October 9, 2023

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• Protect Yourself From Flu and COVID-19!
• Associate & Provider Engagement Survey
• Incentive Point Opportunity: First Annual Ocean City Running Festival Volunteers
• Join Us for Our Upcoming Ocean Pines Health Information Session!
• Update to Visitation Policy
• Benefits Briefing: Retirement Security
• Join Us in Celebrating National Physician Assistant Week!
• Wilmington University Open House
• PTO Donation Request
• Get Ready for Our Annual Pumpkin Contest!
• Show Your Team Spirit with Jersey Day!
• Hilton Oceanfront Staycation Raffle
• Ravens Roost Raffle to Benefit the 30th Annual Penguin Swim
• Purchase Your Custom Penguin Swim Keychains!
• Join Us for Our 3rd Annual Puppy Penguin Swim & Yappy Hour!
• Infection Prevention: Weekly Quiz
• Weekly Reflection

Importance of COVID and Flu Vaccines:

Vaccination is one of the most successful public health interventions in reducing disease spread! Protect yourself and your loved ones against severe disease, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19 and Influenza in the coming months. The flu is a contagious respiratory disease that can lead to serious illness, hospitalization, or even death. The CDC recommends everyone six months and older get the annual flu vaccine. Viruses that cause COVID-19 and the flu can change over time. Vaccines that target those viruses may be updated to better protect against disease. An updated COVID-19 vaccine and a yearly flu vaccine will help give you the best protection available. The newly updated (2023–2024 formula) mRNA COVID vaccines are available.

Safety of COVID-19 vaccines:

The CDC closely monitors the safety of COVID-19 vaccines. Almost 700 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in the United States to date, and monitoring in multiple safety systems has established their favorable safety profile. The most common reactions following COVID-19 vaccines are pain, redness, and swelling where the vaccine was given, and headache, fever, muscle aches, chills, or fatigue. Anaphylaxis (severe allergic reaction to the vaccine) has been rarely observed following COVID-19 vaccines. These types of allergic reactions can rarely occur with any kind of vaccine or medical product.

Vaccine Availability and Access:

The updated COVID-19 vaccines and flu vaccine are available for everyone who wants them. You can find this vaccine almost anywhere, like a health care provider’s office or local pharmacy. It is recommended to get the flu vaccine by the end of October. You may go to RediScripts Pharmacy for the updated COVID-19 vaccine. Please call 410-641-9240 to ensure stock is available, but no appointment is necessary. Stop in and see the staff at RediScripts - they will answer any questions or concerns. Inventory is subject to change on a daily basis due to high demand.

FLU CART: Be on the ALERT - our Employee Health & Wellness Nurses will be coming around with the FLU CART. Please see the schedule below. Please reach out to Tracey Mullineaux, RN in Employee Health if you have any questions or concerns about the flu vaccine.

REMEMBER: Vaccination is the most effective tool to protect yourself this fall and winter. Individuals should speak with their health care provider if they have questions about receiving a flu vaccine and/or COVID-19 vaccine. Get your COVID-19 2023 - 2024 vaccine and flu vaccine to protect yourself, your loved ones, your coworkers and the patients we care for each day at AGH and AGHS.

Just a reminder, flu vaccine is MANDATORY unless you submit a declination form to Employee Health. The COVID-19 vaccine is NOT mandatory at AGH/AGHS.

Following the AGH/AGHS Mandatory Flu Vaccination policy, ALL associates, medical staff, and volunteers are required to be immunized or have an exemption on file by 12/1/2023.

Those who have an approved medical /religious exemption are required to wear a surgical mask in all inpatient and outpatient areas during the designated flu season. 

Employee Health will be administering QUADRIVALENT Flu vaccines in preparation for the for the 2023-2024 Flu season.

Look for our rolling flu cart on the following days:

Tuesday, October 10 | 12pm - 4pm

Wednesday, October 11 | 7am – 12pm

Thursday, October 12 | 12pm - 4pm

Monday, October 16 | 7am – 12pm

Wednesday, October 18 | 7am – 12pm

More days to follow……..

LAST CHANCE TO SUBMIT SURVEY

If you have not already done so, please take the Associate and Provider Engagement Survey.

The survey only takes a few minutes to complete and will provide valuable information on how we can improve associate engagement here at Atlantic General Hospital and Health System.

Once the survey is complete, be sure to print out your completion certificate. The certificate can be used as follows:

• 5 points towards the Associates Incentive Plan, and:

• Free breakfast sandwich in the cafeteria (hospital associates)
• $5 Dunkin Donuts gift card (AGHS/offsite associates turn certificate in to department leader)

*All departments with 100% participation will be entered into a drawing for a pizza party!

We are in need of 20 RN volunteers for the First Annual Ocean City Running Festival on Saturday, October 28.

Atlantic General Hospital is the official Medical Team of the race. We will have providers and RNs at the various tents and locations throughout the route to help with any medical needs that may arise. This is a full marathon, half marathon, 8k and 5k.

For more information and to sign up to volunteer, please contact Alyce Marzola at [email protected].

Want to Participate in a Race?

Since Atlantic General Hospital is the official Medical Team of the race, we have been awarded 10 complimentary entries. These entries can be used for any race distance.

*Reminder: participating in races earns wellness points for the 2023-2024 Wellness Program.

If you are interested in entering one of the festival's races, please contact Tina Simmons ([email protected]) and Alyce Marzola ([email protected]). The entries will be given out first come, first serve.

Effective Monday, October 16, 2023, Atlantic General Hospital will resume open visitation. During the pandemic, it was necessary to restrict visitation to protect our patients, families, and associates by adapting practices that were appropriate at that time. Since the level of risk related to COVID has reduced significantly, we feel that it makes sense to update our visitation practices accordingly.

What will change:

1. Visitors may enter the building 24 hours a day in accordance with the updated policy.
2. Quiet time from 2 pm - 4 pm will continue daily in the ICU.
3. The overhead page asking visitors to leave at 8 pm will end.
4. The elevators at the front of the building will now be accessible starting at 6 am (instead of 8 am) weekdays, and beginning at 8 am during weekends and on holidays.
5. During times that elevator access is not available (as above,) visitors should be escorted to the second floor by the PSO or the nurse transferring the patient to the floor. This may depend on the situation and circumstances (e.g., staffing or availability).

Live a little and save a little more during National Retirement Savings Month, a time to take simple steps so you can balance living for today while saving for tomorrow. Discover how easy it is with this Voya resource center created just for you.

For additional information, please contact Joe Opalski at [email protected].

Atlantic General Hospital/Health System

extends its heart-felt appreciation to all our Physician Assistants who are dedicated to giving the very best health care to our patients and to the community!

THANK YOU!

Thinking about a graduate degree or certificate? Join Wilmington University at its Open House on Wednesday, Oct. 18 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Stop by online or in person at the New Castle Campus to chat with faculty and staff, explore 80+ graduate programs, learn about Dual-Credit ADVANTAGE™ and more. Plus, connect with faculty from WilmU’s graduate business programs from 1 – 4 p.m. or join a special online information session at 1 p.m. RSVP at wilmu.edu/OpenHouse.

Brittany Altekruse from the Burbage Regional Cancer Care Center has notified us that she is willing to accept any P.T.O. that associates may be willing to donate to her for Family Medical Leave.

If you are interested in donating P.T.O. to Brittany Altekruse, please complete the Donation of P.T.O. Form by clicking the button below and return it to Jennifer O’Leary in Human Resources. Fax 410-641-9715 or email: [email protected] or Inter-Office Mailbox #27. Additional forms are available in the HR office.

Thank you for your consideration of this request to assist a fellow associate!

If you purchased Ocean City Staycation raffle tickets for the FY24 Associates Campaign on 10/3 or 10/5, please contact Laura Powell in the Foundation office to confirm your purchase.

If you purchased Ocean City Staycation raffle tickets for the FY24 Associates Campaign on 10/3 or 10/5, please contact Laura Powell in the Foundation office to confirm your purchase.

This Week's Question

People who are immunocompromised with weak immune systems that can’t fight infections very well can get very sick from COVID-19. True or False

Please send your answers to [email protected] and [email protected].

The first person with the correct answer wins a prize.

Last Week's Question

The following are symptoms of COVID-19: True or False



• Fever or chills
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Fatigue
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• New loss of taste or smell
• Sore throat
• Congestion or runny nose
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea

Answer: True

Winner: Paige Tronosky, Education Assistant

Prize: Car coaster and stickers 

Chaplains Gail, Wendy, Bruce & Eric are available to offer you support and words of encouragement. You may call us at 410-641-9725 or 410-629-6848 or send an email:



[email protected], [email protected], 

[email protected], [email protected]



Stay Strong & Power On!