Important Employee Information and Links
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Coronavirus Announcements for Employees
COVID Employee Resources COVID Employee Resources
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June 20, 2022
Vaccination Now Available to Children 6 Months Old and Older
In accordance with approval from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Pennsylvania Department of Health (PA DOH), the Hospital is now scheduling vaccine appointments for children 6 months old or older.
Evangelical will only be administering the Pfizer vaccine to children 12 and under.
To schedule an appointment for a child, parents or guardians should complete the form on the Hospital website (evanhospital.com/virus) or call the hotline at 570-522-4530, option 1 between 9 am and 3 pm Monday through Friday.
Kendra Aucker,
President and CEO
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May 23, 2022
Eligibility for Boosters Expanded
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Pennsylvania Department of Health (PA DOH) widened COVID-19 booster dose eligibility to children ages 5 through 11 who had their initial vaccines series at least five months ago.
At the same time, the CDC and PA DOH doubled down on their recommendation that those 12 and older who are immunocompromised and those 50 and older should receive a second booster dose at least four months after their first.
To schedule a vaccination appointment, visit the Hospital website and complete the form (evanhospital.com/virus) or call the hotline at 570-522-4530, option 1 between 9 am and 3 pm Monday through Friday.
Masks Required in all Facilities
The PA DOH requires masks in all healthcare facilities and as healthcare providers, we need to lead by example and properly wear our masks.
Patients and visitors are watching. We received a number of complaints last week about employees not wearing masks or wearing them inappropriately.
It is our responsibility to wear a mask—covering your nose and mouth—when inside our facilities.
Per Hospital policy, vaccinated employees can remove their masks in areas considered “well defined” per the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
At the Hospital and in our facilities, “well-defined areas” include:
- Supply Chain Services (office and associated sites).
- Plant Engineering (office and associated shops).
- Laboratory.
- Pharmacy.
- Kitchen and preparation areas of the Dining Room.
- All administrative suites or offices (unless used for non-employee consultation).
- All conference rooms (unless in use for activities outside their intended use).
- All employee breakrooms.
- All employee locker rooms.
- All control rooms (as long as the area is not accessible to non-employees).
These exceptions do not apply to the serving or dining areas of the Dining Room. All providers, employees, volunteers, patients, and visitors must wear masks when moving through the serving and dining areas. Masks may be removed if you are seated at a table, eating, and maintaining proper physical distancing.
Unvaccinated employees must continue to wear masks and maintain proper physical distancing in all situations unless they are alone in a room or eating or drinking. When eating or drinking, unvaccinated employees must maintain appropriate physical distancing.
Kendra Aucker,
President and CEO
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April 29, 2022
Act 2 Funds
The state legislature has allocated approximately $200 million from the federal American Rescue Plan funds received by Pennsylvania to specifically aid in the retention and recruitment of healthcare workers.
The funds are being administered by the PA Department of Human Services, which has established strict eligibility requirements for who can benefit from the funds and how they can be used. Based on our licensed bed capacity, Evangelical received around $366,000 to help retain Hospital-based, direct patient care staff who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and recruit new team members.
It’s important to understand that the PA Department of Human Services established the eligibility criteria without input from the Hospital. We are essentially just acting as a pass-through for the funds.
The Hospital has 90 days to allocate funds for retention purposes and 180 days to allocate funds for recruitment activities.
In addition, the Hospital has been directed to seek staff feedback on how the funds should be used. To express your opinion on what percentage should be used to retain current staff and what percentage should be used to recruit new staff, please complete this survey:
https://forms.office.com/r/8T5dzSATZF.
Masks Required in all Facilities
While different parts of the country are grappling with confusion over masking requirements, there should be no confusion here at Evangelical. The PA Department of Health requires masks in all healthcare facilities. All providers, employees, volunteers, guests, and patients must wear masks—covering your nose and mouth—when inside a Hospital facility. Per Hospital policy, vaccinated employees can remove their masks in areas considered “well defined” per the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
Kendra Aucker,
President and CEO
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Links
The following links provide access to web-based services and information for employees.
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