Pulse Employee Newsletter - January 19, 2021

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BWFH Pulse Now Available in 150 Languages

If you’d like to read BWFH Pulse in a different language, click on the ‘Select Language’ icon in the top right of that page. Please note that the ‘Select Language’ feature only works in Chrome and Firefox, not Internet Explorer. For mobile users, you can click the ‘Menu’ button in the top right and then select your language.
Para verlo en español, haga clic en el ícono ‘Select Language’ en la parte superior de esta página. Tenga presente que la función ‘Select Language’ solo sirve para Chrome y Firefox, no para Internet Explorer. Para usuarios de dispositivos móviles, se puede hacer clic en el botón ‘Menu’ en el extremo superior derecho y luego seleccionar su idioma.
Pou wè li an Kreyòl Ayisyen, klike sou imaj ‘Select Language’ ki anlè paj sa a. Tanpri sonje ke fonksyonalite ‘Select Language’ la mache sèlman sou Chrome ak Firefox, pa sou Internet Explorer. Pou itilizatèaparèy mobil yo, ou kapab klike sou bouton ‘Menu’ a ki anlè adwat epi apresa chwazi lang ou an.

BWFH Colleagues Encourage All Staff to Receive the COVID-19 Vaccine

Recently, we asked staff members across the hospital why they chose to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Many of them were proud to tell us that they received it to protect themselves, their families, their patients and their colleagues.

More News

Participate in Events to Honor the Life and Legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The first employee MLK Celebration is on Tuesday, January 19, 9 – 10 am. RSVP by clicking "Join" on this calendar invitation. This event will feature:

Emcee – Carla Carten, Executive Director, Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Mass General Brigham
Welcoming Remarks – Anne Klibanski, MD, President & Chief Executive Officer, Mass General Brigham
Keynote Speaker – Diane B. Patrick, JD, Former First Lady of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; Member, Mass General Brigham Board of Trustees; Chair, Mass General Brigham United Against Racism Task Force

The second MLK Celebration, which is open to all employees, as well as specially invited external community members, is on Wednesday, January 27, 12 noon – 1:15 pm. RSVP by clicking "Join" on this calendar invitation. This event will feature:

Emcee – Wanda McClain, MPA, Vice President of Community Health and Health Equity, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Welcoming Remarks – Anne Klibanski, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer, Mass General Brigham
Keynote Speaker – Michael Curry, Esq., President and Chief Executive Officer of the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers

Black Excellence @ Mass General Brigham to Launch in February
We are excited to share our upcoming launch of the Black Excellence @ Mass General Brigham Employee Resource Group. Registration and more information will be released later this month on Pulse.
Please contact the Black Employee Resource Group for any questions.

Mass General Brigham System Prepared for Any Potential Events this Week

We know that some of you have shared concerns about potential activity related to the Presidential Inauguration this week. Please be assured that our system, including Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital, is prepared, as we are for all major events, to respond in the highly unlikely occasion that anything disrupts hospital operations over the coming days. We are a community resource and are grateful to our employees for supporting our patients and each other during this time.

Chef Exchange Returns to BWFH Cafeteria – January 28

The Chef Exchange program returns to BWFH on January 28 with guest chef Guerline Bellevue from BWH. Guerline spent 16 years in the culinary department at Newbury College and owned a street vendor business in Haiti that specialized in local favorites, such as fried plantains, griot and pickles. View the special menu.

Mass General Brigham EAP Tips to Improve Your Financial Wellbeing

The New Year is an opportunity to revisit your financial wellbeing goals or to create new ones. Developing a plan is key to moving forward and reducing debt. EAP offers financial wellbeing tools to help you. To speak confidentially with an EAP counselor, call 866-724-4327 or visit eap.partners.org.

Employee Perks Spotlight: Uber Eats Pass

Employee Perks has arranged for a free 30-day trial of Uber Eats’ “Eats Pass,” which gives you unlimited free delivery and 5 percent off your orders of $15 or more to help with your meal ordering needs as you perform critical work.

To get started, click here. Make sure to sign in with your personal Uber login credentials in order to link to the Partners HealthCare account.

If you are not a current Uber user, you will need to create a personal Uber account first. You will be able to switch between personal and Partners HealthCare profiles. Make sure to use your Partners HealthCare profile when ordering meals to take advantage of all benefits. Click here for more detailed instructions.

Free Eats Pass: After following the steps above, click here to enroll.

The Eats Pass provides unlimited access to local restaurants with $0 delivery fee and 5 percent off orders of $15 or more. Your first month is free. Future months will be $9.99 per month. Please note, you can choose to opt-out of auto-renewal upon signup.

New Uber Eats users will enjoy $5 off of their first Eats order using the code 'WELCOMETOEATS'. *Applicable only for first time Uber Eats users.

COVID-19 Updates

COVID-19 Surveillance and Monitoring Dashboard
MA Situational Update as of January 17, 2021

98,750 active COVID+ cases
3,224 new daily COVID+ cases
The 7-day percent positivity average is 5.91 percent

BWFH Situational Update as of January 19, 2021:

Admitted COVID+ Patients as of 6 am: 38
Admitted COVID PUI Patients as of 6 am: 11

BWFH Vaccine Update of January 18, 2021:

55 percent of BWFH based employees have chosen to receive their first dose of vaccine
10 percent of BWFH based employees have chosen to receive their second dose of vaccine

COVID-19 Moment of Remembrance, Tuesday, January 19, 5:30 pm

On Tuesday, January 19, there will be a lighting ceremony at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C. at 5:30 pm to honor the lives lost from COVID-19. Communities around the country are joining in this national moment of remembrance. For more details and to watch, click here.

COVID-19 Vaccine Updates: Wave A, B, C and D Now Open

COVID-19 vaccinations scheduling is now open for all employees in Waves A, B, C and D. This means that all employees who are primarily based at a location where health care is delivered will be eligible to schedule a vaccination appointment

Please note per the Employee COVID-19 Vaccine Policy, and in accordance with public health guidance, employees with a COVID-related infection status (COVID-19, CoV-Presumed, CoV-Risk or CoV-Exposed) in Epic will not be able to schedule a vaccination appointment in COVID Pass until the infection status is resolved. For more information, please see here.

According to our eligibility criteria, staff who work 100% remotely are not yet eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccination. Remote employees will be able to obtain a COVID-19 vaccine from Mass General Brigham at the appropriate time that they are eligible within the state’s established vaccination phases.

Need help using COVID Pass to schedule your vaccination appointment? Please see the FAQs at the end of the tip sheet or call the Mass General Brigham IS Service Desk.

Please click here to access the latest information on vaccine distribution and review the latest FAQs.

COVID-19 FAQs on Ask My HR

Ask My HR contains answers to frequently asked questions about the COVID-19 vaccine, including allergies and safety of the vaccine for those who are pregnant and/or breastfeeding. This section also answers FAQs on other COVID-19-related topics, such as exposures, pay policy and child care resources. The Centers for Disease Control also has a series of frequently asked questions on its website.

Employee Texting Program Resumes

The Employee Texting Program, which began last spring with the intent of better reaching employees who do not have regular access to email, has resumed. If you or your staff members would like to opt in to the texting program, you can share this form or complete it for them. Text messages will be sent as needed to provide updates on vaccines, testing and other COVID-19-related topics.

When Will our Patients and the General Public be Able to Get Vaccinated?

Mass General Brigham is following federal and state guidance from public health officials for vaccine distribution. We continue to coordinate with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and expect to have more specific information in the coming weeks. The best place for our patients to get up-to-date information about the vaccine, including frequently asked questions, is on the vaccine section of massgeneralbrigham.org. We will also communicate directly with patients through Patient Gateway. For more information, please see the patient FAQs. The state’s Department of Public Health has also created the graphic below showing estimated timeframes on when Massachusetts residents should expect to receive their vaccine.

Massachusetts DPH Vaccine Phase Chart

Save the Date

Faulkner Fit After Work Meetup
Tuesday, January 19
4 to 5 pm
Meet in Atrium Lobby

Moving More: Ways to Combat a Sedentary Lifestyle
Wednesday, January 20
12 noon to 1 pm
EAP Webinar

Faulkner Fit After Work Meetup
Tuesday, January 26
4 to 5 pm
Meet in Atrium Lobby

Chef Exchange: Haitian Chef Guerline Bellevue
Thursday, January 28
11 am to 2 pm
BWFH Cafeteria

De-Escalation Recertification Training
Friday, January 29
3:30 to 7:30 pm
Saslow Conference Room