September 8, 2021 @ 5:00 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.

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
Ana Lechon
Get Your Flu Vaccine

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 9 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at AltaMed University
  • Monday, September 13 from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Transportation
  • 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 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).
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, 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.
Patient and Community Vaccination Reminders and Updated Information

Updates
  • More than 80% of eligible Californians have now received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Click here to read more.

  • Currently, 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.
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.  
Important Reminders from Government Relations

Gubernatorial Recall Special Election
The gubernatorial recall special election will be held on Tuesday, September 14. If you have not mailed your vote-by-mail ballot, you have until September 14 to postmark it.
  • Los Angeles County: You can drop off your ballot at a vote center or vote in person. Visit lavote.net to find the nearest voting center or ballot drop box.
  • Orange County: A ballot drop box is available outside AltaMed Medical and Dental Group – Santa Ana, Main. Visit ocvote.com to find the nearest voting center or ballot drop box.
  • If you have turned in your ballot, you can track it by clicking here.

Final Redistricting Public Input Meetings
The California Redistricting Commission is holding their last sets of community input meetings before they commence drawing the new district maps in the coming weeks. Anyone can participate regardless where you live. For more information, please visit the state commission’s website.

For questions about the upcoming redistricting hearings or the gubernatorial recall special election, contact Jonathan Flores, Civic Engagement Specialist.
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.