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St. Jude Vaccination and COVID-19 Updates

VACCINATION

Vaccinations Continue in Breakaway Lounge: Vaccinations continue on the following days, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. through Jan. 29:

Friday, Jan. 8, Moderna
Tuesday, Jan. 12, Pfizer second dose
Wednesday, Jan. 13, Pfizer second dose
Thursday, Jan. 14, Pfizer second dose
Friday, Jan. 15, Moderna

Monday, Jan. 18, Moderna
Tuesday, Jan. 19, Pfizer second dose
Wednesday, Jan. 20, Pfizer second dose
Thursday, Jan. 21, Pfizer second dose
Friday, Jan. 22, Moderna

Monday, Jan. 25, Moderna
Tuesday, Jan. 26, Pfizer second dose
Wednesday, Jan. 27, Pfizer second dose
Thursday, Jan. 28, Pfizer second dose
Friday, Jan. 29, Moderna

Vaccination Clinic Closes the Breakaway Lounge to Other Uses: The Breakaway Lounge is temporarily closed for dining, taking breaks and using the gym equipment. Tables on the lounge patio are available for you to use.

We Have Enough Vaccine to Vaccinate Every Caregiver Who Wants It: Per CDC guidelines, our high-risk, frontline caregivers were vaccinated first. The medium-risk and low-risk caregivers are being vaccinated now. COVID vaccination is not mandatory.

Please Wear Masks and Appropriate PPE at All Times: Please click here to read the latest Practice Alert on Universal Masking and Universal Face Shields. Until further notice, wearing a mask continues to be mandatory, with or without the COVID-19 vaccine, at St. Jude. Caregivers who have received the vaccine, please continue to use required PPE while caring for patients with COVID, patients under investigation (PUIs), and non-COVID patients. If you received the first dose of the vaccine, it does not render you immune or non-susceptible of contracting or spreading the virus. (For proof, see this ABC News report on an emergency room nurse in San Diego.) To date there is not enough scientific evidence available to demonstrate exactly when a person's full immunity is reached or is sufficient against COVID-19 after receiving the vaccine and/or vaccine series. It is also vital to continue practicing physical distancing, masking and other preventative behaviors at work and home to protect your family, friends, colleagues and patients. If you have any questions, please contact Claudia Skinner at ext. 3345 or claudia.skinner@stjoe.org.

COVID-19

New State Law Changes Employer COVID-19 Reporting Procedures: California Assembly Bill 685 has changed the way employers report cases of possible exposure to the virus at the workplace. Having taking effect on Jan. 1, 2021, this new law extends to all employers in the state, not only healthcare organizations. To meet this new requirement, all caregivers will be notified within one business day (Monday-Friday) if someone on the worksite has tested positive for COVID-19 and there is reason to believe some others may have been exposed. Due to the requirements to notify within one business day every caregiver who possibly has been exposed, the region will send an email to all caregivers each time there is a potential exposure.


Showers and Sleep Rooms are Available in the Convent: Showers on 2M have closed as the floor is now accommodating patients. To provide you with a convenient place to shower and sleep, the convent has been converted and reopened. Open 24/7, the convent provides these amenities:
1. Three women's shower stalls in the women's restroom
2. Three private shower rooms
3. 11 empty sleep rooms; please turn the sign to indicate "Occupied or Vacant"
4. Cots are available; caregivers should bring their own sleeping bag and pillow
5. Clean sheets and towels are available in the linen cart
6. Clean cots with wipes are provided; cover with a sheet before using
7. Place your soiled hospital-issued scrubs and towels/linens in the hallway linen bin
Please note: To ensure all caregivers are screened for symptoms, the exterior entrance to the convent remains closed. If you have questions, please contact Mary Ann Perez at (714) 296-6780, ext. 5756 or maryann.perez@stjoe.org. Other important contacts: Service Center, ext. 7777 & Security, ext. 2550.

Epic Go Live Pushed to May 15, 2021: To reduce the stress currently on our caregivers and providers, enabling them to stay focused on patient and self-care during these unprecedented times, a decision was made to move the Epic go-live date. This is a fluid situation so more details about training will be coming, but for more about the delay, click here.

Mobile Field Hospital (MFH) Installed in Harbor Parking Lot: Providence St. Jude and the Orange County Health Care Agency (OCHCA) partnered on the installation of the MFH. Creating the necessary space, should we need it, is part of our effort to anticipate and prepare for a wide range of contingencies. Installing and implementing a MFH is one of the ways we are ensuring we have the flexibility and capacity to respond to potential community needs during this pandemic. If, when or how we will include the MFH in our care process is not yet known. But having this resource available to us, if needed, allows us to respond with greater speed and effectiveness. We appreciate OCHCA's continued support.

Wound Care and Lymphedema Services Have Temporarily Relocated to the CRW: To support and prepare for the influx of patients to the Emergency Department (ED), we have temporarily moved the Wound Care Center to the CRW; this will allow the ED to expand into a connecting space. In addition, we have set-up tents in the Harbor Parking Lot. These tents will function as an extension of the ED. Currently, the tents are not open 24/7; instead they are utilized when needed to triage and treat patients. The tents are not a COVID-19 testing site. Combined, the Wound Care Center and the tents will provide the ED with the flexibility they need to evaluate and care for patients during this surge. The St. Jude Centers for Rehabilitation and Wellness address is 2767 E. Imperial Hwy., Brea. Calls can be made to Wound Care at (714) 578-8770.

St. Jude Heritage Medical Group - Fullerton Urgent Care Sees Those with COVID Symptoms: The Fullerton location is only serving patients with COVID-19 like symptoms. For non-COVID urgent care needs, patients are to visit the nearby St. Joseph Heritage Medical Group - Orange Urgent Care at 2501 E. Chapman Ave., Suite 101, Orange. Before departure, patients should call to confirm hours and availability at (714) 628–3300. See flyer.

N95 Masks are Vital and a Valuable Commodity: So we ask that you please refrain from throwing trash in the N95 bins. An extremely large bag of N95s, that SPD was going to reprocessed, had to be thrown out instead. This because the trash that was thrown into the bins ruined the masks.

Our Process for Media Inquiries: The pandemic has hightened media interest. All requests from the media, regardless of the individual or department where the initial request originates, must be directed to the Providence St. Jude Communication Department. Ministry spokespeople are identified by Administration and Communication to ensure we have the appropriate subject matter expert and that information is true and accurate. No individual should speak on behalf of the hospital without the permission of the Chief Executive (or designee) or the Communication Director.

COVID-19 Lunch and Break Safety Guidance: We recently asked caregivers to please maintain 6 feet of social distancing and have no more than two or three people at a table while dining in Café 1650. It is further recommended that you stagger visits to indoor lounges and breakrooms to lower the number of people in them at the same time. Another option is to, weather permitting, take your breaks or meals outside. More seating has been added to the Breakaway Lounge patio, so you can social distance, limit the number of people at each table and enjoy some fresh air.

Please Consider Wearing Eye Protection: Everyone has grown used to wearing masks, but it is also worth considering protecting your eyes with goggles or a face shield, since eyes and tear ducts are another route for virus-carrying droplets. Those who work in tightly enclosed spaces should especially consider eye protection.

MESSAGES FROM THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE

From Brian Helleland, CE
Jan. 1, 2021

A new year always brings hope and anticipation, two things that are especially needed this year. As we continue to care for patients with a soaring census and consider the use of a mobile field hospital to help with capacity if needed, the first day of 2021 feels very much like a continuation of 2020.

But this is not our “new normal:” sometime in the near future we will return to talking about the ways we are elevating care and treatment in stroke, cancer, joint replacement and all the other areas in which we have become national leaders. Sometime soon, the fatigue and trauma of this period will have faded and what will remain are the lives you’ve changed and our #StJudePride in having performed and contributed in ways that few others could—or would.

In 2021, may God bless and protect our patients, physicians, caregivers and their families.

Brian

From Brian Helleland, CE
Dec. 31, 2020

As our census increases, some unique scenes continue to take place in departments and units all over the hospital: from Financial Services emptying trash cans and physical and occupational therapists restocking supplies, to Heritage physicians staffing the Vaccination Clinic, and nurses and therapists from different departments working in other units to take care of patients and have all hands on deck. In other words, the scenes you might expect from a family doing everything they can to support and help each other.

No matter how many times I see it each day, I never stop being deeply impressed by how your excellence and compassion win out over the fatigue and stress. You leave the hospital at the end of your shift exhausted, yet all your patients felt and saw was the kindness in your eyes—visible even through layers of PPE.

“Thank you” is inadequate, but the reality is: I’ve never felt more grateful or honored to be a part of this family.

Take care, Brian

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