September 15, 2021 @ 5:15 p.m.
Every Tuesday, Dr. Sherrill Brown, Medical Director, Infection Prevention; Berenice Constant, Vice President, Government Affairs and Civic Engagement; and Ana Lechon, Senior Manager, Human Resources, update our clinic and corporate line of business leaders.

You can listen to the recording here or read the notes here.
Sherrill Brown, M.D.
Berenice Constant
Ana Lechon
Federal Vaccination Requirements and Mandates

Last week, President Biden announced new vaccine rules for federal workers, large employers, and health care staff. The new requirements could apply to as many as 100 million Americans, close to two-thirds of the U.S. workforce. Click here to read more.

  • The new mandate directs the U.S. Department of Labor to require that all businesses with 100 or more employees ensure their workers are either fully vaccinated, or tested on a weekly basis.
  • The President also signed an executive order requiring that all federal workers get vaccinated against COVID-19, with no option for being regularly tested as an alternative.
  • Additionally, he announced that he would require the 17 million health care workers at facilities receiving funds from Medicare and Medicaid to be fully vaccinated, expanding the mandate to hospitals, home care facilities and dialysis centers around the country.
  • Note: This does not have any additional impact on AltaMed and health care workers in California since a state mandate was previously issued and is already being implemented.
Employee COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Information
Employee Vaccinations
  • Employees who work at clinics that administer the COVID-19 vaccines can get vaccinated at those sites. Contact your Employee Health leads to arrange for your vaccination.

  • 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.

  • 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. 

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, Altura, and the Patient Service Center 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.
Vaccinations for Patients and the Community

Updates
  • AltaMed is able to provide the third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine only to those who have moderate to severe immune suppression. We are not providing the third dose to others at this time.

  • 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
  • Most AltaMed clinics and pharmacies are providing COVID-19 vaccines. Please continue to encourage your patients to get the vaccine.

Community Vaccination Events
  • AltaMed continues to host several community COVID-19 vaccination events. Click here for the full list of event sites and information.
AltaMed Physicians Participate in Informational Videos for Ad Council

AltaMed physicians participated in the Ad Council's initiative to share information on COVID-19 for children and teens. Please share these videos with patients and the community, and help parents and teens understand how COVID-19 may impact them and what they need to know.

Veronica Contreras, D.O.

Norma Perez, M.D.

Ilan Shapiro, M.D.
Flu Vaccine Now Available to All Employees

Free flu vaccines are now available to AltaMed employees. 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 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.
  • If you receive the flu vaccine outside of AltaMed, send proof of the vaccination to [email protected] so Employee Health can update its records.
  • Click here for the flu declination form.
 
Free Flu Vaccination Events for Employees
  • Thursday, September 16 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at AltaMed Corporate in Multi-Purpose Rooms 120 & 123
  • Tuesday, September 21 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Montebello Management Service Office
  • 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

All AltaMed employees who receive their flu vaccine will be automatically entered into a raffle drawing for gifts (raffle ends on October 31).
Staying Safe

  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 (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.