COVID
Hershey Medical Center announces holiday hours for employee COVID-19 call center, screenings
Hours for three key COVID-19 resources at Hershey Medical Center will change next week for the holiday season.
Holiday hours at the employee COVID-19 call center are:
- Thursday, Dec. 24 – Closing at 2 p.m.
- Friday, Dec. 25 – Closed
- Saturday, Dec. 26, and Sunday, Dec. 27 – Open 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.
- Monday, Dec. 28, to Wednesday, Dec. 30 – Open 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
- Thursday, Dec. 31 – Closing at 2 p.m.
- Friday, Jan. 1 – Closed
- Saturday, Jan. 2 – Open 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Holiday hours for employee/housemate COVID-19 screening are:
- Thursday, Dec. 24 – Open 5-11 p.m.
- Friday, Dec. 25 – Closed
- Saturday, Dec. 26, and Sunday, Dec. 27 – Open 3-11 p.m.
- Monday, Dec. 28, to Wednesday, Dec. 30 – Open 5-11 p.m.
- Thursday, Dec. 31 – Open 5-11 p.m.
- Friday, Jan. 1 – Closed
- Saturday, Jan. 2 – Open 3-11 p.m.
Holiday hours for OnDemand COVID-19 Community Screening and OnDemand client support services are:
- Thursday, Dec. 24 – Closing at 3 p.m.
- Friday, Dec. 25, Saturday, Dec. 26, and Sunday, Dec. 27 – Closed
- Monday, Dec. 28, to Wednesday, Dec. 30 – Open 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.
- Thursday, Dec. 31 – Closing at 3 p.m.
- Friday, Jan. 1, and Saturday, Jan. 2 – Closed
Penn State Health offers alternative eye protection for employees
Penn State Health now has an alternative for employees who have difficulty wearing standard-issue eye protection.
Leaders revised the “COVID-19 Guidance for Eye Protection: Use, Re-use and Extended Use” to allow unit managers to order alternative eye protection. Purchases must be made through the approved vendors, Grainger and Office Depot. The alternative eye protection must meet the American National Standards Institute Z87.1 standard and be clearly marked with the Institute’s Z87 standard.
Systemwide pandemic precautions require health care providers to wear eye protection and masks during direct patient care. Providers caring for patients with confirmed or suspected COVID must still wear the required face shields or powered air-purifying respirators.
The alternative eye protection does not replace face shields, which must be worn while treating Aerosolized Special Pathogens isolation and Standard Special Pathogens isolation precautions patients.
Hershey Medical Center implements plan to conserve isolation gowns
Hershey Medical Center rolled out a new plan geared to conserve isolation gowns.
The new tiered system of usage is based on the available supply of the gowns and will affect providers, residents/fellows and nurses and how they are permitted to enter rooms to treat both COVID-positive and non-COVID-positive patients. As COVID-19 cases increase, responsible supply management is critical.
The three-tiered system provides conservation guidance as follows:
- Tier 1 – 60+ days with stable usage and supply
- Tier 2 – 8 to 59 days of supply remains
- Tier 3 – 0 to 7 days of supply remains
The current conservation designation is Tier 2.
Isolation Gown Use for Non-COVID Patients and COVID Patients is posted on the Infonet in the Penn State Health Policy Manager and on the COVID-19 resources and recovery page.
Nursing leaders will closely monitor supplies and provide updates should the tier level change.
Former Spirit Urgent Care in Camp Hill redirects patients with non-respiratory issues to primary care office starting today
To manage an influx of people with COVID-19, the former Spirit Urgent Care in Camp Hill will redirect patients with non-respiratory issues starting today to a nearby primary-care office in the Medical Arts Building.
Signs will direct patients from the urgent-care facility at 431 N. 21st St. to the primary-care clinic at 890 Poplar Church Road, Suite 100. The clinics are less than one mile away from one another.
The urgent-care facility will continue to receive calls at 717-763-3731.
The move is necessary to create additional space to screen and treat a growing number of COVID-19 patients at the urgent care.
Staff will continue to care for patients with COVID-19 symptoms in the tent outside the urgent care, where they have provided thousands of outpatient evaluations and COVID-19 tests since March.
Masks should be worn at all times on Penn State Health campuses
All Penn State Health employees must wear a face covering while working at their various campuses to comply with Pennsylvania Secretary of Heath Dr. Rachel Levine’s order to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
They must wear masks or coverings from the time they arrive until the end of their shifts. Afterward, masks can be stored in vehicles or personal bags. Before returning to work, employees must use hand sanitizer before re-donning the mask.
Exceptions are outlined in Levine’s order and here.
College of Medicine pandemic response Friday round-up ― week of Dec. 7-11
College of Medicine leaders updated faculty, staff and students on Dec. 11 about the ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic:
- College of Medicine leadership reminds you that as cases of COVID-19 rise in our region, continue to work remotely if you can. If approved to work on campus, remain vigilant by social distancing, washing your hands regularly and sanitizing your work stations as frequently as possible.
- A pause was instituted Nov. 23 at the College of Medicine and all Penn State Health sites for studies involving in-person interaction with participants with no direct drug or device therapeutic benefit. This pause remains in effect until further notice.
- Research remains in phase 3 until further notice. Out of an abundance of caution, only participate in research activities permissible in phase 3 of our research plan (refer to the coronavirus section of website). Phase 3 permits a maximum research occupancy of 50% at any given time.
- In response to the increasing number of COVID-19 exposures among faculty, staff and students at the College of Medicine, administrative leaders will begin making daily safety rounding to proactively enforce safety protocols.
Hershey Medical Center designates more new safe break space for employees
In ongoing efforts to keep employees and patients safe, Hershey Medical Center has made an additional meal/break space available for employees. Room H6101 can now accommodate six people.
Employees should take advantage of all designated meal/break rooms. Many COVID-19 cases among employees have been linked to crowded break areas and dining without social distancing and masking.
Employees must follow room-occupancy mandates and social-distancing requirements of six feet or more. They also must wear masks when they are not eating and drinking.
All COVID-19 safety and cleaning protocols are in place for these areas.
How to access Surge Plan for COVID-19 – Hershey Medical Center
Employees can access the Surge Plan for COVID-19 – Hershey Medical Center from the main Infonet page in two ways:
- Click the “COVID-19 and recovery resources” link in the photo carousel module on the left. Scroll down to “Latest Updates” to find the surge plan.
- Click the “Policies” link in the upper-right corner. Type “COVID-19 Surge” in the search bar at the top. Find the surge plan in the document results list.
Watch replay of Dec. 15 Penn State Health town hall
Tune in to a replay of Tuesday’s Penn State Health town hall, during which Penn State Health leaders answered many questions about the COVID-19 vaccine and our plan for distributing it to employees in the coming days. Department of Medicine Chair Dr. Thomas Ma also talked about the research behind Pfizer and Moderna’s vaccines.
University Fitness Center closes until Jan. 4
To comply with Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf’s latest COVID-19 restrictions, the University Fitness Center on the Hershey campus will be closed until Monday, Jan. 4, 2021. Information will be shared as soon as the facility is able to reopen.
Other News
Payroll Department posts year-end reminders
As the year end nears, the Payroll Department shares the following reminders:
- Cutoff for the Friday, Jan. 8, 2021, payroll is Thursday, Dec. 31, at noon.
- Review your name, address and Social Security number for W-2 purposes.
- Employee 401(k)/403(b) contributions for 2021 will remain the same as 2020. That limit will be $19,500. The additional catch-up contribution limit will remain $6,500.
- The Social Security Administration announced on Oct. 13 that the 2021 Social Security wage base will be $142,800, an increase of $5,100 from $137,700 in 2020.
- According to the Internal Revenue Service, W-2 forms should be mailed to employees no later than Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021, for forms derived from the previous calendar year.
- If you are claiming exempt from federal taxes in 2020, you will need to complete a new W-4 by Feb. 17, 2021. Failure to complete the form will reset to a filing status of “single.”
Penn State Health Payroll changes time punch rounding policy
As Penn State Health continues to evaluate operational efficiencies and streamline practices, it will change the Kronos rounding policy effective Sunday, Dec. 20. The grace period around the scheduled start and end times will end. All punches will be rounded to the nearest 10th of an hour. See the example above of how punches will now round according to schedules.
The new time punch rounding also applies to Penn State Health St. Joseph, which had been rounding punches to the quarter-hour. See the example below of how punches will round to the nearest 10th according to schedules.
This change will affect all Penn State Health staff with the exception of union employees.
Wellness Wednesday: five tips to help control holiday spending
If you think you can’t get through the holidays without spending a fortune, you’re not alone. Americans report spending on average $1,047.83 during the holiday season, according to the National Retail Federation. Here are five tips to avoid getting wrapped up in holiday spending:
- Set holiday spending limits – Limit what you buy to what can safely come out of your bank account. Holiday budgeting is a way to set limits on your purchases and still enjoy the season.
- Make “naughty” or “nice” lists – If your shopping list includes more than five people outside of your immediate family, trim it.
- Check for coupons and codes – Before you shop in stores or online, check for available discounts.
- Build better spending habits – Avoid post-holiday anxiety caused by credit card bills coming due by giving yourself the gift of developing new-and-improved spending habits.
- Personalize gifts – A small, thoughtful gift is more valuable than an expensive one that someone might never use. Avoid shopping at trendy stores and think about what those on your list could use.
Click here to read the full article.
Check out the Wellness Toolkit for more information regarding wellness benefits and for additional wellness resources visit the PRO Wellness BeWell Employee Wellness website.
Reminder: holiday schedule for Daily Brief
The Daily Brief will take a brief hiatus for the holidays Monday, Dec. 28, to Wednesday, Dec. 30. It will continue to be your source for information about COVID and the vaccine, so check your inbox for important, breaking news. Also, look for special holiday editions on Friday, Dec. 25, Thursday, Dec. 31, and Friday, Jan. 1.
People
Dermatology resident Bazewicz honored for exceptional teaching
Dr. Christopher Bazewicz, a dermatology resident at Hershey Medical Center, was honored in December as part of the Exceptional Moments in Teaching program of Penn State Health and Penn State College of Medicine.
“Dr. Bazewicz is a kind and compassionate physician educator,” a current student wrote. “He was engaged, excited to teach and enthusiastic about making a real difference in his patients’ lives. He always took time out of his busy day to teach important topics. He explained his approach to differential diagnoses based on presenting chief complaints and created a safe and supportive environment for me to ask questions. He also encouraged me to research conditions based on my interests. Dr. Bazewicz is one of the best preceptors I’ve had the pleasure of working with on any rotation.”
Employees honored for work milestones
Congratulations to the following Penn State Health employees who are celebrating a milestone work anniversary between Dec. 9 and Dec. 15. They put our values into action every day:
40 Years of Service
- Sherry Berrier, Inpatient Behavioral Health, Holy Spirit
35 Years of Service
- Dolores Becker, Clinical Nutrition Services, Hershey
20 Years of Service
- Damir Biscic, 5th Floor Acute Care, Hershey
- Marjorie Gephart, Penn State Health Medical Group – Andrews Patel Hematology/Oncology
- Mary Meyer, Penn State Health Medical Group – Lime Spring
- James Neidigh, Outpatient Pharmacy Infusion – Lime Spring
15 Years of Service
- Robert Basehore, Environmental Health Services, Hershey
- David Border, Operating Room Materials Management, Hershey
- Sheila Brubaker, Penn State Cancer Institute
- Krista Frable, Operating Room, Hershey
- Taiten Lehman, Anesthesia Professional Services, Holy Spirit
- Kali Michaels, Penn State Health Medical Group – Cocoa
- Edmee Nazario, Penn State Health Medical Group – Berks Cardiology
- Mark Stout, Radiation Oncology, Hershey
- Sherry Tauscher, Neuroscience Critical Care Unit, Hershey
- Shanna Wagner, Treasury Services, Hershey
10 Years of Service
- Jeymi Ruiz Henriquez, Labor and Delivery, Holy Spirit
Employees are recognized for their time at Penn State Health. Recognition begins on the 10th anniversary and is given in five-year increments. Employees from every entity within Penn State Health are included in these recognitions, but not every entity may have an employee with a work anniversary during this time period. For questions about work anniversary dates, contact the HR Solution Center at hrsolutions@pennstatehealth.psu.edu or 717-531-8440.
Events
College of Medicine holds community information session Dec. 22
The College of Medicine’s General Internal Medicine Division will present an interactive, virtual COVID-19 vaccination information session on Tuesday, Dec. 22, at noon. Experts will answer questions about the virus and the vaccine. The general public is invited.
Dr. Andreas Achilleos, assistant professor of medicine; Dr. Paul Haidet, distinguished professor of medicine, humanities and public health science; Dr. Jonathan Nunez, assistant professor of medicine; and Dr. Leslie Parent, professor of medicine, microbiology and immunology, will discuss:
- Different vaccines, testing and how they work
- Who will be immunized first
- Strategies to weigh the risks and benefits of receiving the vaccine
Registration is required for the Zoom session.
2020 holiday meal available for on-duty faculty, staff in Hershey
Hershey Medical Center will ensure that on-duty faculty and staff who work third shift on Thursday, Dec. 24, and first and second shifts on Friday, Dec. 25, can enjoy a safe and socially distanced meal in the Rotunda Café.
Employees will be given a voucher, valued at $12, redeemable from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Dec. 24 and 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 25. In addition to the traditional holiday meal, a vegetarian option and pizza will be available.
Employees should contact their managers if they want a meal voucher.
Contact Leslie Einhorn Ravitz with any questions.