FAQ #38: November 5, 2020 – Containing Answers from November 3rd
Answers to Staff Questions on Employee Health and Safety, Patient Care and Clinical, Supplies and PPE, and Return to Work
The following FAQs were adapted from questions submitted by VNSNY staff for the CEO Conference Calls hosted by Marki Flannery on Tuesday, November 3rd.
Employee Health and Safety
Q. Is there any way we can get confirmation that our flu shot information was received and submitted correctly? I e-mailed mine in, but I have no idea if it was received and if I’m counted.
A. Marian Haas, Chief Human Resources Officer: Because the person who asked this question uses Workday for their HR information and other information, you can check directly in Workday. Just search for your health services chart and that will provide you with a history of any testing or screening that you’ve had that had been submitted to VNSNY. So you should see your flu shot at the very bottom of the list. The list is in chronological order from the oldest. So you have to scroll to the bottom to see it.
And I’d encourage everyone on the call who uses Workday to try this out as well if they have the same question. There’s a worklet or an applet as they call it on your main page that says Health Services. If you click there, you will find the information. You’ll find another icon to click on to see your health services chart.
Q. I received my flu shot in the CVS in Danbury, Connecticut on October 30. I used the VNSNY voucher. They stated there is no way to provide me with paperwork to verify.
A. Marian, I’m back to you again because I know we need confirmation in order to make sure that everyone got their flu shot. Any thoughts?
Marian Haas: That’s correct, Marki. We have found that various CVSs and various Walgreens have different practices and that most of them are fine with providing documentation but sometimes the person you might deal with at an individual CVS may not have the full story. I would strongly suggest that this person call back the CVS and ask to speak with the manager or someone who’s authorized in their pharmacy. It does not seem likely that they can provide you with no documentation that you got these services.
If you continue to have a problem, please send the question into Ask HR and we’ll figure out what the best way is to assist you. But I strongly encourage you to call back and insist on speaking to the pharmacy manager or the pharmacist or the store manager with your request.
Q. Governor Cuomo changed quarantine time as long as we get tested. This is regarding travel.
A. Yes, this is true. There is a now an option that if you’re traveling in from out of state and you’ve been away longer than 24 hours that you will get tested three days before you return to New York so that you have the results, which hopefully are negative, and then you get tested again three days after you have arrived in New York, and if you have another negative result, you do not need to quarantine after that once you’ve gotten the results.
So the 14-day quarantine has been lifted if the two tests are done and you have two negatives. If you do not get the test, then the 14-day quarantine remains in effect. Tony, anything additional you’d like to add to what I just said?
Tony Dawson, Vice President for Quality and Customer Experience: Marki, that is correct. Testing three days before you come back, a PCR test, and then an additional test on the fourth day when you come back. So you have four days of quarantine then you get the test. If you tested negative, then you can come back to work and you don’t need to follow the 14-day quarantine.
Q. Does the first day of mandatory quarantine upon arriving from an outside state begin the day you arrive back from the outside state? For example, if I arrive back in New York on Monday, would my test-out day be Thursday or Friday?
A. I believe the day you arrive is Day 1 and so it would be Thursday. Tony, do you know if I’m correct about that?
Tony Dawson: Yes. If you arrive on Monday morning, then you can count Monday as Day 1, then count Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday — Day 4 — would be your test day. If you arrive Monday night, then I would count Tuesday as Day 1, and Friday would be your test day.
Q. If we visit a hot zone state for a few days or a long weekend, what’s the protocol when we return to work in regard to COVID-19 testing?
A. So first, you need to call the CERT team, right? You should have had a test before you came back. Three days before you came back, you need to get the test in the state that you were in because New York State requires that so that we know that you are negative before you return. And then as Tony just described, you need to get tested on Day 4 following your arrival.
Tony Dawson: And, Marki, let me just add another thing, because this is going to come up for folks who have traveled out of state for less than 24 hours — and we’re asking you to be on the honor system on this — then you do not need to get the three-day test prior to travel but you need to get the test on the fourth day after your arrival in New York. So if you go away for a weekend and you come back again on Sunday night, then you would need to get tested on that following Thursday.
Marki Flannery: But can they work in the meantime?
Tony Dawson: So they would have to be isolated for four days, get tested on the fourth day and then come back to work. So if you’re working from home, that’s obviously not an issue. If you’re a clinical staff member, you’ve gone away for the weekend, you come back on Sunday night; you would need to quarantine for four days, get the test on the fourth day, have a negative test before you come back to work.
So remember, you know, there is consideration on testing and the turnaround time for that testing. We’re trying to get the rapid test approved. But right now we’re asking that that is a PCR test and those tests take 24 to 48 hours to come back.
Marki Flannery: So even if they’re only gone for a day, they’re still using their PTO if they’re a field staff member to quarantine during that time.
Patient Care and Clinical
Q. What’s the protocol for our VNSNY bags in the home? I don’t feel comfortable taking my bag into the home. I mean, if someone in the home coughs, they can potentially spray germs. What’s your recommendation?
A. Well my recommendation is that Tony Dawson answers this question. So, Tony, can you provide some thoughts?
Tony Dawson: So a few things on this. One, we ask you to follow the protocols that we have set up. Second of all, the means of transmission of COVID is most likely from aerosolization and breathing that in, and not from a hard surface. And three, what we’d ask you to do is to bring the supplies that you need into the patient’s home especially if the patient is COVID-positive. Leave your bag as close to the door as you can so that it is not near the patient. And again we ask that the patient wear a face covering and that you are also wearing your PPE while you’re doing that visit. And fourthly I think the other thing is to wipe down your bag with alcohol solution or wipe with Clorox Wipes or whatever you have after the visit to maintain that bag’s sanitary condition as much as you can.
Q. Has the agency discussed the possibility of permanent parking passes for CHHA rehab and nursing staff? Please advise. Also, I am unsure if I’m able to attend the call as I’m treating patients.
A. So, all of the questions that are submitted are posted on the COVID site by the end of the week, typically on Thursdays. You can read past week’s FAQs here.
We have been trying for years to get permanent parking passes for our field staff, not just CHHA staff but also staff within our hospice team and other areas where staff could benefit from this. We were provided with these passes during COVID-19 initially through the end of July and we were successful in getting them extended through the end of this year. We continue to make this a priority, but this is something that is governed by the mayor’s office and they have been pretty strict about making this permanent.
So we are continuing to try. It’s not for lack of trying and hopefully we will continue to get them extended and hopefully made permanent.
HR Policies / Pay and PTO Policies
Q. In meetings, managers always tell their staff to take their time off. But whenever I do ask for time, my manager always denies the time or asks me to change my time that I requested and then would give the person with least seniority their time, or the same time I requested. Now I’ve been covering two teams for seven months and still the same thing is happening. I don’t feel I’m being treated fairly.
A. I’m going to ask Marian to respond and then arrange for some follow up directly with this individual.
Marian Haas: Thank you for this question and for alerting us to the situation regarding your paid time-off request. I will follow up directly with the person who asked this question. Hopefully that person is on the line here to hear the response and review the request that you have put into our Workday record. I look forward to speaking with this individual shortly.
Return to Work
Q. COVID cases are increasing in a lot of places. There’s even talk of another lockdown before things get worse. Has there been any decision in returning to the office? Why return only for the possibility of having to go home again, and risk traveling during this time? We don’t know what are COVID symptoms vs the flu and the news has me very concerned about the rising COVID cases.
A. So we are all concerned about the rising COVID cases. And I don’t think we’re ready to have a lockdown or return everyone back home again. I think we need to continue to monitor and make smart decisions about what is best for our organization as well as our employees.
Now what’s just a flu? Well if everyone got flu shots, we’d minimize the risk that people have the flu versus COVID. So that’s the reason we are encouraging very strongly that everyone gets a flu shot this year. So we are monitoring. Trust me, this is something we spend a significant amount of time as a leadership team addressing. And we will continue to address it for the benefit of our employees as well as the organization.
Q. Good morning. Thanks for all that you do. With COVID it has been proven that we as an organization are able to work remotely, efficiently. Would it ever be possible in the future to continue to work remotely, permanently? It would definitely save VNSNY a lot of money for real estate.
A. There are certain roles within VNSNY where we have always worked remotely and we will continue to work remotely, although there’s no role where you will work remotely 100% of the time because there’s always a need for some training, meeting in office, and other opportunities. And not every role is as efficient working remotely as others.
There are certain places where we do better when we’re together and there’s also some efficiency that comes with not having to have everything scheduled to be able to accomplish this. So we are looking at where there are opportunities for us to have certain staff working from home probably four days per week and where there are opportunities for other staff to be returning to the office probably within the short term rather than the long term. But at least two days per week.
In terms of saving a lot of money for real estate, well unfortunately we have very long leases. And when with COVID, there’s lots of empty space in New York City. So the likelihood of getting out of some of our leases will be very challenging. So I don’t know that we’re going to save much money on real estate, but we will continue to evaluate this and do what’s right for our organization as well as what’s right for the employees.
Supplies, Masks and PPE
Q. Can I please have one N95 mask to use for all patients? We don’t always know who’s positive, especially the way testing is being done currently. It’s a failure in my eyes. Why can’t VNSNY just provide one to all field staff please.
A. Michael Bernstein, Chief Administrative Officer. So if you have a COVID-positive patient or presumptive COVID-positive patient, then you receive a COVID kit which includes an N95 mask. Tony, can you confirm?
Tony Dawson: So all field staff are still issued two N95 masks. We’re asking staff to please follow the protocols. So if the patient is a COVID-positive patient, then you need to wear the N95 mask. If the patient is not COVID-positive, then you can wear a surgical facemask and face shield and/or goggles. So please follow the protocols especially now as we start to see a little bit of an uptick on those cases. We want to make sure that we’ve got enough PPE to go around. We want to make sure that staff are protected.
Marki Flannery: So our recommendation is that you’ll not be using an N95 for all patients. And if there are questions, you can call the CERT team for guidance on that.
Q. Can we wear a face shield?
A.Tony, I think you just said that they should wear a face shield. Is that correct?
Tony Dawson: Yes. You should be wearing a surgical mask, face shield and/or goggles for every patient encounter. That’s part of the protocol.
Administrative
Q. Thank you for always being a leader and encouraging us all to be our best self. My question is, does VNSNY ever plan on expanding globally? For example, I’m interested in venturing out to move down south with my daughter within the next few years. But I would love to remain employed with VNSNY.
A. So not sure if we’ll expand globally but we are looking at where we can continue to provide services outside of New York State. And one area where we can easily expand outside of New York State is through our VNSNY Care360 Solutions where we provide care management services. And we actually have an organization in New Jersey that is interested in working with us. And so I think that’s the start for our expansion. And I do believe that where we can expand in other service lines, that is something that we will continue to evaluate. So hopefully we can find a way for you and others to remain employed with us even if your geography changes.