COVID-19 remains a concern to public health and, in order to prevent its further spread in hospitals, SNFs, and other health care settings, new public health requirements are necessary at this time in the state of California.

The California Department of Public Health has issued a new order that will require all healthcare workers to be fully vaccinated, including a booster when eligible, by February 1, 2022.  After February 1, the worker must receive their booster within 15 days of being eligible for a booster. The only exemptions provided are for religious beliefs or qualifying medical reasons.  

For clinicians who are exempt or have not yet received their booster, twice weekly testing and proper PPE will be required. Testing will occur for all-booster eligible colleagues who have not yet received their booster by January 7, 2022.

In addition, Santa Clara County (SCC) in California recently mandated all healthcare workers, regardless of exemption, must be vaccinated and receive a booster, if eligible, on or before January 24, 2022. The HCA Healthcare facilities this applies to are Good Samaritan Hospital and Regional Medical Center of San Jose.

Dates to know:

• January 7, 2022 – testing twice a week will begin for booster-eligible workers, who have not yet received a booster dose.
• January 24, 2022 – The deadline for booster-eligible healthcare workers working in Santa Clara County to receive their booster, or within 15 days of becoming eligible for a booster if they are not eligible. Also the deadline for currently non-vaccinated/exempt healthcare workers working in Santa Clara County to receive their first dose of vaccination.        
• February 1, 2022 – The deadline for booster-eligible workers to receive their booster, or within 15 days of becoming eligible for a booster if they are not eligible as of February 1, 2022; medical and religious exemptions apply.
• March 21, 2022 – The deadline for currently non-vaccinated/exempt healthcare workers working in Santa Clara County to receive their second dose of vaccination.

Immediate Next Steps:

If healthcare workers received their full series of vaccination, including the booster, for one of the three types of vaccines — please make sure that proof has been uploaded to the candidate’s HealthTrust Workforce Solutions account. If unable to upload to the account, please send a copy to HWS.DenverHR@HealthTrustWS.com.  

Acceptable forms of proof include:

• Covid-19 Vaccination Record Card (issued by the Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control & Prevention or WHO Yellow Card1) which includes:
• Name of person vaccinated
• Type of vaccine provided
• Date first and last dose administered
• Date of birth

• Documentation of vaccination from a healthcare provider; must show:
• Name of person vaccinated
• Type of vaccine provided
• Date first and last dose administered
• Date of birth

• For workers in California, outside of Santa Clara, if the healthcare worker is exempt from being vaccinated for religious beliefs or qualifying medical conditions, a completed exemption form is required.  The Exemption forms are found here: https://vproverified.com/health/
  
   
  • If a medical exemption is needed, the healthcare worker must provide the following:
    • A written statement signed by a physician, nurse practitioner, or other licensed medical professional stating that the individual qualifies for the exemption (but the statement should not describe the underlying medical condition or disability).
    • Indication of the probable duration of the worker’s inability to receive the vaccine (or if the duration is unknown or permanent, so indicate).
  • If a religious exemption is needed, the healthcare worker must provide the following:
    • The religious belief, practice, or observance that prevents vaccination.
    • Please note, once the exemption documentation has been provided, it will be reviewed to ensure qualifications have been met for compliance.
  • Please note, if the clinician has already been deemed exempt, additional documentation is not required, unless exemption expiration, if any, has occurred.

Booster Eligibility Guidelines:

• Pfizer - BioNTech: At least 5 months after completing your primary COVID-19 vaccination series
• Moderna: At least 6 months after completing your primary COVID-19 vaccination series
• Johnson & Johnson's Janssen : At least 2 months after receiving your J&J/Janssen COVID-19 vaccination
   

HealthTrust Workforce Solutions encourages vaccination as a safe and effective solution. As the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and our own infectious disease experts have recommended, vaccination is a vital step to protect individuals from the COVID-19 virus.

All healthcare workers working in patient care facilities are required to adhere to the mandate and receive the COVID-19 vaccine by the date mentioned above unless there is a valid, documented medical or religious reason for opting out. Failure to do so can result in a disruption of service.

This is an evolving situation and we are actively working to maintain compliance with the State's mandate. We appreciate your patience and understanding during this time.

If you have any questions, please contact your Staffing Office or recruiter.

U.S. federal courts have officially put the previously announced regulations requiring COVID-19 vaccinations on hold indefinitely and deemed them not enforceable. 

Given this development, HCA Healthcare has paused the vaccine requirement for all colleagues with the exception of those in California and Colorado who are subject to local and state mandates.

With that being said, our approach has always been to strongly encourage vaccination, but not to mandate it unless we are required to do so by the federal government (i.e., CMS mandate) or a state government. 

• At this time, we will continue to process any proofs of vaccination received thus far and any proof of vaccination submitted going forward (supplied on a volunteer basis). 
• We will no longer be processing any exemption documents since the vaccine is not required.  

We understand the frustration and difficulty the changing information has created for all involved. We will keep you informed of any significant changes in federal vaccine mandates that may modify our response. Thank you for your patience, understanding, and your unwavering commitment to our mission.

Lastly, we remain focused on Annual Updates and compliance with any items that may be due soon.

As you may know, the Biden administration recently issued regulations requiring COVID-19 vaccinations for the great majority of healthcare workers and workers in other industries.   Given that development, HCA Healthcare will now require all colleagues who do not qualify for an exemption or deferral, including HealthTrust Workforce Solutions team members, to have their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine by December 5^th and be fully vaccinated by January 4, 2022. Please note that does not replace the current mandate active requirement in place in California and Colorado. 

In order to ensure compliance with this mandate and retain your access to any of our healthcare facilities, please follow the Deadline Directions below.

December 5^th Deadline Directions:

• If you have received your COVID-19 vaccination series or the first shot of Pfizer or Moderna, please upload a copy of your vaccination card. If not, please receive the first of a two-shot series or the one-shot J&J vaccination and upload a copy of your vaccination card by December 5^th.
  
  Acceptable forms of proof include:
  
  Covid-19 Vaccination Record Card (issued by the Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control & Prevention or WHO Yellow Card1) which includes:
  

• Name of person vaccinated
• Type of vaccine provided
• Date first and last dose administered
• Date of birth
  
  Documentation of vaccination from a healthcare provider; must show:
  

• Name of person vaccinated
• Type of vaccine provided
• Date first and last dose administered
• Date of birth
  
  If you are eligible for an exemption or deferral, please have your physician fill out the Medical Exemption form or you fill out a Religious Exemption form on your own. 
  

• Exemptions may be granted based on an individual’s sincerely held religious belief, practice or observance that prohibits COVID-19 vaccination or qualifying medical condition. Note: You are required to practice universal masking and wear a non-fit test N95 Mask.
  
  
  If a medical exemption is needed, you must provide the following:
  
• A written statement signed by a physician, nurse practitioner, or other licensed medical professional stating that the individual qualifies for the exemption (but the statement should not describe the underlying medical condition or disability).
• Indication of the probable duration of the worker’s inability to receive the vaccine (or if the duration is unknown or permanent, so indicate).
  
  
  If a religious exemption is needed, you must provide the following:

• The religious belief, practice, or observance that prevents vaccination
  
  

January 4, 2022 Deadline Directions:

• If you have already uploaded one shot of a two-shot series, you must provide the second shot proof by uploading a copy to your eStaff365 account by January 4, 2022.
• You will not be prompted for this information. It is your responsibility to ensure completeness of your credentials.

Where to Upload Your Documents:

• The eStaff365 site will be ready to receive your information starting on November 15, 2021. Please do not email your documents to HealthTrust.

If you fail to meet the first compliance date requirements as stated above by December 5, 2021, you will no longer have access to any healthcare hospital or surgery center managed by HealthTrust Workforce Solutions and will become suspended until becoming compliant.  

You always have the ability to become compliant by following our guidance as noted above.

As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and our own infectious disease experts have recommended, vaccination is a vital step to protect individuals from the COVID-19 virus. To find a vaccine near you, visit vaccines.gov.

We will do our best to implement this requirement as easily as possible, but please understand everyone will need to be responsive and flexible. Thank you, again, for your unwavering commitment to the care and improvement of human life.

Brooke Johns, an emergency room nurse at Southern Hills Hospital in Las Vegas, Nev., spends her days off brushing and braiding patients' hair. She started these acts of kindness to help patients who weren't able to have visitors due to the pandemic. She hopes to set the example for her three kids to give back. "Service is so important," said Brooke. "If they see mom doing it they are much more likely to do it too."

Click here to view the incredible story on Good Morning America!

Recently, the Colorado State Board of Health issued a new state-wide public health order that will require healthcare providers working in Ambulatory Surgery Centers to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination effective September 30, 2021, and healthcare providers in a hospital setting to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination effective November 1, 2021.

WHO IS IMPACTED?

The state order applies to all "healthcare workers", defined as, but not limited to: nurses, nursing assistants, physicians, technicians, therapists, phlebotomists, pharmacists, students and trainees, contractual staff not employed by the healthcare facility and persons not directly involved in patient care, but who could be exposed to infectious agents that can be transmitted in the healthcare setting (e.g., clerical, dietary, environmental services, laundry, security, engineering and facilities management, administrative, billing, and volunteer personnel).

If your clinicians received their vaccination, please make sure you can access proof of vaccination, usually the COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card (issued by the Department of Health and Human Services, CDC or WHO Yellow Card). Acceptable forms of proof include the original card, a photo or paper copy, or a digital copy on their phone or other electronic device. In the coming days, we will follow up with details about how to provide proof of vaccination.

If your clinicians have not completed a full series of one of the three types of vaccines (a full series plus 14 days), or do not have documented medical or religious reasons for opting out by the required dates, they will not be compliant to continue work, which will result in a disruption of service.

If your clinicians have not received a COVID-19 vaccination and have provided documentation for a medical or religious exemption, they will be required to wear a mask while working. In the coming days, we will follow up with details about how to provide proof of exemption.

All facilities in Colorado are covered under the PHO mandating COVID-19 vaccination. All providers and colleagues working in patient care facilities are required to adhere to the mandate and receive the COVID-19 vaccine by the dates mentioned above unless there is a valid, documented medical or religious reason for opting out.

We want to thank everyone who is already vaccinated for doing his or her part to end this pandemic. We appreciate each of you and are grateful for the care you provide to our patients each day.

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic last year when visitation at hospitals was restricted, the caring staff Presbyterian Saint Luke's Hospital (PSL), which is based in Denver, Colorado, sought to find an incredible way to honor the patients, who had passed away, especially those who did not have family by their side. "We knew that we did not want anyone to die alone," said Laura-Anne Cleveland, an associate chief nursing officer at PSL. "That is always our commitment, but more so when they [patients] couldn’t have visitors at their bedside." So, to help colleagues find peace after a patient passes away, medical staff now gathers in a circle to read a special message created by an unknown ER nurse.

To see the full story on ABC 7 Denver, click here.

Amy, a patient at TriStar Centennial Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn., has been battling COVID-19 since February 2021. She just recently came off extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) after more than 140 days, just in time for her birthday. When the compassionate care team heard it was Amy's birthday, they provided Amy with an unforgettable birthday experience that she would never forget. The care team surprised Amy by recreating her favorite Italian restaurant, Olive Garden, in a hospital room, for a spontaneous dinner date with her husband. One of Amy's nurses, Jessica Lagoni, came in on her day off to be their waitress and to assist in serving Amy in a special way. We are grateful for the incredible team at TriStar Centennial Medical Center for their dedication to helping give Amy a wonderful birthday celebration.

Click here to view the surprise.

A two-year-old Labrador retriever is helping keep patients, visitors and caregivers safe by sniffing for signs of COVID-19 at Doctors Hospital in Sarasota, Fla. "It's a distinct smell. The body's response to us fighting off COVID-19 is what the dogs are reacting to," explains Buffy's trainer Laska Parrow. The idea came about because Bob Meade serves as both a board member for the non-profit that trained Buffy, and is the CEO of the Doctors Hospital of Sarasota.

Learn how Buffy has become part of the hospital family in People Magazine. 

We are thankful for the countless nurses that have provided exceptional patient care to patients across the country throughout COVID-19. Although the pandemic created hardships for both patients and nurses, we are grateful for the dedication that nurses have exhibited towards enhancing patient care. Below, we share one nurses' experience of coping with the stress of COVID-19, the lessons that she learned and the support that she felt along the way.

Melissa L., ICU R.N., is thankful for the support of HealthTrust Workforce Solutions and HCA Healthcare throughout COVID-19. Although Melissa was afraid at the start of the pandemic, Melissa was comforted as HealthTrust and HCA Healthcare provided exceptional resources and proper PPE. Melissa’s compassion for her patients grew throughout her time treating COVID-19 patients during the pandemic. She truly learned the importance of spending quality time with her patients and making every encounter meaningful, which led to a deeper appreciation for her role as a nurse.

Aside from the positive support from HealthTrust Workforce Solutions and HCA Healthcare, Melissa is thankful for how every nurse leaned on one another and provided support to each other during COVID-19. Melissa’s advice to new nurses is to put all of their fears aside and to know that they are going to make a difference in the lives of many patients, who will ultimately make a difference in their life as well.

Want to be a part of the HealthTrust Workforce Solutions family? Click here to view open opportunities today!