September 1, 2021 @ 5:00 p.m.
Every Tuesday, 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.

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

You can listen to the recording here or read the notes here.
Sherrill Brown, M.D.
Berenice Constant
Steven Satzger
Flu Vaccines Available to All Employees

AltaMed has received the flu vaccine and the high-dose flu vaccine, and will begin administering them to employees next week. This year, more than ever, it is important to get the flu vaccine to protect your family, your coworkers, and yourself. Keep in mind that you can get the flu vaccine and the COVID-19 vaccine at the same visit; you no longer need to wait 14 days between vaccinations.

What You Need to Do
  • Employees can attend any of the scheduled free flu vaccination events listed below without making an appointment. AltaMed clinics will also be providing the flu vaccine to employees.
  • If you cannot attend one of these events or require a high-dose flu vaccine, email Employee Health to schedule an appointment.
  • All AltaMed employees who receive their flu vaccine will be automatically entered into a raffle drawing for gifts (raffle ends on October 31).
 
Employee Flu Vaccination Events
  • Thursday, September 9 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at AltaMed University (2035 Camfield Ave.)
  • Monday, September 13 from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Transportation (2522 E. Pomona St., Suite 11A)
  • Tuesday, September 14 from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. at Purchasing (Union Pacific)
  • Thursday, September 16 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at AltaMed Corporate (2040 Camfield Ave.) in Multi-Purpose Rooms 120 & 123
  • Tuesday, September 21 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Montebello Management Service Office (1401 N. Montebello Blvd.)
  • Thursday, September 23 from 12:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at AltaMed Medical Group – Santa Ana, Bristol
  • Monday, September 27 from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at AltaMed Youth and Senior Care Management - Indiana
  • Thursday, September 30 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Anaheim Patient Service Center
 
If you receive the flu vaccine outside of AltaMed, please send proof of the vaccination to flucampaign@altamed.org so Employee Health can update its records. If you decline the flu vaccine, please click here.
Facts About COVID-19 and the Delta Variant

Please visit altamed.org/vaccine for updated information on third dose (boosters), facts about COVID-19, how to make appointments, community vaccination events, and more. The information below is available through the California Department of Public Health.

  • The most important thing we can do to stop the spread of COVID-19 is to get vaccinated.

  • COVID-19 and its highly contagious variants like Delta are an increasing threat. Scientists have determined that Delta is spreading rapidly and is 60% more transmissible than the original strain. Right now, more than 90% of California’s population reside in substantial- or high-transmission regions.
  • As of August 20, the Delta variant accounts for 98% of cases sequenced in California, and the state anticipates this percentage will increase. This figure is nearly identical at the national level.
  • Delta is 60% more transmissible, causing an increase in infections and high risk to unvaccinated individuals.

  • In early August, the CDC recommended the COVID-19 vaccine for women who are pregnant, breastfeeding, trying to get pregnant now, or might become pregnant in the future.
  • Pregnant and recently pregnant women are more likely to get severely ill with COVID-19 than non-pregnant women.

  • Unvaccinated people remain at a higher risk of getting severe COVID-19 illness now than they were before the variants appeared. More young people are getting sick with Delta compared with earlier forms of the coronavirus. Infection from Delta is occurring in vaccinated people, too, although they have greater protection from severe illness.
Grand Rounds Presentation

Sherrill Brown, MD, Medical Director of Infection Prevention, presented a special COVID-19 Treatment, Vaccine Updates, and Q&A Forum during the Tuesday, August 31 Grand Rounds session.

Topics Discussed:
  • COVID-19 in Peds
  • Contact Information for CDC questions
  • Further Questions on Monoclonal Antibody
  • Topics for Conversation
  • Questions

Resources:

Video Presentation Timestamps
  • Presentation: 0:00 – 37:21
  • Q&A Session: 37:22 – 45:27

All COVID-19 Grand Rounds materials and recordings can be found on the COVID-19 Resource page on Town Square. 
Employee Vaccination and Testing Information

Employee Vaccinations
  • California announced on August 5 that it is requiring health care workers statewide to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The new mandate applies to employees in hospitals, clinics, doctor’s offices, PACE facilities, and most other health care settings. Like all other health care organizations in the state, AltaMed will comply with the order to have all employees vaccinated no later than September 30. 
 
  • Vaccinations are available to employees on Thursdays at AltaMed Pharmacy – Commerce (5417 E. Whittier Blvd. in Los Angeles).
  • For an appointment, contact Employee Health or call (323) 765-6153.
  • You will need to find street parking at this location.

  • Employees who work at clinics that administer the vaccine can also get vaccinated at those sites. Contact your Employee Health leads to arrange for your vaccination.
 
Employee Testing
  • AltaMed continues to test its health care workers who are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 twice a week with the rapid antigen test.

  • Employee Health leads at clinics, PACE sites, MSO, and PSC will perform the tests for their respective employees.

  • Corporate employees can get tested at Employee Health; contact Jose Rodriguez or call (323) 765-6148 to schedule an appointment. 

  • If an employee has been identified as someone who needs to be tested, they will be contacted by their leadership or Employee Health (if at a corporate location) to arrange for testing. 
  • The list of people who require testing and the names of people tested each week will be provided to senior leadership every week.

Proof of Vaccination is Needed
  • Employee Health is contacting employees who do not have any vaccination information on file. If you have been vaccinated outside of AltaMed, email proof of your vaccination to Employee Health to update their records.
AltaMed Vaccination Sites and Community Vaccination Events

All of the AltaMed vaccination sites are open to those aged 12 or older. Continue to talk to your patients about getting the COVID-19 vaccine, as well as other vaccinations. There are no restrictions and there is no waiting period to get vaccinated.

How to Make an Appointment
  • AltaMed Patients:
  • MyAltaMed.net if they already have an existing account
  • AltaMed Vaccine Hotline at (888) 909-5232
  • Non-AltaMed Patients and Community Members:
  • AltaMed Vaccine Hotline at (888) 909-5232
  • MyTurn

AltaMed Vaccination Sites
  • AltaMed General Pediatrics at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (Sundays and Mondays)
  • AltaMed Medical Group – Northgate Market, Olympic (Fridays)
  • AltaMed General Pediatrics – Westlake, 3rd Street (Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays)
  • AltaMed Medical and Dental Group – Commerce, Goodrich (Thursdays and Saturdays)
  • AltaMed Medical and Dental Group – East Los Angeles, 1st Street (Monday to Friday)
  • AltaMed Medical Group – Westlake, 3rd Street (Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays)
  • AltaMed Daniel V. Lara Clinic – East Los Angeles (Monday to Friday)
  • AltaMed Medical and Dental Group – El Monte (Mondays)
  • AltaMed Medical Group – Pico Rivera, Slauson (Monday to Friday)
  • AltaMed Medical and Dental Group – Huntington Beach (Thursdays and Fridays)
  • AltaMed Medical Group – Orange (Fridays)
  • AltaMed Medical and Dental Group – Santa Ana, Main (Monday to Friday)

AltaMed Pharmacy Sites
  • AltaMed Pharmacy – Anaheim (Thursdays)
  • AltaMed Pharmacy – Boyle Heights (Monday to Friday)
  • AltaMed Pharmacy – Commerce (Monday to Friday)
  • AltaMed Pharmacy – Commerce, Goodrich (Thursdays and Saturdays)
  • AltaMed Pharmacy – Huntington Park (Monday to Friday)
  • AltaMed Pharmacy – Pico Rivera, Passons (Monday to Friday)
  • AltaMed Pharmacy – Santa Ana, Bristol (Monday to Friday)
  • AltaMed Pharmacy – South Gate (Thursdays) 
  • AltaMed Pharmacy – West Covina (Saturdays)

Community Vaccination Events
AltaMed continues to host several community COVID-19 vaccination events. Please click here for the full list of event sites and information.
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 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.
CalHOPE Support and Resources
 
In partnership with CalHOPE, Health Education and Wellness is offering free crisis counseling and other support services to patients, employees, and community members affected by COVID-19. Informational cards have been distributed to all clinics and PACE centers. For questions or to request more cards, please contact Jessica Solares, Director of Health Education and Wellness.  
Upcoming Deadline Reminders

Labor Day Holiday Time Cards
  • Monday, September 6 is Labor Day. Please check with clinics and departments for closure hours. Also, refer to the Friday, August 27 memo from Payroll about completing and submitting your timecards.

Employee and Provider Engagement Surveys Due September 7
  • The Employee and Provider Engagement Surveys are due by Tuesday, September 7. Please complete your survey if you have not already done so.
 
Q3 Compliance Training Due September 10
  • All employees must complete their Q3 mandatory training by Friday, September 10.
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 (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.

Town Square
  • Go to the COVID-19 Vaccine news blocks on Town Square for current information and helpful resources.
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.