We are proud to share that HCA Healthcare, our parent company, has entered into a new joint venture business with A Plus International Inc. (A Plus), a global manufacturer of healthcare products, to expand access to personal protective equipment (PPE) by manufacturing surgical and procedure masks in the United States. Under the partnership, production of Level 1 and Level 3 masks meeting American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards for quality and safety is expected to begin in early 2021 from a manufacturing center in Asheville, North Carolina.
Investment in the new business entity will initially be funded equally by HCA Healthcare Mission Fund, LLC, an affiliate of HCA Healthcare, and A Plus. The new business entity is part of HCA Healthcare’s continued effort to support healthcare workers and address the global demand for PPE. HCA Healthcare’s 2020 spending for PPE increased by more than $196 million from 2019.
“The recent surge in demand for PPE due to the pandemic has underscored how dependent we have been on supplies from overseas and the importance of working to diversify our supply chain,” said Dr. Jonathan Perlin, president, clinical operations group, and chief medical officer of HCA Healthcare. “We are thrilled to join forces with the expertise of A Plus on this new business which is focused on domestic manufacturing of PPE so that we can continue to support our caregivers on the front line.”
HCA Healthcare’s investment in the business is being funded through the HCA Healthcare Mission Fund, an innovation fund created following HCA Healthcare’s purchase of Mission Health to support healthcare-related businesses in Western North Carolina. The new business’ headquarters and production facility will be located on one of Mission Health’s campuses in Asheville and will bring skilled jobs to the area.
“Asheville has a diverse and skilled workforce with the experience to produce these important protective supplies that keep caregivers safe,” said Greg Lowe, president of HCA Healthcare’s North Carolina Division. “Thanks to the HCA Healthcare Mission Fund, we are honored to welcome this new business to our campus, and we are excited for the job opportunities for our community.”
Supporting the supply chain of hospitals and non-acute providers, HealthTrust, a global leader in purchasing aggregation and performance improvement for healthcare, will co-manage the joint venture with A Plus. HealthTrust’s wholly owned subsidiary, Resource Optimization & Innovation (ROi), will serve as the distribution partner for the business, providing access to PPE inventories to HealthTrust member organizations throughout the U.S.
According to a recent Gallup poll, Nurses were polled as being the most honest and ethical professionals for the 19th year in a row, especially throughout their efforts to help fight COVID-19. Nurses received their highest ethics rating and earned an 89% overall score. We are thankful for the nurses who continue to excel with bravery in the midst of adversity and remain diligent in the goal to increase patient care.
To read the complete findings of the Gallup poll, click here.
Choosing the right destination to relocate to for a travel nursing assignment or permanent opportunity may be difficult. However, Nurse.com's recent 2020 Nurse.com Nurse Salary Research Report showed three destinations that Nurses are likely to relocate to. Within the report, it was noted that nurses are more likely to relocate to: Florida, North Carolina, and Texas- three of HealthTrust’s most popular and in-demand cities for nurses. Find out below why these states are attractive for nurses across the country.
Florida
From fresh water springs and nature trails to beautiful beaches and miles of coastline, the sunshine state is calling your name! Explore one of Florida’s several amusement parks or hit the golf course (the state has more than any other in the U.S.!) When you come to Florida, you’ll join one of the nearly 1,000 people moving to the state daily since the start of COVID-19, according to a study by the Internal Sales Group.
North Carolina
Whether you are hiking incredible mountain views or exploring historic architecture, North Carolina will not disappoint. With an extensive arts scene, you can discover the beautiful museums and galleries that continuously captivates artists from around the country. Not to mention that North Carolina is becoming known as a healthcare destination among the healthcare community.
Texas
Whether you’re an adventurer, antiquer, fashion enthusiast, foodie or history lover, Texas has so much to offer you.
Relax in your downtime and take in the vast scenery and activities that the Lone Star state has to offer. Texas offers wide open spaces, hiking trails, beautiful lakes and Gulf Coast shoreline. Texas is also known for being one of the most affordable states to live in!
To learn more about why nurses are quickly relocating to these states, click here. Already sold? Explore our current opportunities in Florida, North Carolina, and Texas!
We are excited to share that Erin Webb has been promoted to Division Vice President of our MidAmerica Division!
Erin, who previously was in the role of Account Manager, excels at maintaining exceptional relationships with MidAmerica HCA Healthcare facilities. Erin goes above and beyond in meeting the contract labor needs of facilities and identifying the efficient way to enhance cost effective contract labor utilization. Due to the continuous value she adds to HealthTrust Workforce Solutions, Erin is a great fit for the Division Vice President role.
Erin, who has been with HealthTrust Workforce Solutions for nearly two years, is appreciative of the opportunity to work with incredible colleagues and facilities. She is thankful that her relationships with facilities has grown stronger, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In speaking with Erin, she shared that she is grateful for the assistance that team members provide to each other and for how every colleague desires to work effectively in order to provide exceptional service. She is proud to work for an organization where team members are deeply supportive of one another, which can be seen through HealthTrust Workforce Solution's GREAT program. Within the GREAT program, team members nominate one another and share how their team members are making a difference in the organization by demonstrating Growth, Recognition, Engagement, Appreciation and Teamwork (GREAT). Erin went on to say, "When you feel valued, it motivates you to work really hard."
The motivation to work diligently is a factor that Erin is most proud of when reflecting on her journey with HealthTrust Workforce Solutions so far. Now that Erin is moving into her new role as a Division Vice President, Erin noted some major takeaways that she wants to continue to be aware of and work toward:
Be respectful of everybody
Count on your co-workers
How can I bring value to HealthTrust Workforce Solutions with my new role?
We are thrilled to see how Erin will continue to build upon the value that she has created for HealthTrust Workforce Solutions!
If you are interested in working with HealthTrust Workforce Solutions, please click here.
In alignment with HCA's documentation standards, Evidence Based Clinical Documentation, The North Carolina Division's clinical informatics team has updated the Central Venous Access and Urinary Documentation.
The cut-over is occurring 1/21/2021 between 0700-1000. During the cutover, the previous documentation will be inactivated but visible via the flowsheet. All patients will have documentation in the new update.
Please review the education and contact the superusers on the units with additional questions.
Please review the attached education on CPN Database Updates in alignment with EBCD and General enhancements. These updates are applicable to Women and Children's Services documenting in the CPN Database.
The DAISY (Diseases Attacking the Immune System) Award is an international recognition program that honors and celebrates the skillful, compassionate care nurses provide every day. Presented by the DAISY Foundation, the DAISY Award celebrates and rewards nurses for the extraordinary clinical skill and compassionate care that they demonstrate daily.
Currently, the DAISY Foundation is running a public campaign where people are encouraged to share their appreciation for the diligent work of extraordinary nurses. Through your nominations for the DAISY Award, nurses who have made an exceptional impact in your life and in the lives of your families and friends can have the potential opportunity to be recognized and acknowledged.
The campaign, which kicked off with virtual signs in Manhattan's Times Square, will continue to be shared throughout the country. The DAISY Foundation's ultimate goal is to show the public's gratitude for the diligent work of nurses and to help reduce the burnout that many nurses continue to feel, especially during the fight against COVID-19.
We are standing alongside the DAISY Foundation and are asking for our community to make nominations, sharinghow a nurse has made a meaningful impact on a patient or on a patient’s family. DAISY Award honorees receive a certificate of recognition, a DAISY Award pin, and a Healer’s Touch stone sculpture.
To learn more or to nominate an outstanding nurse, click here.
Please review the attached document reviewing the standard workflow for the COVID-19 Vaccine Nursing screen assessment, COVID-19 Vaccine order, and the Case Management consult order (COVID Vacc).
We recognize that many PRNs received lower than normal hours in 2020 due to COVID-19 scheduling policies. As a result, in recognition of their valuable service and dedication, we are reducing the 2020 hours requirement for PRNs from 1,000 to 800 hours for the 401(k) Plan annual match and vesting service.
For eligible PRN colleagues who participate in the 401(k) Plan and who were employed in a PRN status on Dec. 31, 2020, this means:
A year of vesting service will be granted if their annual eligible hours totaled at least 800.
An annual 401(k) Plan match will be deposited to their account in February 2021 if their annual eligible hours totaled at least 800.
In addition, an Employee Retirement Assistance Contribution will be deposited in accounts of eligible PRN colleagues if their annual eligible hours totaled at least 1,280 (reduced from 1,600), they were employed on Jan. 1, 2020, and they were still employed in a PRN status on Dec. 31, 2020.
These changes apply to all PRNs - regardless of location or labor union representation - because it is the right thing to do.
Note that this only affects the 2020 annual match for PRNs, and that the 1,000 hours requirement will remain for full-time and part-time colleagues.
Participants can access their 401(k) Plan account by going to www.HCARewards.com and selecting BConnected or by calling (800) 566-4114.
When COVID-19 arrived in the United States earlier this year, it forever changed our lives. Healthcare workers on the front lines quickly proved themselves heroes and demonstrated their resilience time and again, even while coping with unprecedented scale and precarious personal circumstances. Nine months later, hope is finally here. HCA Healthcare colleagues began receiving the vaccine on Tuesday, signaling a turning point in the pandemic.
Stephanie Behek, a nurse in the COVID unit, was one of the first frontline workers at HCA Healthcare’s Summerville Medical Center in South Carolina to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine on December 16, 2020.
“Since the onset of COVID, our caregivers, whether at the very front lines or in supporting roles, have been selfless in answering the call to care for others,” said Dr. Jonathan Perlin, president of clinical operations and chief medical officer at HCA Healthcare. “The arrival of the COVID vaccine represents a pivotal moment in this pandemic. We know vaccines are the safest and most effective way to combat this virus, and we have implemented a comprehensive plan to distribute them – starting with our frontline colleagues.”
As states distributed the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to our facilities, our care teams on the front lines began receiving vaccinations. HCA Healthcare affiliate hospitals Alaska Regional Hospital, Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Medical Center, Sky Ridge Medical Center and HCA Virginia were the first to receive vaccine shipments on December 15. Dr. Vito Capotorto, chief of staff and hospitalist medical director for Henrico Doctors’ Hospital in Richmond, Virginia, was the first colleague to receive the COVID-19 vaccine among HCA Healthcare’s 185 hospitals. As of Jan. 6, 2021, all 16 HCA Healthcare divisions have received the COVID-19 vaccines with more than 130,000 colleagues now vaccinated.
Dr. Vito Capotorto, chief of staff and hospitalist medical director for Henrico Doctors’ Hospital in Richmond, Virginia, was the first colleague to receive the COVID-19 vaccine among HCA Healthcare’s 185 hospitals on December 15, 2020.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) prioritized the vaccine for healthcare personnel who may have potential for direct or indirect exposure to patients or infectious materials. Given the critical role they play in caring for others, continued protection of caregivers at work, at home, and in the community remains a national priority.
When HCA Healthcare’s Grand Strand Medical Center in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina received its first shipment of the vaccine, Keerstyn Allen, a registered nurse in the hospital’s COVID intensive care unit, was one of the first colleagues to receive it. “I can’t begin to say how much December 16, 2020 means to me. I’ve never cried happy tears for a shot in the arm. Nine months of literal blood, sweat and tears – so many tears – has a light at the end of the tunnel,” said Keerstyn.
HCA Healthcare nurse Keerstyn Allen receives one of the first COVID-19 vaccines at Grand Strand Medical Center in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina on December 16, 2020.
“I am forever grateful for the amazing, intelligent and hardworking people behind this vaccine,” Keerstyn continued. “Believe in science. Believe in this vaccine.”
Pastor Jim Feirtag of Parkgate Community Church blessing COVID-19 vaccines that arrived at HCA Houston Healthcare Southeast in Pasadena, Texas on December 17, 2020.
Yesterday, frontline caregivers from seven Nashville-based HCA Healthcare hospitals from the TriStar Division received their vaccinations in Tennessee. Dr. Tama Van Decar, chief medical officer at the TriStar Division, noted the excitement around the vaccine and explained what it means for healthcare workers.
“What’s exciting for us is we’ve been planning for the vaccine’s arrival, and now that it’s at our doorstep, I think everyone here has a sense of renewed energy, a renewed purpose, and a sense of honest excitement about what this could mean for us in healthcare broadly and for caregivers directly,” said Dr. Van Decar.
She continued, “I believe in this vaccine. I believe in this science behind this vaccine. I believe in the intricate process scientists and oversight bodies went through to review it. The vaccine is safe. The vaccine is 95% effective, this is an incredible tribute to our science.”
Salomey Agyemang, a registered nurse for TriStar Health, echoed those sentiments saying, “I feel really good. I feel encouraged. I feel hopeful. It feels like the beginning of the end of this.”
Dr. Sydney Hester, an infectious disease specialist with HCA Healthcare’s TriStar Division, receives a COVID-19 vaccine in Nashville, Tennessee on December 17, 2020. “We’ve all been waiting to do this moment with just baited anticipation, and to be standing here and to be one of the first people to get the vaccine is just absolutely amazing,” Dr. Hester said.
Find answers to some of the most common questions people are asking about COVID-19 vaccine below…
Q: What types of vaccines are available?
A: Two manufacturers, Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna, have recently developed COVID-19 vaccines. Pfizer/BioNTech was granted an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on December 11. Moderna received an EUA on December 18 and is the second approved vaccine, which will be critical in our continued efforts to quickly vaccinate and protect our workforce.
Q: Is the vaccine safe to receive?
A: Both the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines are a new type of vaccine, but the technology behind them has been studied for decades. These vaccine types teach our cells to make the “spike protein” and train our immune systems to protect us from infection when the real virus enters our bodies. This type of vaccine cannot give you COVID-19 and does not affect or interact with your DNA.
Q: How were these COVID-19 vaccines developed so quickly?
A: Coordinated efforts by public and private partnerships helped accelerate vaccine development, but these accelerated efforts have not sacrificed scientific standards, integrity of the vaccine review process, or safety. Prior knowledge in vaccine development and advances in bioengineering were critical to the timeline, as well as government funding which decreased the monetary risk to companies, allowing them to develop and manufacture the vaccine concurrently with clinical studies.
Luders Michaud, certified pharmacy technician at Westside Regional Medical Center in Plantation Florida, holds the COVID-19 vaccine on December 17, 2020.
Q: Who will receive the vaccine first?
A: Based on national guidance, a “tiering” system is being used to prioritize those at greatest risk of exposure, particularly healthcare workers and long-term care facility residents. On December 1, 2020, the CDC recommended that healthcare personnel with direct or indirect exposure to patients or infectious materials receive a COVID-19 vaccine first.
Q: When will the general public receive the vaccine?
A: Experts began working during the summer of 2020 on a strategy for distributing these limited vaccines in a fair, ethical and transparent way. Vaccines have been allocated to each state based on population. Each state is responsible for developing a distribution plan. Therefore, distribution plans and timelines will vary by state. For those receiving the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, two doses are required separated by 21 days. Check with your local health department for updates.
Q: Why is it important to get the vaccine?
A: Based on what we know about vaccines for other diseases, experts believe that getting a COVID-19 vaccine may help keep you from getting seriously ill, even if you do get COVID-19. Getting vaccinated yourself may also protect people around you, particularly people at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19. Stopping a pandemic requires using all the tools we have available. According to the CDC, the combination of getting vaccinated and following CDC’s recommendations to protect yourself and others will offer the best protection from COVID-19.
As nurse leaders within HealthTrust Workforce Solutions, we partner with our colleagues to promote clinical excellence throughout the communities we serve. HealthTrust advocates on behalf of our ultimate client, the patient, ensuring that they receive the highest quality, cost-effective care in a professional, compassionate, and ethical environment.
