November 18, 2020 @ 4:30 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.

This morning Olivia Lee, Manager, Legislative and Advocacy Affairs, presented on behalf of Government Affairs.  

You can listen to today's recording here or read the notes here.
Sherrill Brown, MD
Berenice Constant
Steven Satzger
Questions & 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 that 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
Q & A of the Week

Q: Are we allowed to come back to work if our test result for COVID-19 is negative? For example, an employee who has a cough, runny nose, and body ache is asked to go home because these are also symptoms of COVID-19. The employee then takes a COVID-19 test and the test result is negative.
 
From the COVID-19 Response Team
A: Employee Health should be notified when an employee has been sent home due to symptoms that may be related to COVID-19. Employee Health will then clear that employee to return to work when the test result is negative. In general, if you have a negative COVID PCR test and have been fever-free for more than 24 hours, you should be able to return to work with Employee Health's recommendation.
Stop the Surge in COVID-19 Cases
 
Wear Your Mask
  • Wearing a mask is now required statewide. At AltaMed, we need to wear masks at all times, including in our cubicles. If you are in an office with closed doors, then it is okay to not wear a mask. If someone walks in, please put your mask on. 
 
COVID-19 Testing Updates
  • Providers and clinical staff – please inform your patients of their COVID-19 test results in a timely manner. Consider asking patients to sign up with the MyAltaMed.net patient portal for quicker access to their results.
  • We are in the process of receiving the rapid antigen test. Information to follow from Dr. Sherrill Brown.
  • Patients who are traveling and require timely COVID-19 test results: Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is offering testing for a fee and with a 24-hour turnaround time for results.
 
COVID-19 Training Course
  • A mandatory COVID-19 training course is being launched today. You will receive an email notification from the Talent Management System when the course is assigned to you. Complete the mandatory training course by December 31. 
 
COVID-19 Tracker
  • As of November 17, California has 1,037,978 confirmed cases of COVID-19.
  • Click here to see where Southern California and every county in California stands.
Sleeve Up to Fight the Flu


Influenza Surveillance Report
Click the weekly influenza surveillance report as provided by the CDC to follow how the flu is progressing throughout the countr
Now More Than Ever We Must Stay Safe
 
This is a reminder for all of us to adhere to the safety guidelines below:
  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 – 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.
Open Enrollment Ends This Week

Open Enrollment ends this Friday, November 20. Participation is mandatory for all benefit-eligible employees. The final informational webinar is on Friday, November 20 at 12:00 p.m. The Benefits Support Center is available from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. to assist with benefit-related questions or to help enroll employees over the phone. Please call (323) 720-5670, Option 1.
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.