physician before taking these medications."
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.