September 30, 2020 @ 5:30 p.m.
Every Wednesday, Dr. Sherrill Brown, Medical Director, Infection Prevention, Berenice Constant, VP, Government Relations, and Elizabeth Sepetjian, AVP, Talent Management (HR), give an update for clinic and corporate line of business leaders.

You can read today's notes here.
Sherrill Brown, MD
Berenice Constant
Liz Sepetjian
Questions & Communications

We welcome your questions, suggestions and input. We do review each submission 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.

We also encourage you to review communications, such as the Wednesday COVID-19 huddles and email alerts, COVID-19 resource and policy pages on Town Square, altamed.org/coronavirus, and any regular emails you receive.

FAQs posted below may not be comprehensive, so please check the FAQs in each weekly alert to be sure your questions have not already been answered.

Q & A of the Week

Q: Is quarantine mandatory upon returning from vacation–either from another state or country?

From the COVID-19 Response Team
A: Right now, we are recommending that individuals be monitored for 14 days after returning from an international trip. Employee Health should be notified and we will begin recommending symptom and temperature screening twice a day for 14 days while still working, but need to be physically distant (more than six feet) from others while at work and masked at all times.
COVID-19 Continues

The COVID-19 pandemic is not over yet. As more businesses and schools reopen, we must continue with our safety protocols to protect ourselves, families, coworkers and patients and the community as a whole.

Children
Clinics have seen an increase in the number of children with some symptoms. Dr. Tiffany Damikolas, Regional Medical Director, has developed back-to-school letter templates to help providers as they see school-aged children. Please refer to her email on this matter.

Lab Testing
Regarding the new Fulgent Laboratory, results are now available in one to two days. It is important to properly submit all lab requests. Please speak with your clinic administrators for guidance and clarity on the lab submittal process.

Clinic Hours
We continue to provide a safe work environment with updates to our policies and procedures as well as upgrades to our facilities, such as reverse air-flow isolation rooms. This continuing adherence to safety has allowed us to treat patients inside the clinic in a safe manner. As such, we will no longer have designated well/sick hours of operation as of Monday, October 5. Our clinics and staff may continue to safely provide care to all our patients inside the clinics. Please reach out to your clinic administrators with any questions.
Following Safety Protocols Is Our Responsibility
 
As essential workers, everyone has the right and responsibility to remind colleagues (family and friends, too) to follow safety guidelines–both at work and at home.

  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.
  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, 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.
The Flu Vaccine is Your Best Shot at Stopping the Flu

Please visit Town Square under Flu Season is Here! (top right news block) for all flu-related information, including dates, times, and locations for vaccinations. You still have time to be entered into the weekly raffle to win some great prizes!

Reminders:
  • Employees can attend any of the already scheduled flu vaccinations without making an appointment.
  • If you cannot attend any of the already scheduled flu vaccinations, please send a calendar invitation to [email protected]. Again, calendar invitations are required only to schedule a flu shot outside of the already scheduled dates/times.
  • If you receive the flu vaccine outside of AltaMed, please submit your proof to [email protected].

Congratulations to AltaMed General Pediatrics – Westlake, 3rd Street and AltaMed Medical Group – Westlake, 3rd Street (formerly located at Hollywood Presbyterian)
whose staff will receive a special treat from Dr. Brown!
 
Congratulations as well to this week's flu raffle winners!
Below is a map provided by the CDC to demonstrate how the flu is progressing. Click to view the weekly influenza surveillance report.
Human Resources Reminders

Policy Acknowledgments - Due October 9
By Friday, October 9, every employee will need to complete an acknowledgment of the new and updated COVID-19 policies. Go to Town Square–My HR Services–Talent Management–Your Transcript and launch this acknowledgment. For questions, please reach out to your HR Business Partner.

Child Care Resources List
Please refer to today's notes for additional information. We encourage you to contact any of the resources for existing support services, including funded programs that may be available to you. Click here to access the list or visit Town Square.
Family Baking Night Fundraiser

Join AltaMed Foundation and Pastry Chefs Matthew Chamussy and Christina Mejia from Porto’s Bakery on Thursday, October 8 at 6:00 p.m. for a night of sweet treats. Grab your apron and get ready to learn baking skills from the best. This is a great night for you to enjoy on your own, with your partner, and even with kids.

All proceeds will benefit AltaMed patients, many of whom are uninsured and continue to face health inequities. Please click here to register and learn more about this fundraiser.
Town Square Audit—Final Reminder

This is a final reminder to audit your team’s site on Town Square. A separate email will be sent to site administrators who have not completed their audit. As a reminder, we will begin the process to review and remove all content older than 2017.  

Please Complete:
  • After you've completed your site audit, fill out the Town Square list form.
  • Click here for current site owners.
  • Assign a team site administrator or a team member to conduct audits with the understanding that it is their role to keep updated information on your department page.
  • Update this list.
Audit Checklist:
  • Update your department/staff contact information; delete outdated pictures.
  • Review all documents and delete any that are outdated or no longer relevant.
  • Make sure hyperlinks function properly.
  • Update your team site Owner/Admin and Contributor groups–under Site Actions > Site Permissions.
 
For questions, please email Mariano Calvente.
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.