Connect

UVA COVID-19 INPATIENT SNAPSHOT, 1:41 p.m.

Current Census
Under investigation for COVID-19: 0
Confirmed with COVID-19: 23

• SPU – 5S: 9
• SPU – 4S CVICU: 11
• 7 Central: 2
• PICU 7 North: 1

Confirmed with COVID-19 on ventilator: 10

Discharged Since March 10, 2020
Under investigation for COVID-19: 278
Confirmed with COVID-19: 1,283

PPE INVENTORY UPDATE, 7:13 a.m.

COVID-19 NEWS

Meet Some of the UVA Students Helping People Get Vaccinated (UVA Today) | A growing number of medical and nursing students who have been fully vaccinated are participating in ongoing efforts to use every available resource to ramp up vaccine distribution across Virginia, and to do so in an accessible and equitable manner. Read more.

UVA Joins NIH Study Assessing Moderna Vaccine, Transmission Among College Students (UVA Today) | UVA hopes to enroll approximately 600 student volunteers in the national “Prevent COVID U” study that is assessing infection, viral shedding, and transmission risks among college students who receive the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. Read more. 

OPERATIONS

Planned Pneumatic Tube Outage | Thursday, April 1 | 9 p.m.-11 p.m. | University Hospital | The pneumatic tube system will be taken offline as part of a system upgrade tomorrow evening from 9-11 p.m. No tube stations will function during this outage. Additional couriers will be available for the duration of the event, and units will be notified when the pneumatic tube system is returned to service.

HIT and SOM IT Service Desks Merger Is Effective Today | UVA Health IT (HIT) Service Desk is now supporting School of Medicine faculty and staff for all services that were formerly supported by the SOM IT Service Desk. Services currently provided to SOM team members by LSP professionals will remain the same. To access 24/7 HIT support, call 434.924.5334, email helpdesk@hscmail.mcc.virginia.edu, or enter a service request at MyHIT. Did you know you can also check the status of your service tickets? Tips for using MyHIT are available here.

Nighttime First-Floor Hallway Closure | Monday, April 5 through Thursday, April 8 | 6 p.m.-5 a.m. | Crews will be completing renovation work in the hallway near the old Emergency Department and diagnostic radiology. As a result, the hallway will be closed each night. During this time, those traveling on the first floor to the main hospital should take a path past MRI and through radiology. The barrier will be removed and EVS will clean each morning to allow for the pathway to be open during the day.

PATIENT CARE

New Hours: Virtual Urgent Care | Starting Monday, April 5, Virtual Urgent Care hours will be changing to noon-2 p.m. Monday to Friday. The Virtual Urgent Care service is a convenient way for patients to access care from home when they are sick or in moderate pain. Read more details on the Virtual Urgent Care website. Note: New hours will not be reflected on the website until Monday, April 5.

HAPPENINGS

Save the Date: UVA Health Virtual Town Hall | Wednesday, April 14 | noon-1 p.m. | Please plan to join Craig Kent, MD, Executive Vice President for Health Affairs, and other UVA Health leaders in a discussion about our organization’s progress and priorities. A link to this virtual event will be sent in an upcoming issue of the UVA Health Update. This meeting will be recorded for anyone who would like to view it at a later date.

TEAM MEMBER SAFETY AND WELL-BEING

Do You Interact With Patients Who Are Deaf or Hearing Impaired? Volunteer Services Is Offering Free Communicator Facemasks | Team members who interact with deaf or hearing impaired patients are encouraged to wear a communicator facemask which has a clear plastic piece to visualize your mouth. Communicator masks — as well as traditional cloth facemasks — are available for free from Volunteer Services. Submit your request here.

Good Friday Self-Guided Meditation | The Department of Chaplaincy Services and Pastoral Education has provided an online self-guided meditation for team members who wish to observe Good Friday on April 2. The meditation includes hymns with links to audio, scripture readings, and a benediction and blessing. Users are encouraged to move through the meditation thoughtfully and at their own pace, taking time to pause, as needed. 

Guided Meditation | Tuesdays and Thursdays, 1-1:45 p.m. | Join Betty Mooney for a guided meditation, which is part of the Compassionate Care Initiative Live! online drop-in series. Free, beginner-friendly, and open to the public. Register.

APPRECIATION

Thank You, Educators! | 2022 U.S. News and World Report Rankings of Graduate Schools | Yesterday, the latest rankings of graduate schools —- which includes the School of Medicine and School of Nursing — was released. From the bedside to the lab, and everywhere in between, you are training our future nurses, physicians, researchers, and leaders. Thank you to all team members who take part in our students’ education. Your dedication is inspiring! Read more on Connect.

VISIT OUR COVID-19 INFORMATION RESOURCE

Outpatient call 434.982.6843
Hospital Epidemiologist page 9204
COVID19Questions@hscmail.mcc.virginia.edu

PREVIOUS UPDATES

MONDAY, MARCH 29, 2021

UVA COVID-19 INPATIENT SNAPSHOT, 2:16 p.m.

Current Census

• Under investigation for COVID-19: 0
• Confirmed with COVID-19: 23
  • Acute SPU (5S): 11
  • ICU SPU (4S): 8
  • 5 Central: 1
  • 7 Central: 1
  • PICU (7 North): 2

Confirmed with COVID-19 on ventilator: 8

Discharged Since March 10, 2020

• Under investigation for COVID-19: 273
• Confirmed with COVID-19: 1,280

PPE INVENTORY UPDATE, 6:14 a.m.

UPCOMING

Save the Date: UVA Health Virtual Town Hall | Wednesday, April 14 | noon-1 p.m. |Please plan to join Craig Kent, MD, Executive Vice President for Health Affairs, and other UVA Health leaders in a discussion about our organization’s progress and priorities. A link to this virtual event will be sent in an upcoming issue of the UVA Health Update. This meeting will be recorded for anyone who would like to view it at a later date.

Can UVA Health Make An Epic Comeback in STAT Madness? Vote Now! | In STAT Madness, a scientific version of the NCAA basketball tournament, UVA Health has made it to the final four and needs your vote to make it to the finals. Massachusetts Institute of Technology has a large lead, so your vote is needed. This round of voting ends Tuesday, March 30, at 11:59 p.m. Vote now. (Vote tomorrow, too.) Read more on Connect. 

COVID-19 NEWS AND EVENTS

New Video: Will the COVID Vaccine Impact Fertility or the Health of Your Baby if You Are Pregnant or Breastfeeding? [3 minutes] | Taison Bell, MD, a critical care and infectious disease physician, was surprised to learn that even nurses who care for patients with COVID-19 are hesitant to seek answers to their questions about the vaccines. In this video, Dr. Bell describes the impromptu chalk talk session he had with nursing colleagues and their discussion about the risks and benefits of getting vaccinated, if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant. Watch now.

• Related Video: COVID-19 Vaccines and Pregnancy [4 minutes] | Jennifer Doorey, MD, OB/GYN physician, was seven months pregnant when this conversation was recorded. She discussed her reasons for getting vaccinated as well as risk factors that pregnant women should consider. Watch now. (Note: You must be logged on to UVA Health network to access this video.) 

COVID-19 Weekly Update | Hospital Epidemiologist Costi Sifri, MD     

• Nationwide
  • New cases starting to increase nationwide (fourth wave?)
  • Hospitalizations and deaths continue downward trend 
  • Variants increasing steadily, notably B.1.1.7 (CDC reporting ~25% two weeks ago)

• Virginia
  • New cases have leveled off
  • Hospitalizations and deaths remain in downtrend
  • Case counts in the Blue Ridge Health District are stable
  • Surge in Fluvanna case counts reflects old cases, delayed reporting
  • Increase in test positivity

• UVA Medical Center
  • Hospitalizations remain stable in the low-to-mid 20s

UVA Experts to Address Concerns About COVID-19 Vaccine | Tuesday, March 30 | 7 p.m. | As part of an ongoing series of virtual town halls to address public concerns, Dan Engel, PhD, a School of Medicine researcher, and Ebony Hilton, MD, an anesthesiologist, will address questions about safety, speed of vaccine development, side effects, efficacy, and new variants. Free. Registration required.

PATIENT CARE

Now Available in Epic: COVID-19 Vaccine SmartPhrase for Pediatric Patients | A pediatric-specific COVID-19 Vaccine SmartPhrase is available in Epic to add important reminders to patient discharge summaries and after visit summaries:

• English: .PEDSCOVIDVACCINEENGLISHUVA [385497]
• Spanish: .PEDSCOVIDVACCINESPANISHUVA [385498]
• SmartPhrase details are available in an Epic Tip Sheet.

COVID-19 vaccines have been given emergency use authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for people ages 16 years and above. Vaccine trials in younger age groups are still ongoing. Parents and primary caregivers of children with a “severe chronic medical condition or intellectual or developmental disability requiring a high level of daily care” are now eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine in Virginia’s phase 1A group and should be encouraged to register on the statewide Vaccinate Virginia website.

TEAM MEMBER SAFETY AND WELL-BEING

Asymptomatic Testing Clinic for Team Members Has Moved to the Student Activities Building | Monday, March 29 | The clinic at the Education Resource Center has closed, and all asymptomatic testing is now being done at the Student Activities Building (SAB) off Alderman Road near Scott Stadium. Parking is available on-site. Please call 434.243.9534, if you have questions. 

APPRECIATION

Doctors, We Appreciate You! | Tuesday, March 30, is National Doctors Day, and it’s a special time to offer thanks to our physician partners for their dedication to our patients,  community, and organization. From life-saving procedures to life-changing interactions, we appreciate you! 

Nominate a Nurse (or Two!)  for a Nursing Excellence Award | Deadline: Thursday, April 1 | The Professional Nursing Staff Organization honors several nurses each year for demonstrating excellence in their roles. Please consider showing your appreciation for one or more of our well-deserving RN colleagues by submitting a nomination today. Learn more about the awards here.

VISIT OUR COVID-19 INFORMATION RESOURCE

Outpatient call 434.982.6843
Hospital Epidemiologist page 9204
COVID19Questions@hscmail.mcc.virginia.edu

FRIDAY, MARCH 26, 2021

UVA COVID-19 INPATIENT SNAPSHOT, 1:16 p.m.

Current Census
Under investigation for COVID-19: 0
Confirmed with COVID-19: 23

• SPU – 5S: 8 
• SPU – 4S CVICU: 13
• 7 Central: 1
• Labor & Delivery: 1

Confirmed with COVID-19 on ventilator: 11

Discharged Since March 10, 2020
Under investigation for COVID-19: 266
Confirmed with COVID-19: 1,268

PPE INVENTORY UPDATE, 7:51 a.m.

PPE UPDATE

N95 Mask Recycling Program To End Next Week | The company that has been reprocessing our N95 masks, Battelle, is ending its decontamination and recycling program on March 31 when its federal grant funding expires. Environmental Services will remove N95 collection containers, and team members can begin discarding used masks in the waste receptacles used for other PPE. Read more about the success of our N95 recycling program on Connect.

COVID-19 VACCINATION PROGRAM

Clarification: Here’s the Correct Way for Team Members to Book a COVID-19 Vaccination Appointment | As previously announced, team members who have a UVA Health identification badge can log on to VaxTrax to schedule a vaccination appointment at the Seminole Square Community Vaccination Center. Feedback indicates there is confusion about which group to select during the appointment scheduling process.

Correct choice: UVA Health Badged Team Member

Wrong choice: Invited Community Member

Scheduling steps:

• Log in to VaxTrax
• Click on the “Get Vaccinated” button (on the left)
• Select “UVA Health Badged Team Member – Initial Dose – Seminole Square
• Look for an available appointment on the “select a date” button
• Enter a valid UVA Computing ID
• Click on "Register"

Support Staff Volunteers Needed at Seminole Square Community Vaccination Center | Volunteers are needed to help as greeters, screeners, and line managers. All positions qualify as paid volunteers. It is recommended but not required that UVA volunteers be fully vaccinated (two doses completed). Support staff sign-up.

HUMAN RESOURCES

UVA HR Launches New Hire Portal | Team members who are joining our workforce can now access the easy-to-navigate UVA Health New Hire Portal which provides information about pre-boarding processes, orientation, additional training, and benefits in one location. A manager toolkit (behind NetBadge) is also provided to assist managers with onboarding their new hires.

Coming Soon: Workday Digital Assist | Available Wednesday, April 7 | Workday Digital Assist is a new tool for managers. It provides guidance, tips, and training based on a manager’s Workday security  role.  Questions can be directed to the UVA HR Solution Center at Askhr@virginia.edu or 434.243.3344. 

PATIENT CARE

COVID-19 RN Screening Update | A new question has been added to the COVID RN Screen to help identify patients who have tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 90 days. Additional guidance is provided in the row information. In general, retesting is not required within 90 days of a positive result. If there is concern about reinfection due to symptoms, contact Hospital Epidemiology at PIC 9204. A preview of the new question is available on the updated Screening Patients for COVID-19 (Clinical) Tip Sheet.

OPERATIONS

HIT and SOM IT Help Desks Set to Merge | Wednesday, March 31 | Next week, the UVA Health IT (HIT) Support team will begin serving as the single point of contact for all health system users, including School of Medicine faculty and staff. To access 24/7 HIT support, call 434.924.5334, email helpdesk@hscmail.mcc.virginia.edu, or enter a service request at MyHIT. Did you know you can also check the status of your service tickets? Tips for using MyHIT are available here.

Weekend Closure: Portion of U3 Parking Lot | 7 p.m. Friday, March 26, to 7 p.m. Sunday, March 28 | A portion of the U3 parking lot at Stacey Hall will be closed to accommodate a crane being used to replace an HVAC rooftop unit. Impacted parking spaces will be coned off. 

TEAM MEMBER SAFETY AND WELL-BEING

Virtual Meditation on the Lawn Resumes | Monday, April 5 | 7:50-8 a.m.| In observance of UVA Spring Break, there will be no event on Monday, March 29. These 7-8 minute guided meditations are led by experienced contemplative instructors and inspiring members of the UVA community. Learn more. 

HAPPENING NEXT WEEK

Medical Center Hour | (Un)Masking Identity: Art as Autoethnography | Wednesday, March 31 | Noon-1 p.m. | Physician-educator Mark Stephens and art therapist Melissa Walker discuss the construction of masks as an artful means of gaining self-knowledge and reflecting on identity, not just for wounded warriors but also for healthcare professionals. Zoom link. Passcode: 763749

APPRECIATION

A More Protective COVID-19 Vaccine Could Be On the Way! Thank You, Researchers! Thank You, Science! | It is heartening to know that while the currently available vaccines are protecting us today, UVA researchers are looking at what tomorrow may bring. Most recently, our own Steven Zeichner, MD, PhD, has collaborated with Virginia Tech’s Xiang-Jin Meng, MD, PhD, to develop a vaccine that could provide protection against both existing and future strains of the COVID-19 virus, and other coronaviruses, and costs about $1 a dose. The vaccine was developed using an innovative approach that Zeichner says might one day open the door to a universal vaccine for coronaviruses, including coronaviruses that previously threatened pandemics or perhaps even coronaviruses that cause some cases of the common cold. Read more about their research on Connect.

UVA Made it to the Final 4 in Biomedical Innovation Tournament | Vote Daily! | A last-second surge pushed UVA to victory in STAT Madness’ Elite Eight. Voting in STAT Madness is like the scientific version of the NCAA basketball tournament. To help UVA win the next round (against Massachusetts Institute of Technology), vote daily by visiting here, through Tuesday, March 30, at 11:59 p.m. Read more on Connect.

VISIT OUR COVID-19 INFORMATION RESOURCE

Outpatient call 434.982.6843
Hospital Epidemiologist page 9204
COVID19Questions@hscmail.mcc.virginia.edu

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24, 2021

UVA COVID-19 INPATIENT SNAPSHOT, 11:14 a.m.

Current Census

• Under investigation for COVID-19: 0
• Confirmed with COVID-19: 23
  • Acute SPU (5S): 9
  • ICU SPU (4S): 11
  • 7 Central: 2
  • 8 Central OB: 1
• Confirmed with COVID-19 on ventilator: 12

Discharged Since March 10, 2020

• Under investigation for COVID-19: 265
• Confirmed with COVID-19: 1,261

PPE INVENTORY UPDATE, 6:21 a.m.

COVID-19 NEWS

UVA Researchers Help Launch New Virtual COVID-19 Vaccine Education Series | Dan Engel, PhD, and Dean Kedes, MD, PhD, of UVA’s Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Cancer Biology, are among the co-chairs of a new town hall series that aims to bring factual, scientific information to people across the country, particularly communities of color that have been hardest hit by the pandemic. Questions about safety, speed of vaccine development, side effects, efficacy, and new variants will be answered with the latest scientific information.

At 7 p.m. EDT on March 30, a town hall will be hosted by Engel and UVA Health’s Ebony Hilton, MD. Keep up with the latest dates in the town hall series, and register to attend, by visiting asv.org/education. (All the events are free, but registration is required; maximum capacity for each town hall is 300 people.) Read story on Connect

A Year of Challenges and Teamwork: An ICU Doc Discusses Caring for Patients With COVID-19 (Connect) | Kyle Enfield, MD, clearly remembers March 23, 2020. That’s the day the first patient with COVID-19 was admitted to UVA Hospital. Enfield, who serves as Medical Director of the Special Pathogens Unit (SPU) and Section Chief for Critical Care Medicine in the Department of Medicine, recently described what it has been like to be part of our dedicated ICU team during the pandemic. Read story on Connect.

PATIENT CARE

Review: Adult Asymptomatic Admission and Pre-Procedural COVID-19 Testing | While we continue to improve our workflows and procedures for both Admission and Pre-Procedural COVID-19 Testing for Asymptomatic Adults, it is important to review key guiding principles behind these testing standards:

• Testing Exception | In general, retesting is not required within 90 days of a positive, as any new test within this period will likely result as positive. If there is concern for reinfection due to symptoms, contact Hospital Epidemiology at PIC 9204.
• Team Member Safety | PPE, vaccine, and safety protocols remain our first line of defense for team member safety. Testing does not eliminate the need for strict adherence to safety measures.
• Universal Testing Approach
  • Pre-procedure testing is to defer an elective or semi-elective procedure for patient-safety concerns, as multiple studies show higher mortality and worse outcomes for patients who have major procedures when actively infected with SARS CoV-2. Pre-procedural testing provides an opportunity to defer procedures to a later time so the patient will have a better outcome after recovering from infection; however, in some circumstances, urgency of procedure may result in joint agreement by the Attending Surgeon, Attending Anesthesiologist, and Hospital EPI to proceed with the procedure and manage the case as a PUI. Guiding Principles.
  • Admission testing helps avoid unknowingly bringing patients who are positive into our congregate hospital setting where transmission to other patients or unprotected staff could occur. All admission testing is now being done by rapid test. Please continue to encourage patients to wear masks in double-occupancy rooms until a result returns. Guiding Principles.
• Inpatient COVID-19 Order Panel | To help clarify which COVID-19 test should be ordered, the Inpatient COVID-19 Testing Order Panel has been updated with additional descriptive language. Tip Sheet.

OPERATIONS

Portion of U3 Parking Lot Temporarily Closed | Friday, March 26- Sunday, March 28 | A crane will be parked in the U3 Stacey Hall parking lot to replace an HVAC rooftop unit. A portion of the U3 parking lot will be closed beginning at 7 p.m. Friday, March 26, through 7 p.m. Sunday, March 28. Impacted parking spaces will be coned off. Inclement weather (high wind, rain, or snow) will cancel the crane. The backup date is scheduled for Sunday, March 28.

BRIDGE PLAN UPDATE

Information Technology Program Focus Area (Video Overview) | Interim Chief Information Technology Officer, Robin Parkin, shares an overview on the UVA Health Bridge Plan’s Information Technology program focus area. Visit the Bridge Plan Information Technology page to learn more about the steps we are taking to invest wisely in technology resources while developing a stronger, more aligned IT governance and infrastructure.

TEAM MEMBER SAFETY AND WELL-BEING

Asymptomatic Testing Clinic for Team Members Is Moving to the Student Activities Building | On Monday, March 29, the Asymptomatic COVID Testing Clinic for team members is moving from the Education Resource Center to the Student Activities Building (SAB) off Alderman Road near Scott Stadium. Parking is available on-site. Any appointments scheduled for March 29 or later will take place at the SAB.Please call 434.243.9534, if you have a question about your appointment. 

APPRECIATION

School of Medicine’s Successful Match Day | On Friday, March 19, the UVA School of Medicine’s Class of 2021 learned where they will continue their training as residents at hospitals across the country, including UVA Medical Center. None of those matches would’ve been possible without the commitment of our faculty and staff who are dedicated to medical education. Thank you to all who work and support our students — and congratulations to SMD21! Read about Match Day on Connect.

We Made the Elite 8! | UVA Research Team Remains a Contender in Biomedical Innovation Tournament | Vote to Help Them Win | For the third year in a row, a discovery from UVA School of Medicine has been selected as one of the year’s most significant biomedical discoveries. The finding — identifying the gene responsible for one of the deadliest cancers — is among 64 contenders fighting it out to win the public’s votes in an online bracket tournament. Voting in STAT Madness is like the scientific version of the NCAA basketball tournament. The annual competition is sponsored by the STAT health news site to identify the year’s “best biomedical innovation,” and you can vote daily by visiting here. Currently, UVA is in the fourth round, facing off against McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT. Help our team win by casting your vote daily through Thursday, March 25, at 11:59 p.m. Read more on Connect.

VISIT OUR COVID-19 INFORMATION RESOURCE

Outpatient call 434.982.6843
Hospital Epidemiologist page 9204
COVID19Questions@hscmail.mcc.virginia.edu

FRIDAY, MARCH 19, 2021

UVA COVID-19 INPATIENT SNAPSHOT, 1:42 p.m.

Current Census

• Under investigation for COVID-19: 0
• Confirmed with COVID-19: 24
  • Acute SPU (5S): 12
  • ICU SPU (4S): 12
• Confirmed with COVID-19 on ventilator: 13

Discharged Since March 10, 2020

• Under investigation for COVID-19: 259
• Confirmed with COVID-19: 1,235

PPE INVENTORY UPDATE, 6:31 a.m.

COVID-19 NEWS 

Opportunity to Participate in COVID-19 Antibody Study | Have you been vaccinated in the past three weeks or plan to get vaccinated for COVID-19 in the next few weeks? The UVA Allergy group is currently recruiting for a study seeking to quantify antibody responses in employees. For more information or to schedule a study visit, please contact the study coordinator at: xww5mx@virginia.edu. Or see the clinical trial website. Principal Investigator: Jeffery Wilson, MD, PhD; UVA Division of Asthma, Allergy and Immunology; HSR200171

COVID-19 Weekly Update | Hospital Epidemiologist Costi Sifri, MD 

• Nationwide
  • Cases, hospitalizations and deaths continue to trend down 
  • Steady increase in variants, notably B.1.1.7

• Virginia
  • Cases are continuing to decline
  • Hospitalizations are trending down
  • Deaths are trending down after the post-holiday surge
  • Case counts in the Blue Ridge Health District are dropping
  • Cases in Charlottesville and Albemarle have returned to pre-surge levels
  • Continued lower case counts among UVA student since February surge    
• UVA Medical Center
  • Hospitalizations continue to trend down, daily census now in low-high 20s

Local COVID-19 Vaccination Rates (per 100,000 of population)

PATIENT CARE

Inpatient Nurse Staffing Update | Red Shifts Suspended as of April 18 | In one year since the official beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, our nursing and patient care teams have selflessly reimagined and reshaped their roles to provide essential care in this extraordinary time. The challenges faced and obstacles overcome were not possible without your sacrifice. As a result of recent staffing-focused work that included reviewing current staffing and inpatient volume data, we are pleased to announce that we are able to suspend required red shifts as of April 18. Thank you for all you have contributed to stabilizing staffing and providing quality patient care during these many months!

Scheduling Asymptomatic Pre-Procedural COVID-19 Testing for Adults | 4 Things You Need to Know | In response to questions about the recent relocation of our Pre-Procedural COVID-19 Testing Center, we’ve put together some information to help you navigate this change:

1. What’s Changing? | Only the physical location and department code for scheduling has changed. The Asymptomatic Pre-Procedural Testing Center is now located just off the main lobby in University Hospital, behind the Information Desk. The new scheduling code is “UVA PREPROC ASYMTM TC.”
2. If you have questions while scheduling a patient for testing, call 434.243.2408 to reach the Pre-Procedure Testing Center. Please leave a voicemail, and your call will be returned within 24 hours on Monday-Friday.
3. Patient Education has been updated to reflect the new location. You can access new versions in English and Spanish, or by using the Epic smartphrase “.COVIDADULTPREOPEDUCATION.”
4. All other steps in the process remain the same and are available here. As a reminder, clinics will continue to be responsible for scheduling pre-procedural COVID-19 testing on behalf of their patients. Only patients who are symptomatic, or who cannot tolerate or perform the nasal swab self-collect should be referred to the COVID-19 Clinic for Pre-Procedural COVID-19 Testing.

CAP Accreditation Inspection | Monday, March 15- Friday, March 26 | The Medical Laboratories are hosting inspectors from the College of American Pathologists (CAP) for our biennial accreditation inspection. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, lab staff will escort inspectors via a WOW so they can virtually observe Point of Care (POC) Testing procedures, collecting a patient specimen, and performing a patient test. Visits may occur in University Hospital, Emily Couric Clinical Cancer Center, Transitional Care Hospital, Student Health, and NR Community Medicine. As with all inspections, be sharp and focus on what we do best — delivering exceptional care to our patients.

OPERATIONS

Construction Closures: Temp East and Nearby Hallway | University Hospital, Second Floor | 9 p.m. Friday, March 19, to 5 p.m. Sunday, March 21 | Temp East and a section of the hallway between Temp East and the staff side of the East elevators will be closed for construction related to the University Hospital Expansion renovations project. During the closure, all patients being transported to any surgical space on the second floor (OR, IR, Cath, & EP) will need to travel by way of the West elevators to the OR Control Desk or by way of the South Tower elevators.

Planned Pneumatic Tube Outage | Saturday, March 20 | 8 a.m.-4 p.m. | University Hospital | The pneumatic tube system will be offline for repairs. Additional couriers will be available for the duration of the event, and units will be notified when the pneumatic tube is returned to service.

Severe Weather Awareness Week: Are You Prepared? | Monday, March 15- Friday, March 19 | The National Weather Service, emergency management, public safety officials, local media and Weather-Ready Nation Ambassadors are working together to improve the nation's readiness, responsiveness, and overall resilience against severe weather. Topics for the week — which are being covered on Connect — include watches vs. warnings (Monday), tornadoes (Tuesday), severe thunderstorms (Wednesday), flash flooding (Thursday), and lightning (Friday).

TEAM MEMBER SAFETY AND WELL-BEING

Mindfulness for UVA Healthcare Team Members | Wednesdays, April 14-June 2 | 4-6 p.m. | Daylong Retreat: Saturday, May 22 | Zoom | This mindfulness program includes instruction in mindfulness meditation, mindful movement, and other mindfulness practices and has been adapted specifically for healthcare professionals. Register. 

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Class | Thursdays, April, 15-June 3 | 6:30-8:30 p.m. | Daylong Retreat: Saturday, May 22 | Zoom |Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is a proven method of improving resilience and well-being. Taught internationally for decades, MBSR is an eight-week, practice-based, interactive learning program. Register. 

APPRECIATION

Sweet 16 | UVA Research Team Is a Contender in Biomedical Innovation Tournament | Your Votes Can Help Them Win | For the third year in a row, a discovery from UVA School of Medicine has been selected as one of the year’s most significant biomedical discoveries. The finding — identifying the gene responsible for one of the deadliest cancers — is among 64 contenders fighting it out to win the public’s votes in an online bracket tournament. Voting in STAT Madness is like the scientific version of the NCAA basketball tournament. The annual competition is sponsored by the STAT health news site to identify the year’s “best biomedical innovation,” and you can vote daily by visiting here. Currently, UVA is in the third round, facing off against Scripps Research/San Diego Zoo. Help our team win by casting your vote daily through Thursday, March 18, at 11:59 p.m. Read more on Connect.

Nominate an RN for a Nursing Excellence Award | Deadline: Thursday, March 25 | The Professional Nursing Staff Organization honors several nurses each year for demonstrating excellence in their roles. Please consider nominating one or more of your well-deserving RN colleagues for these honors. Learn more here.

VISIT OUR COVID-19 INFORMATION RESOURCE

Outpatient call 434.982.6843
Hospital Epidemiologist page 9204
COVID19Questions@hscmail.mcc.virginia.edu

MONDAY, MARCH 15, 2021

UVA COVID-19 INPATIENT SNAPSHOT, 2:23 p.m.

Current Census

• Under investigation for COVID-19: 0
• Confirmed with COVID-19: 26
  • SPU – 4 South: 14
  • SPU – 5 South: 9
  • 3 East: 1
  • 6 East: 1
  • Labor & Delivery: 1
• Confirmed with COVID-19 on ventilator: 16

Discharged Since March 10, 2020

• Under investigation for COVID-19: 258
• Confirmed with COVID-19: 1,202

PPE INVENTORY UPDATE, 6:45 a.m.

PATIENT CARE

Pre-Procedural COVID-19 Testing Center Moving to New Location | On Monday, March 15, Pre-Procedural COVID-19 testing for adult patients will be relocated to a new, convenient location: the first-floor lobby of University Hospital, just behind the Information Desk. Friday, March 12, will be the last day of operations at the current, temporary location on the second floor of the Education Resource Center (ERC). Testing appointments scheduled on or after March 15, should use the new scheduling department “UVA PREPROC ASYMTM TC.”

Updated Team Member Resources:

• Pre-Procedural scheduling Tip Sheet (includes new scheduling department)
• Patient Education: English, Spanish 
• Patient Education SmartPhrase: .COVIDADULTPREOPEDUCATION
• Learn more on Connect.

OPERATIONS

Parking Lots Will Close During Pinn Hall Roofing Project | Saturday, March 13 | One lane of Lane Road, the M7 parking area along Lane Road, and the M7, M20, and M22 parking lots will be closed to accommodate a crane. Flaggers will be on-site to direct traffic.

Final Paving of Monroe Lane | Completion Monday, March 15 | During paving, the section of Monroe Lane next to the South Garage will be closed entirely. The South Garage will remain accessible by Monroe Lane, Crispell Drive, and Jeannette Lancaster Way. Staff members who work at Endoscopy will be able to safely walk to work from the back of the South Garage. Patients and visitors parking next to the Endoscopy building will need to walk along Brandon Avenue.

CARE FOR THE COMMUNITY

Sign Up for a Community Update from the EVP | Each month, K. Craig Kent, MD, Executive Vice President for Health Affairs, shares a UVA Health Community Update for our friends and neighbors in the local area. This month’s issue focuses on changes since the pandemic started one year ago and the current state of COVID-19. View previous issues, and subscribe to receive future issues here.

HUMAN RESOURCES

2021 Performance Appraisal Process for UVA Medical Center | The FY21 Year-End Review will be similar to last year’s FY20 process:

• It will include a brief Self-Review in summary format regarding the past year’s accomplishments and potential development areas. 
• Managers will hold one-on-one meetings to discuss the past performance year and document it in Workday. 
• Please note: This year’s process will also include an overall rating, a secondary reviewer approval, and an acknowledgement step. The FY21 Year-End Review will arrive in the Workday inbox of Medical Center team members in May. 
• The FY21 process for other UVA Health areas is still under discussion and will be communicated soon. 

Keep up to date with announcements, including dates and deadlines, on the Performance Management website. Questions? Contact AskHR@virginia.edu with the subject line "Performance Management Help."

HAPPENING NEXT WEEK

Virtual Meditation on the Lawn | Monday, March 15 | 7:50-8 a.m. | This week's facilitator will be Cawood Fitzhugh, Nurse Practitioner and mindfulness-based stress reduction teacher. Virtual Meditation on the Lawn is a 7-8 minute meditation or short guided reflection. Free and open to the public. Registration required.

Medical Center Hour | The Topography of Wellness: How Health and Disease Have Shaped the American Landscape | Wednesday, March 17 | Noon-1 p.m. | Architect Sara Jensen Carr investigates how shifts in the American urban landscape were driven by health concerns, and how these have led to this inflection point between living in the pandemic and a post-pandemic future. She's joined by urban and environmental planner Tim Beatley in this session that addresses the topography of wellness in our urban public spaces as we anticipate COVID-driven design changes. Zoom link. Passcode: 763749

TEAM MEMBER SAFETY AND WELL-BEING

Have You Visited the Wisdom & Well-Being Website? | Clinician burnout and occupational stress injuries are major problems that can undermine safe, quality care, professional and personal performance, job satisfaction, and retention. The Wisdom & Well-Being Program (WWP), formerly known as Be Wise, is a UVA Health initiative designed to help team members be their best at work. Access reliable, evidenced-based coping resources on the Wisdom and Well-Being website.

APPRECIATION

Thank You, Dental Assistants! | This has been National Dental Assistant Week and our dental clinic has been recognizing how our fabulous team members contribute to the clinic each day with tokens of appreciation. Our versatile and multi-talented team has approximately 137 years of experience among our four current team members — that is a lot of unmatched skill and dedication! Please join the Dentistry team in honoring our four dental assistants. Thank you Donna, Cynthia, Peggy, and Wendy for all that you do!

One Year Later: A Look at What the COVID Clinic Accomplished | Last year, this week marked the official beginning of the pandemic for citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia when the first COVID-19 patient was confirmed on March 7, 2020, at Fort Belvoir Community Hospital. Three days later, UVA Health took dramatic action in opening the state’s first dedicated evaluation and testing center for the virus. We were also the first in Virginia to develop an in-house test. In the past year we have had 13,852 testing visits (patients and team members) and treated 84 COVID-positive patients with mAb infusions; created patient education materials and standard operating procedures; supported COVID-related research studies; trained team members in sample collection; and the RN triage line has answered more phone calls than we can count. The clinic’s providers, nurses, environmental services, and access team members have done an amazing job this past year in taking care of our patients (and each other) — but they were not alone! We are getting through this the only way possible: together. Thank you to all involved!

VISIT OUR COVID-19 INFORMATION RESOURCE

Outpatient call 434.982.6843
Hospital Epidemiologist page 9204
COVID19Questions@hscmail.mcc.virginia.edu

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10, 2021

UVA COVID-19 INPATIENT SNAPSHOT, 12:38 p.m.

Current Census

• Under investigation for COVID-19: 0
• Confirmed with COVID-19: 17
• SPU – 4 South: 7
• SPU – 5 South: 10
• Confirmed with COVID-19 on ventilator: 15

Discharged Since March 10

• Under investigation for COVID-19: 251
• Confirmed with COVID-19: 1,174

PPE INVENTORY UPDATE, 6:49 a.m.

COVID-19 NEWS AND ACTIVITIES

Employee Health Announces Simplified COVID-19 Testing Protocol for Those Returning from Domestic Travel | All asymptomatic UVA Health team members returning from travel within the U.S. to states outside Virginia, regardless of vaccination status, are expected to obtain a COVID-19 test 5-7 days after returning from travel. There will not be a need to quarantine after travel unless UVA, VDH, or CDC guidelines require quarantine. To obtain the test, contact the asymptomatic testing clinic at 434.243.9534 to schedule an appointment. Saliva testing will not be used for post-travel testing.

Team members who test positive or become symptomatic should stay home from work and call Employee Health 434.924.2013. Read more on Connect.

COVID-19 Weekly Update | Hospital Epidemiologist Costi Sifri, MD 

• Nationwide
  • Cases in U.S. have dropped about 12% over the last 14 days
  • Hospitalizations are steadily dropping
  • Deaths have dropped about 10% over the last 14 days

• Virginia
  • Virginia’s cases have declined 32% over the last 14 days
  • Hospitalizations continue to trend down
  • Death rate is difficult to determine due to delayed VDH reporting (death certificates are still being processed from the post-holiday surge)
  • Blue Ridge Health District (BRHD) case counts are dropping
  • Charlottesville and Albemarle case counts have dropped to pre-surge levels
  • Case counts have dropped among UVA students

• UVA Medical Center
  • Hospitalizations are trending down

• UVAH COVID Vaccination Program
  • > 56,278 vaccinations through March 5
  • ERC/EC4 administered 31,000 vaccines over 10 weeks, closed Feb. 26
  • Seminole Square has administered 7,750 vaccines during 14 days of operation to date
  • UVA Health has supported 17 community vaccine events to date, >1,700 vaccinations administered
  • Now shifting focus to community 1b vaccination, including high-risk populations with pre-existing medical conditions
  • First doses of Johnson & Johnson were administered through the BRHD last weekend

Finding a Possible Early Treatment for COVID-19 in a 40-Year-Old Antidepressant (60 Minutes) | Fluvoxamine, a drug commonly used to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder, has become an early treatment candidate for COVID-19. It all started with a study done at the University of Virginia. Watch. Read the research release in the newsroom.

OPERATIONS

Latest Changes in Epic Will Go Live on Tuesday, March 9 | This month’s updates in Epic will impact Ambulatory and Inpatient LIPs, nurses, and therapy services. Learn more about the additional patient information that will be released to MyChart, which includes progress notes for Ambulatory Documentation Only, Prep for Case, and Pre/post Procedure Call encounter types and more in this month’s Epic Update bundle. If you need further assistance, please contact the Help Desk at 434.924.5334.

TEAM MEMBER SAFETY AND WELL-BEING

Nourishing Restorative Sleep | Tuesday, March 9 | noon-1 p.m. | Insufficient sleep is associated with an increased risk for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke, obesity, and depression. FEAP and Hoos Well have teamed up to teach you about the most common barriers to sleep, the "rest and digest" branch of the autonomic nervous system, and steps you can take to prepare your mind and body for rest. Register.

Special Edition of Virtual Meditation on the Lawn | Wednesday, March 10 | 11-11:30 a.m. | Join the Contemplative Sciences Center as world-renowned meditation facilitator Sharon Salzberg leads a 15-minute meditation session followed by a question-and-answer period. Register.

APPRECIATION

Thank You, Ann Rigdon, for Being a Tireless Champion of Colorectal Cancer Screening | March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, and a perfect time to acknowledge the contribution that Ann Rigdon, RN, has made in educating team members and community members. As the Colorectal Screening Program Coordinator for Emily Couric Clinical Cancer Center, Ann knows if colon cancer is caught early there’s a 90% five-year survival rate. Her commitment to early detection has led her to work tirelessly, especially during March! Last year, Ann piloted a concierge service that hand-delivered 22 at-home free fecal immunochemical tests (FITs) to team members on the UVA health plan. She also made time to hold one-on-one conversations with 64 team members about colon cancer. 

This year, Ann is setting her sights on delivering 29 FIT tests. She is also ready to support team members by answering questions about colon cancer, explaining risk factors and providing information about other screenings covered under the UVA Health plan. For more details about this program visit Connect.

UVA Research Team is a Contender in Biomedical Innovation Tournament | Your Votes Can Help Them Win | For the third year in a row, a discovery from UVA School of Medicine has been selected as one of the year’s most significant biomedical discoveries. The finding — identifying the gene responsible for one of the deadliest cancers — is among 64 contenders fighting it out to win the public’s votes in an online bracket tournament. Voting in STAT Madness is like the scientific version of the NCAA basketball tournament. The annual competition is sponsored by the STAT health news site to identify the year’s “best biomedical innovation,” and you can vote by visiting here. Currently, UVA is in the second round, facing off against Massachusetts General Hospital. Help our team win by casting your vote by Friday, March 14. Read more on Connect.

VISIT OUR COVID-19 INFORMATION RESOURCE

Outpatient call 434.982.6843
Hospital Epidemiologist page 9204
COVID19Questions@hscmail.mcc.virginia.edu

FRIDAY, MARCH 5, 2021

UVA COVID-19 INPATIENT SNAPSHOT, 1:54 p.m.

Current Census

• Under investigation for COVID-19: 0
• Confirmed with COVID-19: 26
  • SPU – 4 South CVICU: 13
  • SPU – 5 South: 12
  • 3 West: 1
• Confirmed with COVID-19 on ventilator: 14

Discharged Since March 10

• Under investigation for COVID-19: 243
• Confirmed with COVID-19: 1,143

PPE INVENTORY UPDATE, 6:45 a.m.

COVID-19 NEWS

Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Approved for Use in Virginia (CBS19) | Virginians can expect 69,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine to be delivered to the state this week. Addressing concerns that the new, one-shot vaccine may be less effective than the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, Patrick Jackson, MD, an infectious disease expert at UVA Health, says, "The really important number from the Johnson & Johnson trials is that even in the face of some of these new variants of COVID-19 that we've been talking about, no patients that got the vaccine ended up being hospitalized and no patients died in their trial.” Watch.

Added Vaccine Supplies Could Expand Eligibility to More Groups (Daily Progress) | The boost in overall vaccine supplies — which is being made possible by the availability of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine — could speed up Virginia’s ability to widen vaccine eligibility to the rest of phase 1b — which includes farmworkers, grocery store clerks, and cleaning staff — sometime in March. Read more. 

COVID-19 Weekly Update | Hospital Epidemiologist Costi Sifri, MD 

• Nationwide
  • Cases in U.S. have plateaued, raising concern that more transmissible variants (e.g. B.1.1.7) are increasing
  • Hospitalizations are dropping, deaths are stable

• Virginia
  • Cases are continuing to decline
  • Total hospitalizations are dropping, while new hospitalizations have plateaued
  • Deaths are increasing as VDH processes death certificate after the post-holiday surge
  • Case counts in the Blue Ridge Health District are dropping
  • Reduced case counts in Charlottesville and Albemarle
  • Reduced case counts among UVA students                    
• UVA Medical Center
  • Hospitalizations stable, overall trend down over the last month

OPERATIONS

HR Policy 510: Modified Hospital Operations Suspended | Last spring, the Medical Center activated HR Policy 510 Modified Medical Center Operations to ensure we could perform all essential patient care functions during our ongoing COVID-19 response. After careful evaluation of current patient care needs, including COVID-19 volumes and the impacts on team members, Medical Center leadership is pleased to announce that we are able to suspend the use of HR Policy 510 and return to standard operations.

Please note that this policy is separate from the additional shift coverage (red-shifts) for nursing and CNA/PCT teams as committed through the scheduling period starting Sunday, March 7. We recognize your extraordinary efforts and express our profound appreciation for your continued sacrifice and steadfast dedication. If you have questions, please reach out to your manager or HR Business Partner.

Important Clarifications: New Visitation Guidelines for Designated Inpatient Visitors | To ensure consistency in implementation, it is important to understand the parameters for designated inpatient visitors that went into effect on Tuesday, March 3:

• Adult patients can identify 2 designated visitors BUT only one can be at bedside 0800-2100 or in the Medical Center building at a time. The non-visiting designated visitor cannot wait in the lobby or cafeteria.
• The designated visitors must be entered in the FYI Flag. This eases their access into the hospital.
• Designated visitors must stay with the patient. The designated visitor can go to the restroom or cafeteria but must return immediately.
• If the designated visitor leaves the facility, they cannot return until the next calendar day.

Resources: 

• Visitor Restrictions Policy: Team Member Guidance
• Inpatient Adults
• Inpatient Peds

HUMAN RESOURCES

Uteam Member of the Month Program | Nomination Deadline: 15th of Every Month | This program recognizes team members each month for their outstanding service to UVA Health and commitment to our ASPIRE values. Any team member, patient, or visitor may nominate an eligible team member, including individuals from UVA Medical Center, School of Medicine, School of Nursing, and UVA Physicians Group. Nominations can be submitted here.

TEAM MEMBER SAFETY AND WELL-BEING

Compassionate Care Initiative Offers Monthly Drop-ins Sessions | All sessions are beginner-friendly, free, and open to the public. To register, click on the session title. Zoom links will be sent upon registration. This schedule will run through May. See full calendar of events. 

• Creativity Break with George Andrews | 1st Thursdays | 9-9:30 a.m. | Please bring a piece of paper and two different colored writing/drawing utensils. 
• "Office Hours" with Kenny the Therapy Dog | 2nd Wednesdays | 3:45-4:15 p.m. 

APPRECIATION

The Clinic Doors Are Closed, But the Legacy of Hope Lives On | The vaccination clinics in the Emily Couric Clinical Cancer Center and the Education Resource Center have closed their doors. During their temporary existence, these clinics proved to be much more than locations where needles met arms. For many of us, these clinics served as emotional recharging stations where hope, relief, joy and gratitude were found. In vaccinating 75% of the UVA Health workforce as well as thousands of community members, these clinics showcased the heart of who we are as an organization: fearless and unstoppable when faced with great challenges, generous and dedicated when called to care for others, and relentless in our desire to serve and contribute to the greatest good of society.

We appreciate all the teams that served as the wind beneath the wings of these successful clinics — from Pharmacy to Health Information Technology, from Employee Health to Hospital Epidemiology, from Human Resources to Volunteer Services and Patient Experience, from Facilities Management to Parking and Transportation, and so many, many more. Each of these contributors played part of a history-making endeavor that provided a dose of hope to thousands.

VISIT OUR COVID-19 INFORMATION RESOURCE

Outpatient call 434.982.6843
Hospital Epidemiologist page 9204
COVID19Questions@hscmail.mcc.virginia.edu

MONDAY, MARCH 1, 2021

UVA COVID-19 INPATIENT SNAPSHOT, 1:49 p.m.

Current Census

• Under investigation for COVID-19: 1
• Confirmed with COVID-19: 33
  
  • SPU – 4 South CVICU: 15
  • SPU – 5 South: 13
  • 3 Central: 1
  • 3 West: 1
  • 8 Central OB: 1
  • Neuro ICU: 1
  • PICU – 7 North: 1
• Confirmed with COVID-19 on ventilator: 17

Discharged Since March 10

• Under investigation for COVID-19: 239
• Confirmed with COVID-19: 1,123

PPE INVENTORY UPDATE, 7:02 a.m.

UVA COVID-19 INPATIENT SNAPSHOT, 3:02 p.m.
Current Census
Under investigation for COVID-19: 0
Confirmed with COVID-19: 32

• SPU - 4 South CVICU: 14
• SPU - 5 South: 15
• 7 Central: 2
• 3 Central: 1

Confirmed with COVID-19 on ventilator: 14

Discharged Since March 10
Under investigation for COVID-19: 236
Confirmed with COVID-19: 1,110

PPE INVENTORY UPDATE, 7:06 a.m.

COVID-19 VACCINATION NEWS AND MORE

Big News: UVA Vaccination Clinics Pass the 50,000 Dose Mark | Yesterday, our COVID-19 vaccination program administered its 50,000th dose and kept on going. At the end of the day, the combined dose total for our three vaccination clinics — Emily Couric 4, Educational Resource Center A, and Seminole Square — stood at 51,609. This is an amazing milestone! We offer congratulations and thanks to everyone who has been working behind the scenes and in our clinics to deliver these “doses of hope” to our team and community. 

Team Member Vaccinations Shifting to Seminole Square | The COVID-19 vaccination clinics in the Emily Couric Clinical Cancer Center and the Education Resource Center are offering their final doses today. Going forward, all vaccinations for our team and the community will be provided at the Seminole Square clinic. Appointments will be available to team members (including new hires, students beginning their clinical rotations, and current unvaccinated employees) on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Scheduling details will be provided directly to eligible individuals.

Doctor Explains What You Can and Can’t Do After Receiving COVID-19 Vaccinations (NBC29) | Now that roughly 500,000 Virginians are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, what can all of these people do or not do? “It is very important that people continue to practice social distancing and mask wearing even after being vaccinated, because we really are at the threshold of getting past this and really continuing to practice good measures to prevent the spread will help us get rid of COVID,” said Patrick Jackson, MD, assistant professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases at UVA Health. Watch story.

Systemic Racism and Health Outcomes | Tuesday, March 2 | Noon-1 p.m. | The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the stark inequities facing people of color. Our panelists will discuss the impact of racism on health and healthcare with a focus on efforts by UVA and the health system to partner with local communities to address historical injustices and eliminate health disparities. Sponsored by the Social Issues in Medicine Course (SIM). Zoom link. Meeting ID: 930 4289 9387. Passcode: 906211

OPERATIONS

Visitation Permitted at UVA Inpatient Units, Procedural Areas | Begins Tuesday,  March 2 | Visitation limits are changing in inpatient units, the emergency department, and procedural areas. See details below. All visitors will be screened for COVID-19 symptoms and must be symptom-free before entering UVA Health facilities. All visitors must wear a mask at all times, including at patients’ bedsides. You can find information about visitation changes, including exemptions for pediatric patients, mothers in labor, patients at the end of life, and others here. 

HAPPENING NEXT WEEK

Excellence in Education Week | Monday, March 1 - Friday, March 5 | This annual event highlights and celebrates educational research and innovations among UVA faculty, staff, fellows, residents, postdocs, graduate students, and medical students. Dedicated to education in academic medicine, this week seeks to increase interest in scholarship and innovations in teaching and learning, provide professional development and networking opportunities, and connect the UVA community with internationally known educational researchers. Read more on the Dean’s Office Blog.

Medical Center Hour: Elderhood | Wednesday, March 3 | Noon-1 p.m. | Among the COVID-19 pandemic's lessons is an increased awareness of the hazards of old age. But only a fraction of that risk is biological. At a moment in history when most of us will live into old age, we've created a world that's almost entirely focused on childhood and adulthood. It's time now to define, design, and empower this new, nearly universal elderhood. In this Medical Center Hour, geriatrician and writer Louise Aronson draws on her clinical experience and creative abilities to reimagine and advocate for old age not as a disease but as a vital phase of being human, with implications for social and community life, technology, geroscience, and healthcare. Zoom link. Passcode: 763749

TEAM MEMBER SAFETY AND WELL-BEING

FEAP Tip of the Month: Love in the Pandemic | The COVID-19 pandemic has lasted nearly a year. If you’re feeling like your relationship could use some invigoration, here are a few suggestions for COVID-safe things to do with your loved one. Read more.

APPRECIATION

UVA Cancer Center Clinic Earns National Patient Experience Award | In a recent tweet, Executive Vice President for Health Affairs K. Craig Kent, MD shared, “Patient care and satisfaction are at the heart of all that we do at UVA Health. I am so proud of our @UVACancerCenter clinics for receiving this incredible award for outstanding patient satisfaction.”

Congratulations to the 3 West hematology/oncology clinic at University of Virginia Cancer Center for earning a national patient experience award based on excellent ratings from patients. Learn more.

Nominate an RN for a Nursing Excellence Award | Deadline: Thursday, March 25 | The Professional Nursing Staff Organization honors several nurses each year for demonstrating excellence in their roles. Please consider nominating one or more of your well-deserving RN colleagues for these honors. Learn more here.

VISIT OUR COVID-19 INFORMATION RESOURCE

Outpatient call 434.982.6843
Hospital Epidemiologist page 9204
COVID19Questions@hscmail.mcc.virginia.edu

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 24, 2021

UVA COVID-19 INPATIENT SNAPSHOT, 2:39 p.m.

Current Census

• Under investigation for COVID-19: 0
• Confirmed with COVID-19: 32
  • SPU – 4 South CVICU: 14
  • SPU – 5 South: 12
  • 7 Central: 33 Central: 1
  • 4 East: 1
  • PICU – 7 North: 1
• Confirmed with COVID-19 on ventilator: 14

Discharged Since March 10

• Under investigation for COVID-19: 233
• Confirmed with COVID-19: 1,093

PPE INVENTORY UPDATE, 7:27 a.m.

COVID VACCINE  PROGRAM

COVID-19 Weekly Update | Hospital Epidemiologist Costi Sifri, MD 

• Nationwide
  • Cases, hospitalizations, and deaths in U.S. are dropping
  • Review of J&J COVID Vaccine by the FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee set for Feb. 26
• Virginia
  • Virginia’s cases are continuing to decline
  • New hospitalizations and deaths have plateaued 
  • Total hospitalizations are dropping
  • 3 cases of B.1.351 (South Africa) variant reported
  • Spike in case counts across the Blue Ridge Health District (BRHD), specifically Charlottesville and Albemarle, but not rest of the district 
  • Coincides with spike in UVA cases                   
• UVA Medical Center
  • Hospitalizations stable, overall trend down over the last month
  • Ongoing vaccination efforts
  • Community vaccination scheduling transitioned from VaxTrax to EPIC on Feb. 17
  • Multiple community events – Timberlake, Carver, Yancey, Esmont
  • 990 vaccinations this weekend in outreach events
  • More community outreach vaccine efforts this week
  • Finishing 2nd doses for team members and community 1b’s in EC4/ERC-A on Feb. 26

Clarification: How Clinics Should Handle Patient Calls About Vaccine Appointments | Understandably, many patients have questions about vaccine appointments. They know we are providing vaccinations at the ERC and Seminole Square and call our outpatient clinics for information. Currently, there are two response options:

• Patients who have received a MyChart message confirming their vaccination appointment: Please forward these questions to the UVA COVID Vaccine Call Center at 434.297.4289 (4VAX) or by emailing UVAvaxscheduling@virginia.edu.
• All other patients: Please advise these patients that all scheduling is being managed through the Virginia Department of Health, and that they must pre-register on the Vaccinate Virginia website (https://vaccinate.virginia.gov/). If they have registered and have not yet received instructions for scheduling an appointment, advise them that we have no information about how long they will need to wait for an appointment.

Call for Volunteer Screeners | Seminole Square Vaccination Clinic | Wednesday, Feb. 24 and Friday, Feb. 26 | Screeners are needed to help as paid volunteers at the Seminole Square clinic. This week's available shifts are noted below; shifts for coming weeks are now open, too. It is recommended but not required that UVA volunteers be fully vaccinated (two doses completed). Sign up here.

• Feb. 24 shifts: 12:30-4:30 p.m. and 4-8:15 p.m.
• Feb. 26 shifts: 10:30- a.m.-2:30 p.m. and 2-6:15 p.m.

UVA Health Vaccination Snapshot | The Vaccination Snapshot is not being published today. It is being reconfigured to include visits scheduled in VaxTrax and well as those scheduled in Epic. As of Feb. 17, the management of all appointments for community vaccinations was transferred from VaxTrax to Epic.

All Team Member Vaccinations Shifting to Seminole Square | The temporary COVID-19 vaccination clinics in the Emily Couric Clinical Cancer Center and the Education Resource Center are set to close on Friday, Feb. 26. All onboarding and existing team members who have not yet gotten their COVID-19 vaccinations will receive instructions for scheduling their appointments at the Seminole Square Clinic. 

OPERATIONS

Epic ID Numbers for COVID-19 Vaccine SmartPhrases | We’ve been asked to provide the Epic identification numbers for the new vaccine smartphrases announced last Friday. They are:

• 385413 .COVIDVACCINE
• 385414 .COVIDVACCINESPANISH

User Reminder: When you start typing the dot phrase, the date of revision will automatically populate on your screen.

HUMAN RESOURCES

Temporary Relief Measures to Team Members Enrolled in Healthcare FSAs | Special Enrollment Period March 1-31 | The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 gave employers the opportunity to provide temporary relief measures to team members enrolled in healthcare FSAs. As a result, UVA has elected to allow team members currently enrolled in a 2021 full or limited healthcare FSA to decrease their goal amount without experiencing a qualified life event.

Submit a request to decrease your existing healthcare FSA election by emailing AskHR@virginia.edu between March 1-31. The requested amount cannot be less than the annual minimum of $120, the amount you’ve already spent, or the amount you’ll contribute through your March 2021 payrolls. Changes will be effective April 1, 2021.

TEAM MEMBER SAFETY AND WELL-BEING

Coffee With Colleagues | You are invited to take a brief break with Wendy Horton, CEO of the Medical Center. This is an opportunity to pause, breathe, and share whatever you’d like. In light of current restrictions, no actual coffee will be served, but you will receive a card to redeem for a treat. Special locations have been scheduled for ambulatory clinics at Fontaine in July and November and Northridge in October. Coffee With Colleagues will be held once a month, and participation is limited. View schedule and register.

Reminder: Cloth Facemasks Available Upon Request | Volunteer Services reports that its seamstresses are still busy creating cloth masks that are available as gifts to team members. Options: regular facemask with ties, regular facemask with elastic ear loops, or masks with clear plastic over the mouth (also called a communicator mask).  Click this link to request!

APPRECIATION

GME Trainee Appreciation Week | Feb. 21-27 | It is a special week for residents and fellows at UVA Health. We thank them for being essential members of our interdisciplinary healthcare team and for choosing UVA Health for their continued medical training. We appreciate all they do to help educate others, to care for our patients and their families, and to make amazing contributions to our work during this unforgettable year. Read more and view a celebratory video on Connect.

Last Call for Nominations: The Thomas Jefferson Awards | Deadline: March 1 | The Thomas Jefferson Awards are the highest honors given to members of the University community who have exemplified in character, work, and influence the principles and ideals of Jefferson, and thus advanced the objectives for which he founded the University. Click here for more details and to submit a nomination.

VISIT OUR COVID-19 INFORMATION RESOURCE

Outpatient call 434.982.6843
Hospital Epidemiologist page 9204
COVID19Questions@hscmail.mcc.virginia.edu

FRIDAY, FEB. 19, 2021

UVA COVID-19 INPATIENT SNAPSHOT, 12:53 p.m.

Current Census

• Under investigation for COVID-19: 1
• Confirmed with COVID-19: 36
  • SPU – 4S CVICU: 16
  • SPU – 5S: 14
  • SPU – 3S: 3
  • 7C: 2
  • 3C: 1

Confirmed with COVID-19 on ventilator: 14

Discharged Since March 10

• Under investigation for COVID-19: 228
• Confirmed with COVID-19: 1,069

PPE INVENTORY UPDATE, 6:22 a.m.

COVID-19 VACCINATIONS AND NEWS

Yay, We’ve Been Vaccinated! Can We Start Interacting In Person Again? | “While you should feel more protected after getting fully vaccinated against COVID-19, returning to ‘old normal’ face-to-face interactions is not recommended,” explains Hospital Epidemiologist Costi Sifri, MD. “You should continue wearing masks, practicing social distancing and washing your hands frequently.” Dr. Sifri has a list of five reasons why continued COVID precautions are needed. Read the details on Connect.

Inclement Weather Expected | ERC and Seminole Square Vaccination Clinics Will Remain Open | Although inclement weather has been forecast for Thursday, Feb. 18, into Friday, Feb. 19, the COVID-19 vaccination clinics at the ERC and Seminole Square will remain in operation. Vaccinators are expected to arrive for their shift unless they find a replacement and communicate that information to either Laura Gastrell (434.409.9004) or Denise Barth (434.882.4341).

UVA Implements New Restrictions in Response to Rise in COVID Cases (UVA Today) | UVA has implemented new health and safety restrictions in response to a recent rise in the number of COVID-19 cases among students. The new measures, which will remain in place through Feb. 26, were announced by President Jim Ryan, Executive Vice President for Health Affairs Dr. K. Craig Kent, Provost Liz Magill and Chief Operating Officer J.J. Davis. Read more.

Reminder: COVID Testing Procedure and Responsibilities | The COVID Testing Procedure & Responsibilities webpage explains the testing procedures and notifications for when an Academic Division employee (including SOM and SON) is suspected of having COVID-19 or self-reports as having COVID-19. It also outlines the necessary steps for the supervisor and the employee when the test results come back as either positive or negative. The UVA Health Coronavirus and COVID-19 webpage explains similar procedures for UVA Medical Center team members.

UVA Research: Two Out of Three People in the Summer Were Asymptomatic (Daily Progress) | Researchers who tested nearly 4,700 Virginians from June to mid-August for traces of a prior coronavirus infection found that only about 2.4% had previously been sick. But two out of three of those who had contracted the virus didn’t have any symptoms. And when adjusted for population, the numbers were nearly three times higher than summer reports of positive tests on the Virginia Department of Health website. Read more.

UVA Health Vaccination Snapshot | Feb. 16, 2021

OPERATIONS

Feedback Sought: Electronic Medical Record Experience Survey | Closes Friday, Feb. 26 | The 2021 EMR Experience Survey is underway and everyone who uses Epic is invited to participate. Survey responses are anonymous and will guide the development of programs to optimize EMR engagement and remove obstacles to efficiency. Take survey.

TEAM MEMBER SAFETY AND WELL-BEING

Earn $60 by Participating in a Well-Being Study | A co-led UVA group is seeking participants for a study examining the impact of meditation and physical activity on well-being and abilities. Your participation will help shape new Hoos Well programs aimed at enhancing emotional well-being. The all-online study will involve 1.5 hours per week for 9 weeks and is conducted by Dr. Kim Penberthy, Professor, UVA Department of Psychiatry & Neurobehavioral Sciences. IRB SBS # 3652. For more information, please contact Liz Hanchak at eah3r@virginia.edu.

Support for Elder Caregivers | Are you currently or anticipating becoming a caregiver for an elder? Elder Care consultation is now available through FEAP. Contact Denese Straughn at dds4e@virginia.edu or 434.326.3403.

APPRECIATION

Nominate an RN for a Nursing Excellence Award | Deadline: Thursday, March 25 | The Professional Nursing Staff Organization honors several nurses each year for demonstrating excellence in their roles. Nominate.

UVA Health Earns National Award for Reducing COVID-19 Infections at Long-Term Care Facilities | UVA Health has received a national health innovation award for its collaborative program to prevent COVID-19 infections at local long-term care facilities and reduce mortality when outbreaks occur. Our Geriatric Engagement and Resource Integration for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Facilities (GERI-PaL) program was named a runner-up in the 2020 Health Quality Innovators of the Year Awards.

“I am so proud to see the efforts of our entire team and our long-term care facility and community partners recognized,” said geriatrician Laurie R. Archbald-Pannone, MD, the program’s lead physician. “This is a wonderful example of healthcare providers here in the Charlottesville area who are working tirelessly to provide quality care for patients with COVID-19.” Read more on Connect.

VISIT OUR COVID-19 INFORMATION RESOURCE

Outpatient call 434.982.6843
Hospital Epidemiologist page 9204
COVID19Questions@hscmail.mcc.virginia.edu

MONDAY, FEB. 15, 2021

UVA COVID-19 INPATIENT SNAPSHOT, 1:37 p.m.

Current Census

• Under investigation for COVID-19: 0
• Confirmed with COVID-19: 34
  • SPU – 4S (CVICU): 18
  • SPU – 5S: 9
  • SPU – 3S: 5
  • 7 Central: 1
  • 3 Central: 1
• Confirmed with COVID-19 on ventilator: 17

Discharged Since March 10

• Under investigation for COVID-19: 226
• Confirmed with COVID-19: 1,045

PPE INVENTORY UPDATE, 6:34 a.m.

OPERATIONS

Reminder: Printed Copies of Updated Red Book Required in All Areas | Printed versions of updated Red Book/Emergency Procedures were due to be in place by Friday, Jan. 29. If you have not already done so, update your area’s Red Book as follows:  

1. Download new materials from the Red Book/Emergency Procedures website.
2. Place these documents in your Red Book binder. Remember, at least one physical Red Book must be easily accessible by Team Members at all times. 
3. Review the Red Book/Emergency Procedures with your team.

Please email questions to Robert Truoccolo, Director of Emergency Management.

COVID VACCINE NEWS

COVID-19 Vaccine Preregistration Will Stop While Virginia Builds Central System Over the Weekend (Roanoke Times) | The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) is moving all local health district waiting lists into a central system, and replacing each of the local surveys with a link to the unified system. The change is intended to offer a more user-friendly way both for people to express interest in getting a shot and for public health officials to manage the lists. Vaccine re-registration will stop at 5 p.m. today and reopen at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 16, when the new system launches. 

VDH also has set up a call center to help people with questions about vaccines. The toll-free hotline, 877.275.8343, will operate daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., with staff able to help people who don’t have computers or who have difficulty using them. Language translation services will be available. Read more.

COVID-19 and the Heart: How to Know If You Have Cardiac Complications (UVA Healthy Balance) | Studies show that between 20-40% of people diagnosed with severe COVID-19 will also have heart problems as a result of the virus. “That’s a pretty huge range,” admits UVA cardiologist James Bergin, MD. But the fact is, until we get more time to study the virus, we don’t have all of the answers. Read more.

COVID Response Volunteers Needed | The UVA Employee Volunteer Center encourages Academic Division and Medical Center employees to volunteer in support of the region’s ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) response and recovery efforts. Current critical areas of need include community testing events, food distribution, blood donations, and more. Learn more.

UVA Health Vaccination Snapshot | Feb. 11, 2021

HAPPENING NEXT WEEK

Virtual Meditation on the Lawn | Monday, Feb. 15 | 7:50-8 a.m. | This week's facilitator will be Doug Worthen, Mindfulness Director at the Middlesex School in Concord, Mass. Virtual Meditation on the Lawn is a 7-8 minute virtual meditation or short guided reflection. Free and open to the public. Registration required.

Medical Center Hour: LGBTQ-Inclusive Hospice and Palliative Care - Transforming Practice | Wednesday, Feb. 17 | Noon-1 p.m. | This John F. Anderson Memorial Lecture is being presented by UVA School of Nursing Professor Kimberly D. Acquaviva and palliative care physician and Chief Medical Officer of the Hospice of the Piedmont Timothy B. Short, MD. In this presentation, Kim will discuss the barriers to and facilitators of high-quality care that she and her wife, Kathy, encountered as a lesbian couple. Zoom link. Passcode: 763749

TEAM MEMBER SAFETY AND WELL-BEING

Dependent Care Update | Bright Horizons is waiving all U.S. copays for Back-up Care in the months of March and April. Employees are eligible for 15 days of Back-up Care each year, and that balance reset on Jan. 1, 2021. More information can be found on the Dependent Care webpage or by emailing AskHR@virginia.edu.

Contemplative Classes for Everyone | During the spring semester, the Contemplative Sciences Center is offering a variety of drop-in contemplative practice classes. All levels are welcome! Learn more.

Spring Semester Highlights:

• Extensive lineup of Ashtanga yoga classes for all levels from certified Ashtanga instructor John Bultman  
• Night Owl Yoga several times a week, including Yoga for Anxiety on Tuesdays and in-person Flow Yoga at the AFC on Thursdays  
• Yoga for Emotional Well-Being with Robin Lilly 
• Yoga and Meditation for All Bodies with Benita Mayo 
• T'ai Chi with Hiromi Johnson 

APPRECIATION

Acknowledging Sacrifices and Incredible Efforts | In a message sent to all UVA Health team members today, executive leaders reported the results of the American Medical Association (AMA) Coping with COVID-19 for Caregivers Survey. Read details.

In that message, they acknowledged the contributions of team members as follows:

Even though much has improved since last year, we know you made many sacrifices to meet the challenges. You endured financial mitigation strategies necessary to sustain our ability to provide outstanding patient care and to continue critical research and education; you have managed increased workloads in order to provide highly complex care with heightened safety precautions; you have continued your duties despite concern for your own and your family’s COVID-19 safety; you have provided compassionate care to patients and their families during this often-heartbreaking time — and much, much more. 

Thanks to your incredible efforts, we have:

• Cared for over 1,000 COVID-19 patients at UVA Medical Center — with exemplary outcomes. You have saved many lives.
• Cared for over 850 COVID-19 patients via In Home Monitoring through Population Health
• Developed and implemented new testing procedures that have been adopted by others around the country
• Secured our personal protective equipment supply chain
• Opened units in our new bed tower ahead of schedule to care for COVID-19 patients
• Launched a proactive vaccination campaign
• Stabilized our financial health to insure our future ability to care for patients

PPE UPDATE

N95 Mask Reprocessing Updates | N95 masks were initially approved by the FDA to be reprocessed up to 20 times for re-use. The FDA recently decreased that number to four. Batelle, our mask processing partner, will continue to mark the mask after each processing and will discard masks after the fourth reprocessing. As a reminder, a user seal test should be performed as part of the N95 donning process. If the user seal test is not successful, the N95 should be discarded into a regulated medical waste (RMW) container and a new mask should be donned.

Reminder: New Masking Recommendation | Team Members and Visitors Strongly Encouraged to Wear Triple-Layer Ear Loop Mask | All of the disposable ‘medical grade’ ear loop masks distributed by the health system are triple layered. These provide better protection against the spread of COVID-19 than most cloth masks currently used as an alternative. Therefore, UVA Health strongly recommends wearing a well-fit, triple-layer mask — along with physical distancing, avoiding large groups, and washing your hands frequently — as one of the best ways to control the spread of the virus in day-to-day life. Direct patient care calls for the diligent use of all PPE protocols.

UVA Health has been operating under Universal Masking protocols for team members, patients and visitors for many months. These new recommendations include patients and visitors. These masks will be made available for those who do not have them.

COVID VACCINATION NEWS

COVID-19 Weekly Update | Hospital Epidemiologist Costi Sifri, MD 

• Nationwide
  • Cases in U.S. are dropping in most regions
  • 50% decline in four weeks
  • Dropping hospitalizations
  • Deaths trending slightly down but still at a high level                
• Virginia
  • Cases are now declining statewide in most health districts
  • Plateaued hospitalizations and increasing deaths
  • Continued declining case positivity rate for the last 4 weeks
  • Variants reported in VA (B.1.1.7 (UK), B.1.351 (South African))
  • Dropping case counts across Blue Ridge Health District
  • Dropping test positivity rate
• UVA Medical Center
  • Hospitalizations stable at ~40-50 last week
  • Important themes: variants, vaccines, and masks
• UVA Health Vaccine Administration - Continuing Work
  • Finished initial dose appointments for team members on Friday, Feb. 5
  • Supporting Blue Ridge Health District Kmart tent site by providing 10 vaccinators, 2-3 days/week
  • Operating Seminole Square vaccination site, first four days, huge success

UVA Health Vaccination Snapshot | Feb. 7, 2021

OPERATIONS

ePA, RTPB Upgrade Makes it Easier to Navigate Rx Benefits and Prior Authorizations | Go Live Tuesday, Feb. 9 | Tomorrow, Electronic Prior Authorization (ePA) and Real Time Prescription Benefits (RTPB) take a big step forward in providing the best prescription benefit information at the time of prescribing, helping our patients get faster access to affordable medications.

• Ambulatory Providers: Enjoy additional, accurate information at the time of prescribing. Medications needing prior authorization will be labeled, and cost estimates will display at the time of signing.
  • ePA Questions for LIPs
  • ePA for Providers 
  • RTPB – Ordering Outpatient Meds
• Clinical Support Teams: Prior authorization (PA) requests will come right to your In Basket. New functionality allows you to complete the PA electronically and access Cover My Meds support right in Epic including a new activity list and real-time chat!
  • Electronic Prior Authorizations - In Basket Workflow 
  • Electronic Prior Authorization - PA Detail within In Basket

Questions? Contact UVAEpicUpgrade@hscmail.mcc.virginia.edu.

TEAM MEMBER SAFETY AND WELL-BEING

Connect For Support: Employee Focus | Tuesday, Feb. 9 | Noon-12:30 p.m. | FEAP invites UVA Health team members to join this 30-minute drop-in session over Zoom. We will discuss coping strategies and possible resources to help you during this challenging time. Register.

FEAP Tip of the Month: Managing Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) | SAD is a form of depression that is linked to changes in the seasons. However, there are steps you can take to manage it and improve year round mood and motivation. Read more.

APPRECIATION

Hospice Partnership Offers Gold Standard Approach for Children and Families | Joy Miller, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner on UVA Children's Pediatric Palliative Care team recently expressed her appreciation for Augusta Health, Hospice of the Shenandoah, the NICU team and the Pediatric Palliative Care team who worked in close partnership to provide compassionate, end-of-life care for an infant. 

“The family of a three-day-old baby made the loving decision to redirect care and surround him with love through the support of our UVA Children’s team and hospice. The hospice team from Augusta Health, Hospice of the Shenandoah, folded right in to our UVA team and provided compassionate care, truly a gold standard approach from all teams involved. We aspired to deliver the very best for families during this phase of care, and we absolutely did that today.

“We honored planned meaningful moments for the family and proceeded with redirection around 1600. We extubated at 1645, and he died peacefully, in his mother’s arms at 1730. Just moments before he died, Mom shared, ‘I’m so at peace.’

“A huge thank you to Shantal Savage, the Pediatric Palliative Care team, the NICU team, Augusta Health, Hospice of the Shenandoah team, Peds Pharmacy, Bed Center, EPIC (Clinical, Grand Central, Finance), the list goes on! This work/project went live just days ago and the conversion process was truly seamless.”

VISIT OUR COVID-19 INFORMATION RESOURCE

Outpatient call 434.982.6843
Hospital Epidemiologist page 9204
COVID19Questions@hscmail.mcc.virginia.edu

FRIDAY, FEB. 5, 2021

UVA COVID-19 INPATIENT SNAPSHOT, 1:01 p.m.

Current Census

• Under investigation for COVID-19: 0
• Confirmed with COVID-19: 49
  • ICU SPU (4S): 21
  • Acute SPU (5S): 15
  • SPU (3S): 10
  • 7 Central: 2
  • 8 Central OB: 1
• Confirmed with COVID-19 on ventilator: 21

Discharged Since March 10

• Under investigation for COVID-19: 216
• Confirmed with COVID-19: 977

PPE INVENTORY UPDATE, 7:35 a.m.

PPE UPDATE

New Masking Recommendation | Team Members and Visitors Strongly Encouraged to Wear Triple-Layer Ear Loop Mask | All of the disposable ‘medical grade’ ear loop masks distributed by the health system are triple layered. These provide better protection against the spread of COVID-19 than most cloth masks currently used as an alternative. Therefore, UVA Health strongly recommends wearing a well-fit, triple-layer mask – along with physical distancing, avoiding large groups, and washing your hands frequently – as one of the best ways to control the spread of the virus in day-to-day life. Direct patient care calls for the diligent use of all PPE protocols.

UVA Health has been operating under Universal Masking protocols for team members, patients and visitors for many months. These new recommendations include patients and visitors. These masks will be made available for those who do not have them.

COVID VACCINE NEWS

Antibody Cocktail Prevents Symptomatic COVID-19 Infections, Early Trial Results Suggest | An antibody cocktail being tested at UVA Health and other sites was able to block 100% of symptomatic COVID-19 infections among people exposed to the virus, early results from the clinical trial suggest. In addition, those who developed asymptomatic infections accumulated far less virus in their bodies than usual and saw their infections resolve within a week, according to interim data released by the cocktail’s manufacturer, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals. Read the press release.

PFA Team Launches COVID-19 Vaccination Call Center for Community | Working in conjunction with the Blue Ridge Health District, the PFA team is now operating a call center to support vaccine registrations at the Seminole Square Clinic, which is accessible by appointment only. The center is using an easy to remember telephone number (434.297.4VAX), and helping those individuals who have been notified that they can schedule an appointment. 

More Roles Eligible to Volunteer as Vaccinators | Sign Up Today | Pharmacists, RNs/LPNs, EMTs/Paramedics, MDs, PAs, NPs, CMAs, and CRNAs can now volunteer to serve as COVID-19 vaccinators at the Seminole Square Clinic. It is recommended, but not required, that UVA volunteers be fully vaccinated (two doses completed). Sign up on the COVID-Vax page.

UVA Health Vaccination Snapshot | Feb. 2, 2021

OPERATIONS

New Balance Billing Notification for Patients | Virginia’s new balance billing law went into effect on Jan. 1, 2021. This law protects patients from being billed by a healthcare provider (doctor, nurse practitioner, etc.) who is not covered by their insurance plan. This includes emergency services and some non-emergency services (such as surgery, X-rays and blood work) patients may receive while at a hospital or other healthcare facility covered by their insurance. This law also includes new patient notification requirements to ensure patients understand how they are protected.

• Patients will receive MyChart messages and e-mails with the balance billing notification at the point of scheduling.
• Patients without MyChart or e-mail will be mailed a printed letter the morning after scheduling.
• Patients will also receive the balance billing notification with any billing statement from UVA Health (as required by the new law).
• We are working to help our patients manage their communication preferences and will provide an opt-out for this communication.
• This information will be available and maintained on uvahealth.com.
• Any updates regarding this process will be communicated through the UVA Health Update, ReveNews, and the pod manager meeting.

PATIENT CARE

Update: Aerosol-Generating Procedure (AGP) Precautions | Based on evolving information and feedback from front-line team members, the AGP Precautions standard operating procedures (SOP) have been updated (effective Feb. 1). Please note: There are no changes for patients with active COVID infection and PUIs (N95/P100 or PAPR, eye protection, gown, and gloves required for all patient interactions; private room is required; prioritization for assignment of Airborne Infection Isolation Rooms is provided in the SOP).

For all other patients, the use of respiratory protection (N95, P100, or PAPR), eye protection, gown, and gloves are required for all AGPs. Please thoroughly review the updated SOP and key changes noted in the huddle points posted on the COVID-19 Resources page.

Reminder: ePA/RTPB Training Mini-Sessions | 2 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 4, and 8 a.m. Friday, Feb. 5 | If you prescribe medications to patients in an ambulatory environment, there is great news: Major improvements to Electronic Prior Authorization (ePA) and Real Time Prescription Benefits (RTPB) tools go live on Tuesday, Feb. 9. Join a 20-minute mini-session to learn how these changes will improve the tools’ accuracy, reduce clicks, and save you time with new features like InBasket access and instant estimates when the order is signed. Time will be available after training for questions.

• 20-minute Training Mini-Sessions (click date for meeting link):
  • Feb. 4 at 2 p.m.
  • Feb. 5 at 8 a.m.
• Questions? Contact UVAEpicUpgrade@virginia.edu

TEAM MEMBER SAFETY AND WELL-BEING

Hoos Well New Portal Demonstration | Wednesday, Feb. 17 | noon | During this live demonstration via Zoom, you will learn how to register, connect wearable technology, dive into enhanced functions and features, and earn rewards. Register for the demo.

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS

Uteam Member of the Month Program | Deadline: 15^th of Every Month | This program recognizes team members each month for their outstanding service to UVA Health and commitment to our ASPIRE values. Any team member, patient, or visitor may nominate an eligible team member, including individuals from UVA Medical Center, School of Medicine, School of Nursing, and UVA Physicians Group. Nominations are due by the 15th each month and can be submitted here.   

Hoos Building Bridges Award | Deadline: Friday, Feb. 26 | Faculty, students, staff and team members are invited to nominate eligible candidates and/or an eligible team from the UVA Foundation, Aramark or Morrison’s for this award which honors those who look beyond their job descriptions to create and foster collaborations across Grounds. Their efforts may include:

• Streamlining processes;
• Addressing long standing needs;
• Supporting diversity and inclusion; and/or
• Partnering with colleagues across schools/units/departments.

Please note that if you wish to nominate an entire team, the monetary award will go towards a celebratory function for the group. Learn more.

APPRECIATION

Team Members Share Selfies Following Vaccination | To both celebrate and promote the importance of getting vaccinated for COVID-19, dozens of team members have submitted selfies to Connect. Check out the photos of our team here. Congratulations and thank you to everyone who has done their part to stop the COVID-19 pandemic!

VISIT OUR COVID-19 INFORMATION RESOURCE

Outpatient call 434.982.6843
Hospital Epidemiologist page 9204
COVID19Questions@hscmail.mcc.virginia.edu

MONDAY, FEB. 1, 2021

UVA COVID-19 INPATIENT SNAPSHOT, 1:26 p.m.

UVA COVID-19 INPATIENT SNAPSHOT, 2:13 p.m.

Current Census

• Under investigation for COVID-19: 1
• Confirmed with COVID-19: 43
  • Acute SPU (5S): 13
  • ICU SPU (4S): 21
  • 7 Central: 1
  • 3 South: 7
  • Medical ICU: 1
• Confirmed with COVID-19 on ventilator: 23

Discharged Since March 10

• Under investigation for COVID-19: 216
• Confirmed with COVID-19: 951

PPE INVENTORY UPDATE, 6:42 a.m.

COVID VACCINE PROGRAM

UVA Health Tops 20,000 COVID-19 Vaccines Administered | The UVA Health COVID-19 vaccination program has now administered more than 23,000 doses — including 4,315 doses to community members ages 75 and older at the direction of the Blue Ridge Health District — and has scheduled more than 23,000 additional doses for administration in the coming weeks. With the help of more than 700 UVA Health team members who have volunteered as vaccinators, UVA has delivered up to 1,400 doses per day. Read more on Connect.

Inclement Weather Expected | VAX Clinic Will Remain Open | Although inclement weather has been forecast for Sunday, Jan. 31, and Monday, Feb. 1, the COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic at the ERC will remain in operation. We ask that you arrive for your appointment as scheduled. If you believe travel is unsafe, you can cancel and reschedule your appointment in VaxTrax  (see instructions below). Please be advised that no first dose visits will be available for team members after Friday, Feb. 5.

Vaccinators are expected to arrive for their shift unless they find a replacement and communicate that information to covidvax@virginia.edu.

• How to reschedule an existing first dose appointment:
  • Log in to VaxTrax.
  • Your upcoming appointments will be listed on your home page.
  • Note: You must first cancel your existing appointment before being able to schedule a new appointment.
  • Use the red Cancel button to cancel your current vaccination appointment.
  • Use the Get Vaccinated link to book an appointment with Group 2/3 Initial Vaccine.

UVA Health Partnering with BRHD on Second Community COVID-19 Vaccination Site | Scheduled to open on Sunday, Jan. 31, the COVID-19 Vaccination Center at Seminole Square will be located at 393 Hillsdale Dr. in Charlottesville, between the Marshalls and Ferguson stores. The existing community vaccination site on Hydraulic Road in the Kmart parking lot will continue to operate. Staffed by UVA Health and the Blue Ridge Health District (BRHD), both sites will provide vaccinations by appointment only. Read more on Connect.

Vaccinators Urgently Needed! | Sign Up Today | Physicians, RNs, LPNs, and pharmacists are needed to administer COVID-19 vaccines in a paid volunteer capacity. Find more information on the COVID-Vax page.

• ERC has expanded operating hours to serve both Phase 1a and 1b
• Need help during new 6:30-8 p.m. shift
• Also need extra help on weekends

First Dose Appointments Ending at ERC | Friday, Feb. 5 | No further first dose visits will be available at the ERC after Friday, Feb. 5. All second dose visits will proceed as scheduled. Read details on Connect.

• New first dose visits: There is limited availability of new first dose visits; they must be booked and completed by Sunday, Jan. 31.
• Existing first dose visits: Friday, Feb. 5, is now the deadline for completing all first dose visits. Team members with existing first dose visits must reschedule and complete them before the deadline. After Feb. 5, VaxTrax will automatically cancel all remaining first dose visits.
• How to get vaccinated after Feb. 5: Team members will need to register on the Blue Ridge Health District website to gain access to first dose appointments after Feb. 5. BRDH will provide scheduling information to those who register.

OPERATIONS

Plan Ahead | Scheduled Tube System Outage | Saturday, Jan. 30 | The tube system will be down for maintenance on Saturday, Jan. 30, from 7-11 a.m. All tube stations will be impacted. Couriers will be available for the duration of the event. Dial 434.982.1600 for all transport requests during this time, including collection of phlebotomy samples.

Planned Overnight Closure: Staff Side of 2nd Floor East Elevator | 8 p.m., Monday, Feb. 1 - 5 a.m., Tuesday, Feb. 2 | The entrance to the staff side of the East elevators on the second floor will be closed while the ceiling is replaced during the night shift. Signage will be posted on other floors to divert emergent OR cases to other elevators. 

PATIENT CARE

Help Prevent CAUTI | Urine Specimen Collection Reminders | A commonality in the first three CAUTIs of 2021 identified that the Urine Specimen Collection Algorithm was not being followed correctly. Urine specimens from indwelling urinary catheters (IUCs) that have been in place >48 hours can represent colonization, rather than true infection. Appropriate signs/symptoms indicating a Urinalysis with Reflex Culture in a patient with an IUC are a fever or suprapubic tenderness or costovertebral pain/tenderness. View the print-friendly tip sheet.

HAPPENING NEXT WEEK

Medical Center Hour | The Moral Determinants of Health | Wednesday, Feb. 3 | Noon-1 p.m. | Presented by Donald M. Berwick, MD, MPP, President Emeritus of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. This is our annual Richardson Memorial Lecture, which has as its chief concerns preventing medical error, improving patient safety in healthcare settings, and, in this instance, the healthcare enterprise's role in improving the quality of life-conditions and health in our society. Zoom link. Passcode:  763749

TEAM MEMBER SAFETY AND WELL-BEING

Contemplative Classes: Spring 2021: Yoga, Meditation, Tai Chi and More | Each semester CSC offers the UVA community numerous classes and sessions for learning and practicing contemplative movements and techniques. Most are free, open to the public, and held virtually (registration required). See full schedule and register.

APPRECIATION

Appreciating Those Who Matter | “Mattering” was the theme of this week’s Thankful Thursday presentation at the Medical Center’s Mid-Morning Management Meeting. The discussion underscored the fact that appreciation is a two-way street: While it is wonderful to feel appreciated, it is also important to express your appreciation to others. Today, please think of someone who matters to you. Think about why they matter and what they do or say that makes a difference to you. After gathering your thoughts, let them know how much you appreciate them. 

When it comes to being appreciated, our patients regularly share how each of us matters by providing comments that show just how remarkable our team is. Here are some recent examples: 

“Every person that I was in contact with, from doctors to nurses to people pushing me from room to room to the people who were responsible for keeping my room clean were warm, friendly, and had great senses of humor.”

“I was impressed with the friendliness of the staff and level of cooperation between the different departments. I felt as though the overall structure was well designed to accommodate patients’ needs and the needs of the staff. The communication was effective and expressed care and kindness. I was impressed by the personal communication devices used by staff and felt as though it was very efficient. I am grateful to have UVA hospital nearby and feel as though the organization is successfully meeting their mission statement.”

VISIT OUR COVID-19 INFORMATION RESOURCE

Outpatient call 434.982.6843
Hospital Epidemiologist page 9204
COVID19Questions@hscmail.mcc.virginia.edu

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 27, 2021

UVA COVID-19 INPATIENT SNAPSHOT, 2:53 p.m.

Current Census
Under investigation for COVID-19: 0
Confirmed with COVID-19: 50

• Acute SPU (5S): 17
• ICU SPU (4S): 21
• 7 Central: 3
• 3 South: 7
• 8 Central OB: 1
• Labor & Delivery: 1

Confirmed with COVID-19 on ventilator: 20

Discharged Since March 10
Under investigation for COVID-19: 211
Confirmed with COVID-19: 908

PPE INVENTORY UPDATE, 6:50 a.m.

SPECIAL EVENT

UVA Town Hall | Executive Leadership Team and Medical Experts | Thursday, Jan. 28 | 4 p.m. | Students, faculty, staff, parents, and community members are invited to join the University of Virginia for a town hall with President Jim Ryan, the executive leadership team, and medical experts Craig Kent, MD, Executive Vice President for Health Affairs, Costi Sifri, MD, Director of Hospital Epidemiology, and Mitch Rosner, MD, Chair of the Department of Medicine. Register.

COVID VACCINE PROGRAM

First Dose Appointments Ending at ERC | Due to limitations in COVID-19 vaccine supplies, the availability of first dose appointments at the Education Resource Center will be ending soon. All second dose visits will proceed as scheduled. Read details on Connect.

• New first dose visits: There is limited availability of new first dose visits; they must be booked and completed by Sunday, Jan. 31.
• Existing first dose visits: Friday, Feb. 5, is now the deadline for completing all first dose visits. Team members with existing first dose visits must reschedule and complete them before the deadline. After Feb. 5, VaxTrax will automatically cancel all remaining first dose visits.
• How to get vaccinated after Feb. 5: Team members will need to register on the Blue Ridge Health District website to gain access to first dose appointments after Feb. 5. BRHD will provide scheduling information to those who register.

Vaccinators Urgently Needed! | Sign Up Today | Physicians, RNs, LPNs, and pharmacists are needed to administer COVID-19 vaccines in a paid volunteer capacity. Find more information on the COVID-Vax page.

• ERC has expanded operating hours to serve both Phase 1a and 1b
• Need help during new 6:30-8 p.m. shift
• Also need extra help on weekends

PPE UPDATE

New Dates Available: Respiratory Fit Testing | If you are currently using an 1860S or PAPR and have not been fitted for a new type of respirator, you will need to do so. Please register for an upcoming Respiratory Fit Testing event.

• Anyone who may care for COVID-19-positive patients or PUIs should also be fit tested for an N95 respirator, if they have not already been fitted.
• Onsite Respiratory Fit Testing Schedule:
  • Current Dates remaining: Jan. 27-30 and Feb. 1-6 (by appointment only).
  • Times: 6:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m.
  • Location: Dining Conference Rooms
  • Register here.
• Please complete section one of the N95 Particulate Respiratory Approval Form, and bring it with you to your appointment.
• Reminder: Our COVID-19 precautions are still in effect, and all team members are required to wear an N95 mask must be clean shaven. Please contact your manager or HR Business Partner with any questions or concerns.
• Additional sessions are being planned, dates forthcoming.
• Parking validation for 11th Street garage will be provided ONLY for team members coming in to complete the respiratory fit testing requirement.

Please contact the COVID-19 Staffing Communications Center with any questions about Respiratory Fit Testing.

BRIDGE PLAN UPDATE

Workforce and Bed Staffing (Video Update) | The Medical Center’s Chief Financial Officer, Mike Marquardt, and Chief Nursing Officer, Mary Dixon, share updates on the UVA Health Bridge Plan’s Workforce and Bed Staffing program focus area. Visit the Bridge Plan Workforce and Bed Staffing page to learn more about the steps we are taking to better manage staffing in order to meet the needs of our patients, team members, and community.

TEAM MEMBER SAFETY AND WELL-BEING

Compassionate Care Initiative Live | The School of Nursing’s CCI is offering free, weekly, virtual drop-ins in yoga, guided meditation, and more. Zoom links will be sent to registrants before each session. Check out the calendar and register for whatever inspires you! Learn more.

APPRECIATION

An Artistic Salute to our Healthcare Workers | As a tribute to the dedication of healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, Lexington, Va.-based artist Barbara Crawford has created and donated an art installation, “The River,” which will be on display for about three months in the lobby of UVA Medical Center’s South Tower. The concept for the installation relates to the design of the hospital and its atrium.

Here is how Crawford describes the art installation, The River:

The concept for the River relates to the design of the hospital and its atrium. A river, from its origins as tiny mountain streams joining others on their way to the ocean embraces many varied aspects of our community. These different components — suburban or urban, agricultural, and industrial often surrounded by national parks that embrace our valley, are all connected by the river. As with the UVA hospital, the atrium connects to different aspects of health and healing: the lab, surgery, ICU, OR, and emergency. While different are all the same at heart.

VISIT OUR COVID-19 INFORMATION RESOURCE

Outpatient call 434.982.6843
Hospital Epidemiologist page 9204
COVID19Questions@hscmail.mcc.virginia.edu

MONDAY, JAN. 25, 2021

UVA COVID-19 INPATIENT SNAPSHOT, 12:51 p.m.

Current Census

• Under investigation for COVID-19: 1
• Confirmed with COVID-19: 45
  • Acute SPU (5S): 17
  • ICU SPU (4S): 18
  • 3 South: 9
  • 4 Central: 1
• Confirmed with COVID-19 on ventilator: 22

Discharged Since March 10

• Under investigation for COVID-19: 207
• Confirmed with COVID-19: 893

PPE INVENTORY UPDATE, 7:04 a.m.

• Download the mobile app within the Heatlh IT Apps icon (UVA Health mobile phones with MobileIron), which allows you to call areas within Radiology directly from your phone.

• Find and open Health IT Apps on a UVA configured phone with MobileIron

• Search for Radiology FAQ

• Install the app (this may take a few minutes)

MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. DAY

Commemorating the Life and Legacy of Dr. King | UVA Health leadership shares, “Dr. King dedicated his life to creating a more just, humane, and peaceful world. Please join us as we come together as a community to honor and carry on Dr. King's work on Jan. 18 and throughout the year.” Read the full leadership message on Connect.

UVA Health Update Holiday Schedule | In observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, there will be no UVA Health Update on Monday, Jan. 18. We will resume normal distribution on Wednesday, Jan. 20.

Parking and Transportation Modifications | Martin Luther King, Jr. Day | Monday, Jan. 18 | The University Transit Service bus and Health System Transit shuttle service will not operate on Monday, Jan. 18. Team members may park in the South Garage on Crispell Drive and 11th Street Garage (level D and above only) beginning at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 17, through 5 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 19. The Medical Center Courtesy Shuttle will operate on the weekend schedule, running every 60 minutes from 7:20 a.m. to 7:45 p.m. UtoCar will operate normally. Normal operations resume Tuesday, Jan. 19.

COVID-19 VACCINATION PROJECT

New Epic SmartPhrase Helps Clinics Respond to Patients’ COVID Vaccine inquiries | Clinics that are receiving patient inquiries about how and when UVA Health will be providing COVID-19 vaccine to them can now use a new SmartPhrase: .COVIDVACCINE

Vaccine Pop-Up Clinics Planned for Next Week | To make it easier for team members to get vaccinated, several pop-up clinics will be offering first doses of COVID-19 vaccine next week. Team members are welcome to walk-in as their schedule allows. (Note: Pop-up clinics will not offer second doses at this time.)

COVID-19 Phase 1 Vaccination Program Snapshot | As of Jan. 14, 2021

Join the COVID Vax Volunteer Team Today | RNs, LPNs, and pharmacists are needed to administer COVID-19 vaccines in a paid volunteer capacity. Find more information on the COVID-Vax page.

OPERATIONS

New OR & Procedure Check-In Area Opening | Monday, Jan. 25, 5 a.m. | Another phase of the University Hospital Expansion project work is wrapping up in the next few days. The result of many months of renovation work will be a new OR & Procedure Check-in Area for patients. Beginning 5 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 25, patients arriving for procedures in Invasive Cardiology, Interventional Radiology, and the main OR will check-in in this new area located on the 2nd floor of University Hospital (near the 2nd floor lobby information desk and discharge hub).

January 2021 Red Book/Emergency Procedures Update | Medical Center Emergency Management has released the revised 2021 version of the Red Book/Emergency Procedures for all locations. Minor modifications have been made throughout the document to help better clarify response procedures and ensure applicable references are up to date. 

By Friday, Jan. 29, all locations need to:

• Download new materials from the Red Book/Emergency Procedures website.
• Place these documents in your hardcover Red Book. Remember, at least one physical Red Book must be easily accessible by team members at all times. 
• Review the Red Book/Emergency Procedures with your team.

Email with any questions.

TEAM MEMBER SAFETY AND WELL-BEING

Asymptomatic COVID-19 Testing for Team Members | As we kick off a new year, UVA Health is continuing to improve its ability to protect the health and safety of our team members, patients, and community through enhanced testing opportunities. Following are the two COVID-19 testing options available for asymptomatic team members:

Saliva Testing

• Testing Hours: 6:30 a.m.-3 p.m., Monday-Friday 
• Location: MR-5, Room 2005
• No appointment needed
• Important Testing Instructions/Details
  • Do not eat, drink (including water), brush your teeth, use mouthwash, chew gum, or use tobacco for at least 30 minutes before submitting your saliva sample at the test location.
  • Bring your UVA Health ID badge to be scanned and provide your UVA email address (computing ID).
  • Please wear a face covering and practice social distancing when lining up for testing.
  • Please note: Giving a saliva sample is much easier when you are well hydrated. Just refrain from drinking anything 30 minutes prior to the testing.
  • Results will be posted in the team member’s MyChart account 48-72 hours after the test. Any positive results will be communicated to the team member by a healthcare provider.

NP Swab Testing

• Testing Hours: 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday
• Location: Education Resource Center, Second Floor
• Appointments Required:
  • Call 434.243.9534 to schedule an appointment.
  • If there is no answer, please leave a message.

APPRECIATION

3 South Patient Offers a Shout-Out | “All hospital personnel were courteous, friendly, smiled all the time. Under the unit I was in, and the stresses they were under, you could not have wanted any better care than I received. The nurse, doctors and all other care personnel are my heroes. Many thanks to all. Y'all are my heroes.”

VISIT OUR COVID-19 INFORMATION RESOURCE

Outpatient call 434.982.6843
Hospital Epidemiologist page 9204
COVID19Questions@hscmail.mcc.virginia.edu

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 13, 2021

UVA COVID-19 INPATIENT SNAPSHOT, 2:37 p.m.

Current Census

• Under investigation for COVID-19: 1
• Confirmed with COVID-19: 54
  • Acute SPU (5S): 24
  • ICU SPU (4S): 17
  • 3 South: 12
  • 7 West: 1
• Confirmed with COVID-19 on ventilator: 19

Discharged Since March 10
Under investigation for COVID-19: 199
Confirmed with COVID-19: 774

PPE INVENTORY UPDATE, 6:45 a.m.

COVID Vaccines and Allergies | Q&A Session: With UVA Experts (On Demand Video) | In response to questions and concerns that many team members with allergies have raised about COVID-19 vaccines, Hospital Epidemiologist Cost Sifri, MD, sought answers from two UVA experts: Michael Nelson, MD, Division Chief for the Division of Allergy and Immunology, and Anna R. Smith, MD, who specializes in allergy and Clinical Immunology. They discussed vaccine study data and potential risks for those worried about experiencing allergic reactions.

COVID-19 Phase 1 Vaccination Program Snapshot | As of Jan. 12, 2021

Join the COVID Vax Volunteer Team Today | RNs, LPNs, and pharmacists are needed to administer COVID-19 vaccines in a paid volunteer capacity. Find more information on the COVID-Vax page. 

PPE UPDATE

Starts Thursday, Jan. 14: New Phase of Respiratory Fit Testing | In order to be prepared to use new supplies of N95 masks, some healthcare team members may need to be fitted for a new respirator. Here are the specifics:

• If you are currently using an 1860S or PAPR and have not been fitted for a new type of respirator, you will need to do so.
• Anyone who may care for COVID-19-positive patients or PUIs should be fit tested for an N95 respirator, if they have not already been fitted.
• Special Onsite Respiratory Fit Testing Schedule:
  • Dates: Jan. 14, 15, 18, and 22
  • Times: 6:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
  • Location: Dining Conference Rooms
  • Register here
• Please complete section one of the N95 Particulate Respiratory Approval Form, and bring it with you to your appointment.
• Reminder: Our COVID-19 precautions are still in effect, and all team members required to wear an N95 mask must be clean shaven. Please contact your manager or HR Business Partner with any questions or concerns.
• Spread the word: Print on-demand flyer

Please contact the COVID-19 Staffing Communications Center with any questions about Respiratory Fit Testing.

PATIENT CARE

Reminder: Pre-Operative COVID Order Referral and Testing Panel Can Be Added Within the Office Visit Encounter | Available Now | Are you entering Pre-Operative COVID referrals and lab tests by creating an additional Orders Only Encounter? Save time and extra clicks by placing orders for Pre-Procedure COVID-19 testing referral and the lab test within the Office Visit Encounter during the patient visit, or when creating the surgical case. Note: Providers may still choose to add orders by creating an Orders Only Encounter. Details are available in this tip sheet.

Updates to Red Blood Cell (RBC) Panels Supports Patient Safety | Available Jan. 19 | Updated labels and clinical decision support has been added to RBC Order Sets and Panels to provide enhanced guidance and clarification for patient safety. Changes, including clarified criteria for transfusion based on age and indications, can be reviewed here. 

OPERATIONS

Change in Visitor Restrictions Now in Effect | Visitors are now being allowed only by exception across all of UVA Health, including inpatient units, the ED, outpatient clinics, and procedure areas.

• Any current visitor exceptions will remain in place.
• The process for requesting visitor exceptions is the same -- exceptions other than the standard exceptions must be approved by the assistant nurse manager (ANM), nurse manager (NM), or clinical director. All approved visitors must be clearly documented as an FYI flag (include name of visitor, date/duration of special exception, reason for exception, and if required, name of approving ANM/NM or director).
• The process for communicating approved exceptions with an FYI flag in Epic is also the same.

Please refer to the Visitor Restrictions and Entry Requirements section on the COVID-19 Resources Page.

Survey Deadline Extended for Wahoo West Café | Food and Nutrition Seeks Your Input | Rate the service and food at Wahoo West and suggest improvements in a brief survey. Please provide feedback and get a coupon for your next visit.

GETTING AROUND

Parking and Transportation Modifications | Martin Luther King, Jr. Day | Monday, Jan. 18 | The University Transit Service bus and Health System Transit shuttle service will not operate on Monday, Jan. 18. Team members may park in the South Garage on Crispell Drive and 11th Street Garage (level D and above only) beginning 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, January 17, through 5 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 19. The Medical Center Courtesy Shuttle will operate on the weekend schedule, running every 60 minutes from 7:20 a.m. to 7:45 p.m. UtoCar will operate normally. Normal operations resume Tuesday, Jan. 19.

CARE FOR THE COMMUNITY

January Community Update from the EVP | K. Craig Kent, MD, Executive Vice President for Health Affairs, shared the January edition of UVA Health Community Update, a monthly email to our friends and neighbors in the local area. Read this month’s issue, which focuses on the UVA Health COVID-19 response, vaccine distribution plans and appreciation for the UVA Health team. View previous issues and subscribe to receive future issues here.

UVA Health is Joining Community Vaccination Efforts | Starting next week, UVA Health will begin sending vaccinators to the Blue Ridge Health District’s vaccination clinic at the K-Mart parking lot on Hydraulic Road. Open to the public by appointment, the clinic is vaccinating individuals in Groups 1a and 1b, as defined by the Virginia Department of Health.

TEAM MEMBER SAFETY AND WELL-BEING

Cloth Facemasks Available Upon Request | Volunteer Services reports that its seamstresses are still busy creating cloth masks that are available as gifts to team members. Options: regular facemask with ties, regular facemask with elastic ear loops, or masks with clear plastic over the mouth (also called a communicator mask).  Click this link to request!

JOINT COMMISSION SURVEY READINESS

Mind Your Ls & Cs (Logs and Checklists) | Logs and checklists are an important way to ensure standard processes for maintaining equipment and supplies are routinely monitored for proper functionality. Examples of logs and checklists include emergency equipment checklists, eyewash station checklists, and medication refrigerator temperature logs. It is essential that logs and checklists are fully completed per the instructions provided. Deviations from expected observations, such as a temperature out of range, should include documentation of the corrective action taken and any follow up monitoring completed. 

Are You On Top of Your Ls & Cs? | Take this 30-second Survey Readiness Quiz to find out and be entered to win a prize!

APPRECIATION

And the Award Goes to… | The highest individual, employee award at the University is named in honor of Leonard W. Sandridge, who was an avid champion of UVA staff and who dedicated 44 years of service to the institution. This award recognizes outstanding University staff or team members who demonstrate dedication to service through individual efforts, group contributions and commitment to our larger community. The 2020 Leonard W. Sandridge Outstanding Contributor Award winners include several individuals who dedicate their service not just to UVA and our community, but specifically to UVA Health. Congratulations to each of you and thank you for helping UVA Health rise to our everyday challenges in exceptional ways, especially during these unprecedented times.

• Ashley Ayers, Senior Manager of Faculty Development Programs, School of Medicine
• Richard Barbour, Zone Manager, Health System Physical Plant Zone 1 South
• Samantha Fields, Care Coordinator in Neurology
• Linda Freeman, Nurse Clinician, Nerancy Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit
• Gina Hansen, Administrative Specialist, Emily Couric Clinical Cancer Center
• Katherine Morton, Billing and Collections Floater Specialist, University Physicians Group
• David Stewart, IT Manager, HIT Communications and Infrastructure

UVA COVID-19 INPATIENT SNAPSHOT, 1:52 p.m.
Current Census
Under investigation for COVID-19: 0

• Confirmed with COVID-19: 58
• Acute SPU (5S): 22
• ICU SPU (4S): 20
• 3 South: 16

Confirmed with COVID-19 on ventilator: 17

Discharged Since March 10
Under investigation for COVID-19: 190
Confirmed with COVID-19: 723

PPE INVENTORY UPDATE, 6:54 a.m.

Reminder: Please Don’t Set Off Security Alarm | Everyone who passes through the Emily Couric Clinical Cancer Center en route to their COVID vaccination appointment is asked to swipe their badge before passing through the door from the lobby. Forgetting to swipe your badge sets off the security alarm and is disruptive to Cancer Center activities.

JOINT COMMISSION SURVEY READINESS

Put a Label on It! | As we prepare for the Medical Center’s upcoming triennial Joint Commission survey, everyone is reminded to label Accu-Chek control solutions. QC bottles must be labeled with an open and expiration date. Use GREEN labels to write the open date (O) and count out 90 days to mark the expiration date (E) using the format MM/DD/YY. Do not obscure the barcode or lot information with the green sticker. When needed, labels can be ordered from the Storeroom (bin #92417).

Are You a Good Labeler? Test your knowledge by taking this quick Survey Readiness Quiz and be entered to win a prize!

PATIENT CARE

COVID-19 Clinic Now Offering Radiology Services | Patients with known or suspected COVID-19 can now receive radiology services in the COVID-19 Clinic on weekdays from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. Please note that only portable, single view radiographs are available. Learn more about COVID-19 Clinic radiology services. Additional lab services for patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 are available in the dedicated COVID-19 Cohort Phlebotomy Lab.

Pre-Operative Testing Orders – Select Pre-Procedure Testing Panel in Epic | As surgical clinics assume the responsibility for scheduling their patients for pre-operative COVID-19 testing, the following tip sheets are available to guide team members through the new process for referring to the Asymptomatic COVID-19 Testing Center (ACTC):

• Scheduling Pre-Procedure Testing Tip Sheet
• Ordering COVID Pre-Procedure Referral and Testing (LIP Tip Sheet)
• Ordering COVID Pre-Procedure Referral and Testing (RN Tip Sheet)

Please note: You must select the Pre-Procedure Testing Panel when placing the order in Epic.

To order Quest COVID-19 mail-in tests use the following:

• LIP Tip Sheet
• RN Tip Sheet

Questions? Please direct questions to COVID19Questions@hscmail.mcc.virginia.edu.

TEAM MEMBER SAFETY AND WELL-BEING

Boost Your Motivation to Reduce COVID Energy Drain | As we venture into a new and hopefully very different new year, we could all use a little boost to our motivation to enhance our overall well-being. Join this engaging webinar to learn some helpful tips from a positive psychology practitioner and a National Board Certified Health and Wellness coach. 

• Virtual Seminar, Wednesday, Jan. 13, noon-1 p.m. | Register here.
• Webinar, Tuesday, Jan. 26, 3:30-4:30 p.m. | Register here. 

Questions? Email EmotionalWellbeing@virginia.edu.

APPRECIATION

While we are all working hard to understand COVID-19, its impacts, and the role we play in ensuring a healthier future for ourselves, our patients, and our community, here’s a special shout out to the research teams working so hard to learn as much as possible about this virus and how to treat it. Thank you for the gifts of your inquisitiveness and innovative thinking, as well as the extraordinary pace at which you are working to make the discoveries that will benefit us all. Learn more about current COVID-19-related research being conducted at UVA.

VISIT OUR COVID-19 INFORMATION RESOURCE

Outpatient call 434.982.6843
Hospital Epidemiologist page 9204
COVID19Questions@hscmail.mcc.virginia.edu

MONDAY, JAN. 4, 2021

UVA COVID-19 INPATIENT SNAPSHOT, 3:26 p.m.

Current Census

• Under investigation for COVID-19: 0
• Confirmed with COVID-19: 61
  • Acute SPU (5S): 26
  • ICU SPU (4S): 19
  • 3 South:    14
  • 7 Central: 1
  • L&D: 1
• Confirmed with COVID-19 on ventilator: 14

Discharged Since March 10

• Under investigation for COVID-19: 187
• Confirmed with COVID-19: 700

PPE INVENTORY UPDATE, 7:16 a.m.

Archive of previous UVA Health COVID-19 updates

• March 30-July 31, 2020
• Aug. 3-Sept. 30, 2020
• Oct. 1-Dec. 31, 2020