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7.30.2021

UVA Health Update | July 1-31, 2021 (Archive)

Weekly Prevalence Testing Begins Monday for Unvaccinated Team Members

Aug. 2 is the start date for mandatory weekly prevalence testing for team members who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19. Team members who are required to complete weekly saliva testing must schedule appointments online using the Time2Test application. This site is being regularly updated to reflect changes in testing locations and appointment times. Plans are underway to offer testing times specifically to accommodate team members who work the night shift. Read more on Connect. 

COVID-19

Managers: Take These Three Steps to Help Employee Health Track Prevalence Testing Compliance and Ensure VaxTrax Records are Up-to-Date

(COVID-19 Dashboard | COVID-19 Resources Page)

Patient Care

Update: COVID-19 Test Results in MyChart Now Available in Spanish | Patients who have set their MyChart language preferences to Spanish will now automatically receive their COVID-19 test results in Spanish as well. In addition, instructions for accessing Spanish translation services have been added to the English COVID-19 Result language in case the Patient prefers Spanish but doesn’t have Spanish set as their preferred language in MyChart. To update a language preference in MyChart, navigate to Your Menu > Personal Information > Details About Me > Edit.

Operations

Valet Service Returning | Monday, Aug. 2 | Valet service will return Monday for the Medical Center main entrance, Emily Couric Clinical Cancer Center, and Emergency Department (ED). More locations will resume service in the coming months. See chart below for details. Pricing: $7 per vehicle; $5 for handicapped individuals; free for disabled veterans. Read more on Connect.

Return to Service DateLocationSchedule
Monday, Aug. 2Main entrance and Cancer Center7:30 a.m.-6 p.m., Monday-Friday
Emergency Department7:30 a.m.-9 p.m., Monday-Friday
OctoberWest Complex7:30 a.m.-6 p.m., Monday-Friday
NovemberBattle Building and ED overnightDetails to be announced

Action Required: Those Exposed to Ionizing Radiation Must Obtain a Dosimeter | Policy SEC-009 (Radiation Safety Program) has been revised and expanded to protect team members, patients, and the general public. Ensuring compliance with this new policy requires action by supervisors and individuals:

Read more on Connect. 

Happenings

Your Blood Is Needed, Donate Now | Mondays, Aug. 2, and Aug. 9 | 10 a.m.-4 p.m. | Quayle Learning Center | The American Red Cross, UVA Health’s primary supplier of blood products, is facing a severe blood shortage. Sign up to make a blood donation by emailing giveblood@virginia.edu. Appointments required. Read more on Connect.

Appreciation

Saving Money and Eliminating Waste: How Dusty X-Rays in Storage Earned UVA Health More Than $100,000 | UVA Health’s Sustainability Work Group hustles diligently behind the scenes to make UVA a more sustainable and environmentally friendly place. The work group reports through the environmental stewardship subcommittee of UVA Sustainability, and they have been quietly making improvements for years. In preparation for the construction of the South Tower in 2015, three large storage rooms of hard copy X-ray films needed to be moved. Normally, these stacks of films would have been shredded and sent to the landfill, but the Sustainability Work Group saw an opportunity. The paper, cardboard, and plastic were recycled, and the silver content was reclaimed and sold. After fees were deducted, UVA received $108,000! Additionally, the process of removing the films from off-site storage saved UVA Medical Center and the Imaging Department monthly costs, and the recycling of the films, paper, and cardboard diverted 289,000 pounds of waste from the landfill. Thank you to all of our awesome team members who helped save space, money, and the planet. Read all about their amazing efforts on Connect.

Connect | One Future Together | UVA Human Resources
Faculty and Employee Assistance Program | Wisdom & Well-being Program

PREVIOUS UPDATES

Friday, July 28, 2021

Weekly Prevalence Testing Details for Unvaccinated UVA Health Team Members

covid testing

August 2 is the start date for mandatory weekly prevalence testing by team members who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19. A message sent to all team members provided details about the prevalence testing program, including the information noted below. Read more about testing program details on Connect.

Note: Locations are currently being loaded into the system. They will be visible and available for scheduling by the end of the day on Wednesday, July 28.

Operations

Calling All Team Members: Offer Your Suggestions as Strategic Planning Kicks Off | During the initial phase of the “One Future Together” strategic planning process, your participation is needed. Submit a comment and help shape UVA Health’s 10-year vision for all four of our missions: patient care, research, education, and community & health equity. Read more and share your ideas.

UVA Health, Centra Forming Strategic Clinical Affiliation | UVA Health and Centra, a Lynchburg-based health system, announced a strategic clinical affiliation that will increase access close to home for patients in Lynchburg and Southside Virginia to the highly specialized services and innovative treatments we provide. While this clinical affiliation will allow Centra and UVA Health to work more closely and efficiently, it will not financially or structurally tie the organizations together. Read more on Connect.

Pop-Up Training, Online Resources Are Part of Preparations for New Electronic Access Platform | The Access Management Platform (AMP) is scheduled to replace the current Online Access Request (OAR) on Saturday, Aug. 14. The HIT AMP Project webpage is your key resource for support. In addition, a new series of optional drop-in training opportunities are available (click to join at time of meeting):

Questions? Please contact HIT Security at MCCSecurity@hscmail.mcc.virginia.edu or 434.924.5334. 

Happenings

Schedule Your Appointment Today: UVA Medical Center Summer Blood Drive | Aug. 2 & 9 | 10 a.m.-4 p.m. | Quayle Learning Center | The American Red Cross, UVA Health’s primary supplier of blood products, is facing a severe blood shortage. Sign up to make a blood donation by emailing giveblood@virginia.edu. Appointments required. Read more on Connect. 

Appreciation

us news badge

U.S. News Recognizes High Performing Specialties and Procedures | U.S. News & World Report recently released its “Best Hospitals” guide, with national and regional rankings across hospitals, specialties and procedures and conditions. The 2021-2022 results have been released, and UVA Medical Center has been recognized as high performing in six clinical specialties as well as in 15 out of 17 eligible common adult clinical conditions and procedures. We are encouraged by these rankings and so proud of the teams that have contributed to these results. By continuing to leverage the extraordinary expertise of our teams, we will continue to deliver excellence at the bedside, providing the best care for our patients as well as support for our healthcare teams. Thank you for your steadfast dedication and for working so diligently to make UVA Health the very best it can be for our patients and community. Read more on Connect.

Friday, July 23, 2021

Prevalence Testing for Unvaccinated Team Members Begins Next Week

As of Monday, Aug. 2, weekly prevalence testing is required for all team members who meet the following criteria:

Most unvaccinated team members will be required to undergo saliva testing; a limited number of individuals will be designated to receive mail-in kits (designated by location; these team members will be notified by their direct supervisors). Look for an email this week with instructions for scheduling testing appointments. Read more about prevalence testing requirements on Connect.

Patient Care

Action Needed Now: Discontinue Use of MediChoice Ultrasound Gel | Due to a contamination risk, please immediately remove all used and unused multiuse bottles of MediChoice ultrasound (US) gel from bladder scanners, US machines, clean utility rooms, and any other location. Inpatient units should put the MediChoice bottles in a plastic bag and leave them at a nurse’s station for Supply Chain to collect. Outpatient areas should discard the bottles. The replacement product is Parker AquaSonic US Gel. Details (must be connected to VPN).

Operations

Updates to Uteam Rewards Programs | Updates include a new store for managers, peer-to-peer points cards, and more. Read more. 

Performance Management Deadlines and Reminders | FY21 UVA Health self-evaluations should now be complete, and evaluations should be with managers. Classified Staff (SOM/CMHSL) should complete their separate goal setting task for FY22. 

 Questions? Email AskHR@virginia.edu with the subject line "Performance Management Help."

Happenings

Safety & Disaster Awareness Retraining | Deadline: Thursday, Aug. 5 | As part of the required annual retraining, team members have been assigned the UVA Health 2021 Virginia State Employee Safety and Disaster Awareness Annual Retraining digital course in Workday Learning. This annual course is required for all Commonwealth of Virginia employees.

Appreciation

Cross-Team Collaboration Made Opening of the New SAS/PACU Possible | The new combined Surgical Admission Suite/Post-Anesthesia Care Unit opened on the second floor of the Medical Center on Monday, July 26. In addition to occupying a larger footprint, the unit features a multifunctional pediatric area, strategically located team workstations, and more. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on Friday, July 23, to celebrate the achievement. Thank you to Perioperative Services including, the SAS and PACU teams, Facilities, Operational Readiness, Clinical Engineering, Health Information Technology, Environmental Services, and others for their collaboration and contributions to the project. Read more on Connect.

Connect | One Future Together | UVA Human Resources
Faculty and Employee Assistance Program | Wisdom & Well-being Program

Friday, July 23, 2021

Action Required for All Glucose Meter Operators

Blood Glucose Medical Flat Design themed Icon Set with shadow

Complete Training to Access New System | Go-Live: Tuesday, Sept. 14 | To meet regulatory requirements, UVA Health is replacing its Roche Accu-Chek point of care glucose monitoring system with Nova StatStrip devices. All glucose monitor operators — which includes nearly 6,000 team members — must complete a five-minute module in Workday and attend a brief in-person training session prior to go-live. Access to the new system will be dependent on the completion of training. Enrollment steps and other details can be found on Connect.

COVID-19

The Countdown Continues: Mandatory, Weekly Prevalence Testing Begins Monday, Aug. 2 | Unvaccinated team members who come into UVA Health facilities at any time during the year are scheduled to begin mandatory, weekly prevalence testing for COVID-19 on Monday, Aug. 2. To avoid the need for prevalence testing, team members must have proof of their vaccination documented in VaxTrax. Read more about prevalence testing requirements on Connect.

Operations

Medical Center Parking Will Be Impacted During Annual Garage Maintenance | Parking options for team members and patients will be modified this weekend as follows:

Lane Road Closed | 6 a.m.-6 p.m. | Saturday, July 24 | Between Crispell Drive and the hospital loading dock, Lane Road will be blocked for a crane. The road will be inaccessible during this time, and an alternate route must be used.

Tube System Maintenance | Sunday, July 25, 8 a.m.-2p.m. | The pneumatic tube system will be unavailable while quarterly maintenance is performed. Couriers will be on-site to provide support. To request a courier, departments should contact Resource Support at 434.982.1600. Questions? Contact Nina Green, Associate Director, Health System Physical Plant, at nlg2n@virginia.edu.

Happenings

Enhance Happiness, Connection & Well-Being | Aug. 2-15 | Earn up to $50 in rewards by participating in Hoos Well’s 1% Challenge. By devoting 14 minutes (or 1%) of your day, you will learn skills to rewire your brain to build resilience, regulate emotions, and be joyfully present in your life. Plus, you’ll have the support of experienced teachers, online resources, and a mobile app. Learn more. 

Appreciation

Uteam Members of the Month | Each quarter, Uteam Members of the Month are recognized for outstanding service to UVA Health and their commitment to our ASPIRE core values: Accountability, Stewardship, Professionalism, Integrity, Respect, and Excellence. Please join us in congratulating our colleagues from the Medical Center (Sandra “Sandy” Schwaner, Katherine “Katie” Kois, Marinda Barbour), School of Medicine (Elizabeth “Liz” Shifflett, Johanna Loomba) and UPG (Abigail “Abby” Hall). Read all about them on Connect — and leave a comment to thank the honorees for their dedication to our patients and each other!

Wednesday, July 21, 2021

Calling All Team Members: Offer Your Suggestions as Strategic Planning Kicks Off

During the initial phase of the “One Future Together” strategic planning process, your participation is needed. Submit a comment and help shape UVA Health’s 10-year vision for all four of our missions: patient care, research, education, and community & health equity. Read more and share your ideas.

COVID-19 

Hesitant About Vaccination Because of Allergies? UVA Health Team Members Are Here to Help! | Team members from the Division of Asthma, Allergy & Immunology will be on hand in the COVID Clinic on Fridays, 1-3 p.m. Appointments for team members for this time slot can be made in VaxTrax or by calling 434.297.4829. Read more on Connect.

(COVID-19 Dashboard | COVID-19 Resources Page)

Operations

Weekend Parking Impacted | Annual Garage Maintenance | 8 p.m. Friday, July 23, to 6 p.m. Sunday, July 25 │ South Garage on Crispell Drive closed. Team members must park in the 11th Street Garage.

Lane Road Closed | 6 a.m.-6 p.m. | Saturday, July 24 | Between Crispell Drive and the hospital loading dock, Lane Road will be blocked for a crane. The road will be inaccessible during this time, and an alternate route must be used. 

Happenings

Friday Deadline: Complete Your 2021 Annual Retraining Now | Members of the UVA Health community have been assigned the 2021 Annual Retraining course in Workday Learning. Full project details and FAQs can be found on the Annual Training project webpage. Note the following deadlines:

Appreciation

A Big Part of What Makes UVA Health Great Is Our Research and Our Researchers | Thank you to the researchers across UVA Health who are advancing the healthcare field, unlocking new treatments, and giving hope to those in search of healing. Jessie Gibson, Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing, for example, studies Huntington’s disease and the effects on individuals’ minds and bodies. She and her colleagues are testing an online brain training tool, which has already shown success in improving the particularly devastating psychological effects of the disease. In other work, Stephen S. Rich, PhD, of the School of Medicine and its Center for Public Health Genomics, is identifying new drug targets in the largest-ever type 1 diabetes genetic study in hopes of treating or preventing the disease, which affects 1.3 million American adults. Read more about the recent work with type 1 diabetes and Huntington’s disease on Connect.

Connect | One Future Together | UVA Human Resources
Faculty and Employee Assistance Program | Wisdom & Well-being Program

Monday, July 19, 2021

On the Front Lines: Voices from the COVID Unit

In the first of a five-part series, a UVA nurse shares the experience of working on the hospital’s COVID unit for months, until she lost her grandmother to the virus. 

“The dedication, compassion, resilience, and power of this team was demonstrated in the face of exhaustion, fear, and the unknown, each and every day and night — along with an environment of constant change and stretched resources,” says Kris Blackstone, Assistant Nurse Manager, Medical Intensive Care Unit and Special Pathogens Unit, the front lines of the pandemic. Read more on Connect.

Patient Care

VIIS COVID-19 Vaccine Information Will Automatically Populate Chart of Most Patients Who Have Upcoming Appointments | Begins Tuesday, July 20 | The majority of patients with upcoming appointments or other registration events (e.g., ED arrival) will have their COVID-19 vaccination information automatically pulled from VIIS and reconciled into the Immunizations activity inside Epic. The Health Maintenance/Care Gaps activity will also recognize this external vaccination data. This automatic reconciliation only applies to COVID-19 Vaccine information.

Note: Because patient identifiers in Epic and VIIS must meet a high threshold for matching, about 12% of COVID-19 vaccine records do not auto-reconcile. If the patient’s COVID-19 vaccine information is present in VIIS, but not in Epic, clinical team members will need to manually reconcile the records into the patient chart by following steps in this tip sheet: VIIS Two-Way Interface: Bringing Vaccine Registry Information into Epic.

Operations

Visitation Policy Change: Individuals 12 and Older Allowed As Visitors (All Services) | Effective Wednesday, July 21, the Medical Center’s visitation policy will change to allow visitors who are 12 years of age or older to visit (inpatient and outpatient; all services). The previous age threshold for visitors was 18.

Red Book Change (Updated Link): Delete Department-Level Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure Control Plans | The Institutional Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure Control Plan has been streamlined and become effective at the institutional level. Departments are no longer required to develop individual plans. Any existing departmental plans (dated August 2019) should be removed from your area’s Red Book and discarded. The institutional plan, which can be found in the Infection Control Manual, may be printed and stored in the Red Book for reference. 

Medical Center Cafeterias Are Going Plastic Free! | In response to a recent executive order signed by Gov. Ralph Northam, Medical Center cafeterias are replacing most single-use plastic products with sustainable, compostable options. You will notice changes like aluminum water cans, paper bags, and compostable cutlery. Read more on Connect.

Happenings

Deadline Extended: Nominate a Health Unit Coordinator Deserving of Recognition | Submissions Due Thursday, July 22 | The HUC of the Year Award will be presented during National Health Unit Coordinator Week, Aug. 23-29. Eligibility, criteria, and nomination details.

Appreciation

Luke Post

Our Patients Are Amazing! | The New York Yankees honored Rockingham County’s Luke Post this month for his fundraiser to support patients like him being cared for at UVA Children’s. Luke has been receiving cancer treatment at UVA Children’s since May 2019 for T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma, requiring the 15-year-old to make frequent trips to the hospital for inpatient care.

“In those early days when I would go for treatment, I would sit there feeling really bad without much to do to keep my mind off things,” he said. “And I noticed that there are a lot of activities to help the small children pass the time, but not for teenagers like me.” So Luke designed a T-shirt — titled “No One Fights Alone” — to raise money for activities such as books, video games, toys, and movies targeted to kids his age, bringing in more than $6,000. Luke’s gift also attracted the attention of the Yankees, who honored him in early July during its Helping Others Persevere & Excel (HOPE) Week, a community program that brings to light remarkable stories intended to inspire people into action in their own communities. Once Luke completes his treatments at UVA Children’s in August, the Yankees plan to honor him in-person at Yankee Stadium. 

Thank you to all at UVA Health who care for Luke and his family, and thank you to Luke for caring for other teens like him. Read more on Connect.

Connect | One Future Together | UVA Human Resources
Faculty and Employee Assistance Program | Wisdom & Well-being Program

Friday, July 16, 2021

Medical Center, UPG Teams Receive Compensation Updates

In a message received by all Medical Center team members yesterday, leadership outlined the next steps in the compensation plan, including the merit program for Fiscal Year 2022, a market review, frontline nursing bridge bonuses, and a nursing internal equity review. Read details and FAQs about the Medical Center and UPG updates on Connect.

Joint Commission Readiness

Joint Commission Visit Expected Soon | Here Are Two Ways To Help Us Prepare | Recent observations identified these two opportunities for increasing compliance with UVA Health policies:

  1. Wear Your UVA Health Identification Badge Above the Waist | Per Health System Policy ACH-001, Health System Identification, “in order for the ID badge to be properly displayed, it shall be worn above the waist.“ Complying with this policy is a way everyone can contribute to our preparations for the upcoming Joint Commission visit. Please support your colleagues in complying with this policy, too.
  2. Remove Gray Scrubs Before Going Outside | Consistent with Infection Control Policy Surgical/Procedural Attire Policy Surgical/Procedural Attire, hospital-issued gray scrubs are not permitted to be worn outdoors regardless if being worn as part of surgical/procedural care or for care of COVID patients. Hospital-provided scrubs must be removed before leaving the building for any reason and at the end of the shift for laundering. 

COVID-19

The Countdown Continues: Mandatory, Weekly Prevalence Testing Begins Monday, Aug. 2 |Unvaccinated team members who come into UVA Health facilities at any time during the year are scheduled to begin mandatory, weekly prevalence testing for COVID-19 on Monday, Aug. 2. To avoid the need for prevalence testing, team members must have proof of their vaccination documented in VaxTrax. Read more about prevalence testing requirements on Connect.

(COVID-19 Dashboard | COVID-19 Resources Page)

Patient Care

Remote Check-in at Ambulatory Clinics Ends Today | On-Site Check-ins Resume Monday, July 19 | In a major milestone since our pandemic response began, ambulatory clinics are ending remote waiting and central registration at the close of business today. Starting Monday, patients will be able to check-in at their clinics or associated registration hub. Clinic teams are reminded to remove all remote check-in signage. Ambulatory areas should delete all greeting or on-hold messages, printed appointment reminder letters, and other items related to remote check-in. To ensure this transition occurs smoothly, the Central Registration team will continue to answer the remote registration line (434.924.0044) through the end of July. Questions? Please email RPFA@hscmail.mcc.virginia.edu.

Operations

Coming Soon: Demos and Training Resources for New Electronic Access Platform | Go-Live: Saturday, Aug. 14 | The Health Information and Technology Security Team is making final preparations for the launch of a new Access Management Platform (AMP), which is replacing the Online Access Request (OAR) application. By popular request, AMP will include time-saving features such as approval delegation and batch approvals. Training resources and a schedule for AMP demos will be released soon. Learn more on Connect. Questions? Please contact HIT Security at MCCSecurity@hscmail.mcc.virginia.edu or 434.924.5334. 

Alert: 11th Street Garage Closed This Weekend | South Garage Closed Next Weekend | Team members coming into the Medical Center during the next two weekends will be impacted by garage closings. These closings will occur for planned annual maintenance. Parking options for team members and patients will be modified as follows:

Happenings

Deadlines Approaching: Complete Your  2021 Annual Retraining Now | Members of the UVA Health community have been assigned the 2021 Annual Retraining course in Workday Learning. Full project details and FAQs can be found on the Annual Training project webpage. Note the following deadlines:

Appreciation

Patient Feedback: Thanks for Offering Dignity, Respect, and Kindness | A recent Digestive Health patient had a great experience in the Medical Center and took time to offer the following feedback: “I have always been treated with dignity, respect, and kindness. I'm always surprised how they make you feel like you are the only patient they have when it’s obvious they are incredibly busy. Excellent customer service. I was very well cared for by ALL staff from the moment I entered the hospital entrance doors until I was taken to my car after my procedure. Thank you, UVA Health team. We appreciate you.”

Connect | One Future Together | UVA Human Resources
Faculty and Employee Assistance Program | Wisdom & Well-being Program

Wednesday, July 14, 2021

Vocera Upgrade: Here’s What to Expect

vocera

To help keep our systems up-to-date and secure, our Vocera communication system is being upgraded beginning Wednesday, July 14, at 9 p.m., and completing Thursday, July 15, at 1 a.m. (estimated 4-hour duration). Sometime during this 4-hour upgrade window, Vocera will reset and a brief, 10-minute downtime will occur for SmartBadges and on the App (the b3000n “stick badge” will not be impacted). A broadcast voice message will be sent to all on-ground Vocera users just before the 10-minute downtime begins. 

Patient Care

Sore Throat Symptom Will Now Trigger a BPA | Effective Thursday, July 15 | If a patient reports having a new or worsening symptom of sore throat during the Access Screening at scheduling or registration, the “COVID-19 Advisory” (or BPA) fires and is noted in their chart. This addition is in alignment with current CDC recommendations. Other symptoms that trigger the BPA include: fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, muscle pain, severe headache, runny nose, loss of taste, and loss of smell. The BPA serves as a signal to the clinical team that the patient may need further evaluation. Please refer to the Coronavirus Access Screening Tip Sheet for full information related to the screening process. Questions? Please email RPFA@hscmail.mcc.virginia.edu.

Veterans Administration Referral Updates | Effective Thursday, July 15 | A new rule for referrals with Veterans Administration coverage will be included in Cadence Unauthorized Referral and Cadence Insurance RFL workqueues. The rule requires that one of the VA referral flags be set on the referral. This step should be taken in addition to the existing authorization rules so the referral falls off of the workqueue.

This change supports the required workflow for Veterans Admin referrals, which is outlined in the Veterans Workflow for Community Care Tip Sheet. Like other rules on workqueues, you will be able to tell what is needed on the referral by referencing the error message. Questions? Please email RPFA@hscmail.mcc.virginia.edu.

Operations

Global Billing Column on DAR | Updated Thursday, July 15 | A new column will be added to the public Department Appointments Reports (DAR) to indicate whether a visit is within a global billing period. This should assist users in knowing when copay collection is not needed. If you have a private DAR saved, you will need to go back to the public version and re-save a new copy to add the new column. Questions? Please email RPFA@hscmail.mcc.virginia.edu.

Inmate Workflow Errors in Missing Registration Workqueues | Effective Thursday, July 15 | The Missing Registration Items workqueues for each pod will capture inmate visits to ensure we have accurate demographics for our inmate patients. This will allow us to better monitor this patient population. Like other errors in workqueues, the error message will let you know what needs to be done to resolve the workqueue record. If a patient is no longer an inmate, please update the patient type to remove the record from the workqueue. Refer to the Inmate Registration Checklist for full information on standard workflows. Questions? Please email RPFA@hscmail.mcc.virginia.edu.

Weekend Parking Impacted | Annual Garage Maintenance | Weekends in July

Lane Road Closed | 6 a.m.-6 p.m. | Saturday, July 24 | Between Crispell Drive and the hospital loading dock, Lane Road will be blocked to accommodate a crane. The road will be inaccessible during this time, and commuters should use an alternate route. 

Happenings

Nominations Sought: Uteam Member of the Month Program | 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 are due by the 15th each month and can be submitted here.

Deadline Extended: Nominate a Health Unit Coordinator Deserving of Recognition | New Deadline: Thursday, July 22 | The HUC of the Year Award will be presented during National Health Unit Coordinator Week, Aug. 23-29. Eligibility, criteria, and nomination details.

Appreciation

Jeff Gander, MD, Assistant Professor, Pediatric Surgery, left, and Tegan Medico, Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist

Battle Building Food Bank Open for UVA Children’s Families | Thank you to the team of UVA Children’s providers who have opened a food pantry in the Battle Building, the location where most pediatric outpatients receive care. Now, all Battle Building patients who answer “yes” to a two-question food insecurity screening tool can access a food pantry full of healthy, non-perishable items. 

The food pantry has expanded our efforts to combat food insecurity among families we serve. It adds another dimension to a project that launched last November in partnership with the Local Food Hub’s Fresh Farmacy. That project continues to provide fresh produce every other week to pediatric patients and families who lack adequate food. 

“The food pantry can immediately impact families that need food now,” said UVA pediatric surgeon Jeffrey Gander, MD (photo, left), who played a key role in starting the food insecurity project. Establishing the pantry has been a team effort across the children’s hospital. Special shout-outs go to Rebecca Garrison, a patient care technician, and Megan Peacoe, a certified nurse assistant, who found space inside the Battle Building to house the pantry, while two UVA pediatric nutritionists, Tegan Medico (photo, right) and Olivia Obertello, developed the pantry’s food offerings. Read more on Connect.

Connect | One Future Together | UVA Human Resources
Faculty and Employee Assistance Program | Wisdom & Well-being Program

Monday, July 12, 2021

Final Day to Submit Proof of COVID-19 Vaccination

Team members who did not schedule their vaccination through VaxTrax must send a scanned image or photo of their immunization record along with their UVA computing ID to CovidVax@hscmail.mcc.virginia.edu by today, July 12, to avoid weekly prevalence testing. Only CDC cards or other official medical records should be submitted; all other forms of documentation will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Employee Health will validate all documentation before updating records in VaxTrax. Team members who scheduled their vaccination appointment through VaxTrax have their documentation automatically recorded in the system, and no further action is needed.

COVID-19

Mandatory, Weekly Prevalence Testing Begins Monday, Aug. 2 | Unvaccinated team members who come into UVA Health facilities throughout the year are scheduled to begin mandatory, weekly prevalence testing for COVID-19 on Monday, Aug. 2. To avoid the need for prevalence testing, team members must have proof of their vaccination documented in VaxTrax. Read more about prevalence testing requirements on Connect.

(COVID-19 Dashboard | COVID-19 Resources Page)

Patient Care

Remote Check-In Ending Friday, July 16, for Ambulatory Clinics | The last day for remote waiting and central registration at ambulatory clinics will be Friday. All related signage should be removed, and ambulatory areas should delete all greeting or on-hold messages, printed appointment reminder letters, and other items related to remote check-in in preparation for normal registration to resume on Monday, July 19. At that time, patients will be able to check in at their clinics or associated registration hub. To ensure this transition occurs smoothly, the Central Registration team will continue to answer the remote registration line (434.924.0044) through the end of July. Questions? Please email RPFA@hscmail.mcc.virginia.edu.

Operations

Red Book Change: Delete From Area Red Books Now: Department-Level Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure Control Plans | The Institutional Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure Control Plan has been streamlined and become effective at the institutional level. Departments are no longer required to develop individual plans. Any existing departmental plans (dated August 2019) should be removed from your area’s Red Book and discarded. The institutional plan, which can be found in the Infection Control Manual, may be printed and stored in the Red Book for reference. 

Happenings

Last Call: Charles L. Brown Award Nominations | Deadline: 5 p.m., Tuesday, July 13 | Don’t miss this opportunity to nominate a care team for the annual Charles L. Brown Award for Patient Care Quality. Sponsored by the Department of Quality and Performance Improvement, the award will be presented to a care team or teams that have worked to improve quality and patient safety and includes a $10,000 prize. For questions, contact Jeff Lucas at 434.243.1755 or jl2bd@virginia.edu. Apply now.

Sign Up Now: Free Training in LGBTQ Patient-Centered Care | Because UVA Health participates in the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Annual Healthcare Equality Index, team members have free access to over 60 online, on-demand, and CME-accredited LGBTQ training options. These trainings include both interactive eLearning courses and recorded webinars on various topics ranging from the basics of LGBTQ patient-centered care to more specialized topics for clinicians. Learn more and register.

Appreciation

Rhonda Meyer, UVA Auxiliary President (left), and Mary Jackson, Supervisor, Hospitality House, accept a donation from Wayne Clegg.

A Generous Gift From a Longtime Supporter | The Hospitality House, which provides lodging for patients and family members, recently received a generous donation of $13,544. The donation will be restricted to support guests of the House. Thomas W. Clegg, who ran the nonprofit Interfaith Humanitarian Sanctum (IHS), donated the funds after IHS closed in 2020. For 11 years, Clegg personally delivered numerous donations of food and drinks for guests of the House. The generosity of Mr. Clegg and the Interfaith Humanitarian Sanctum is much appreciated! And thank you to the staff of the Hospitality House for providing refuge to those who need it! Read more on Connect.

Connect | One Future Together | UVA Human Resources
Faculty and Employee Assistance Program | Wisdom & Well-being Program

Friday, July 9, 2021

Check Out Wendy Horton’s New Blog: Vision and Voice

wendy horton

Focused on the vision for UVA Medical Center and beyond, Medical Center CEO Wendy Horton’s blog will offer insight on the cutting-edge of healthcare management and compassionate care and invites team member engagement on important topics through the Be Heard suggestion box. 

Read the latest post about “Silver Linings From the Pandemic,” and share with your teams.

COVID-19

Prevalence Testing Starts for Unvaccinated Team Members on August 2  | Mandatory, weekly prevalence testing for COVID-19 is scheduled to begin on Monday, Aug. 2 for unvaccinated team members who come into UVA Health facilities throughout the year. To avoid the need for prevalence testing, team members must have proof of their vaccination documented in VaxTrax in either of two ways:

Read more about prevalence testing requirements on Connect. 

(COVID-19 Dashboard | COVID-19 Resources Page)

Patient Care

New Leadership Video Discusses Renewed Focus on Quality at the Bedside | Three senior leaders — Chief of Quality and Performance Improvement Tracey Hoke, MD, Interim Chief Nursing Officer Veronica Brill, MSN, RN, and Chief Medical Officer Reid Adams, MD — discuss their vision for re-focusing and re-energizing our commitment to quality and safety through excellence at the bedside. What will be the keys to success? Factors include the nursing team’s new Leading with Heart initiative and having bedside providers get back to basics by using tools like daily management huddles and visual management boards. Watch now.

Latest Changes in Epic Will Go Live on Tuesday, July 13 | This month’s updates in Epic will impact inpatient LIPs, ambulatory and inpatient nurses, and therapy services. Learn more in this month’s Epic Update bundle. If you need further assistance, please contact the Help Desk at 434.924.5334.

Outpatient COVID-19 Results Will Be Viewable in MyChart As Soon As They Are Finalized | Begins Tuesday, July 13 | In response to patients’ requests for expedited availability of COVID-19 test results for travel or employment needs, outpatients will soon be able to view their test results in MyChart as soon as they are finalized, including weekends. Previously, COVID-19 results were only released to MyChart on weekdays. MyChart messaging has been updated to reflect this change, and clinics are encouraged to advise patients to access their COVID-19 test result in MyChart and use it to verify their status with other parties, such as work or school. Please note, results for COVID-19 tests for inpatients will continue to be released to MyChart at discharge. View the release schedule for all result types here.

Operations

Annual Garage Maintenance Will Impact Medical Center Parking During Next Three Weekends| Parking options for team members and patients will be modified during the next three weekends as follows:

Deadline Extended: 2021 Annual Retraining Must be Completed by Friday, July 23 | Members of the UVA Health community have been assigned the 2021 Annual Retraining course in Workday Learning. Full project details and FAQs can be found on the Annual Training project webpage.

Safety & Disaster Awareness Retraining | Deadline: Thursday, August 5 | As part of the required annual retraining, team members have been assigned the UVA Health 2021 Virginia State Employee Safety and Disaster Awareness Annual Retraining digital course in Workday Learning. This annual course is required for all Commonwealth of Virginia employees.  

Appreciation

Evan Rotar

Collaborating to Better Serve Our Patients | Today we are grateful for the amazing collaborations that occur daily across Grounds. A recent example of this can be found at the intersection of medicine and engineering. Evan Rotar, MD (see photo), cardiothoracic surgery resident, is partnering with School of Medicine clinicians and UVA engineers to design a device that will help cardiac patients with severe heart failure. The UVA Center for Engineering in Medicine will provide engineering-medicine research support, such as connecting Dr. Rotar with engineering expertise and helping navigate between fields; the UVA Coulter Translational Research Partnership, led by the UVA Department of Biomedical Engineering, will provide guidance on regulatory processes, design, and manufacturing. Read more how UVA is launching a fellowship that connects surgical residents with engineering teams on Connect.

Connect | One Future Together | UVA Human Resources
Faculty and Employee Assistance Program | Wisdom & Well-being Program

Wednesday, July 7, 2021

Aug. 2 Is New Start Date for Prevalence Testing

Mandatory, weekly prevalence testing for COVID-19 is scheduled to begin on Monday, Aug. 2 for unvaccinated team members who come into UVA Health facilities throughout the year. To avoid the need for prevalence testing, team members must have proof of their vaccination documented in VaxTrax in either of two ways:

Read more about prevalence testing requirements on Connect. 

COVID-19

Lost Your COVID-19 Vaccination Card? Download a Replacement | Thanks to the Health Information Technology team, team members and patients who received their COVID vaccination at UVA Health can now download a replacement vaccination card using this link.

Changes to PPE Guidelines are Now In Effect | The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a statement that the supply and availability of N95 respirators has increased significantly over the last several months, and that healthcare facilities should no longer use crisis capacity strategies such as reusing N95 respirators or single-use products. UVA Supply Chain indicates there is ample supply of PPE, including N95 respirators. The following changes to the guidelines are effective immediately:

(COVID-19 Dashboard | COVID-19 Resources Page)

Patient Care

Hospital Units Must Enter FYI Flag for Their COVID Patients | To help the Medical Center Information Desk effectively manage our current visitation policy, inpatient units need to assign an FYI flag in each COVID patient’s Epic record that says the following: COVID – No Visitors. FYI flags enable the Information Desk staff to determine when it is appropriate to turn away visitors.

Patients Can Now Access UVA Virtual Urgent Care Via MyChart | Previously only accessible through uvahealth.com, Virtual Urgent Care offers safe, convenient patient access to UVA providers Monday-Friday, noon-2 p.m. Now, patients with active MyChart accounts can access Virtual Urgent Care Visits by logging onto MyChart, clicking the menu icon, and selecting Talk to Urgent Care.

Operations

Calling All Team Members: Offer Your Suggestions as Strategic Planning Process Gets Underway | During the initial phase of the strategic planning process, entitled One Future Together, your participation is needed. Submit a comment and help shape UVA Health’s 10-year vision for all four of our missions: patient care, research, education, and community & health equity. Read more and share your ideas.

To Comply With Federal Law, UVA Will Still Prohibit Cannabis | Although Virginia law now permits the possession of up to an ounce of cannabis and the use of cannabis by people 21 and older, UVA’s policies regarding cannabis usage and testing are not changing. UVA will continue to comply with federal law, which prohibits all use, possession, and/or cultivation of marijuana at U.S. educational institutions. Individuals found in violation of this policy will be subject to appropriate personnel sanctions up to and including termination. Medical Center team members should refer to details in UVA Medical Center Human Resources Policy 104: Conditions of Employment. Read more here.

Medical Center Elevator Pilot Concludes | Access Restrictions Lifted | Effective Wednesday, July 7 | The pilot program that allowed only core departments to use Medical Center elevators 23 and 24 did not yield the expected reduction in wait times. As a result, all team members who are moving equipment can resume use of these elevators. Team members not transporting equipment are reminded to use other service or guest elevators.

Happenings

Deadline Extended: Nominate a Team for the Charles L. Brown Award | New Deadline: 5 p.m. Tuesday, July 13 | The annual Charles L. Brown Award for Patient Care Quality goes to a care team or teams that have worked to improve quality and patient safety. Sponsored by the Department of Quality and Performance Improvement, the award includes a $10,000 prize. For questions, contact Jeff Lucas at 434.243.1755 or jl2bd@virginia.edu. Apply now.

Nominate a Health Unit Coordinator Deserving of Recognition | Deadline: Thursday, July 15 |The HUC of the Year Award will be presented during National Health Unit Coordinator Week, Aug. 23-29. Eligibility, criteria, and nomination details.

Appreciation

Who’s That Bobblehead? | Costi Sifri, MD, and Mitch Rosner, MD, recently received bobblehead versions of themselves from Madison Hall staffers as a token of appreciation for their leadership and expertise through the pandemic. Dr. Rosner has an impressive collection of bobblehead dolls in his office, which frequently nodded in the background of Zoom calls with President Jim Ryan. When the staff reflected on how much Drs. Sifri and Rosner contributed over the past year, staff wanted to thank them, and they knew just what to do. Read the full story on Connect. 

Connect | One Future Together | UVA Human Resources
Faculty and Employee Assistance Program | Wisdom & Well-being Program

Friday, July 2, 2021

Acquisition Finalized: UVA Health is Now Sole Owner of Novant Health UVA Health System

On Thursday, July 1, UVA Health assumed full ownership of the integrated network of physician offices, outpatient facilities, and medical centers that made up Novant Health UVA Health System — including Culpeper Medical Center, Haymarket Medical Center, and Prince William Medical Center. The acquisition expands the size of UVA Health to over 1,000 inpatient beds across a growing geography, positions us to develop a strong presence in Northern Virginia, and enhances our national prominence. Going forward, UVA Health will operate under one unified brand in serving our patients and communities. We extend a warm welcome to the teams at Culpeper, Haymarket, and Prince William. Glad to have you in the UVA Health family! Read more on Connect. 

Operations

UVA Health Update on Hiatus for Fourth of July Holiday | In observance of Independence Day, the UVA Health Update will not appear in your inbox on Monday. Look for the next Update on Wednesday, July 7. Have a safe holiday! 

Parking and Transportation Modifications | Independence Day Holiday | The University Transit Service bus and Health System Transit shuttle service will not operate Monday, July 5. Team members may park in the South Garage on Crispell Drive and the 11th Street Garage (level D and above only) on July 5 (midnight-11:59 p.m.). 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.

Health Information and Technology Team Launches Website for Requesting and Tracking Projects | As part of this year’s Bridge Plan, the HIT team has focused on improving its structure, services, and project commitments. That work has led to the launch of the HIT Governance website through which team members can request and track projects. Duo authentication is required for access, and users must connect to the site via VPN or an on-grounds network. The new site can be used many ways: 

Team members should continue to use the HIT website for technology support and Help Desk requests.

Annual Garage Maintenance Will Impact Team Member Parking | Weekends in July | Parking options for team members and patients will be modified during coming weekends as follows:

Happenings

Partial Lane Closure on Emmet Street Near Ivy Road | Daily Through Saturday, July 31 | 7 a.m.-5 p.m.| A contractor for the City of Charlottesville is relocating a natural gas pipeline. At least one lane will remain open in each direction at all times for the duration of the work. Questions can be directed to City of Charlottesville Utilities at 434.970.3800. Read more. 

Appreciation

Thank You to Everyone Who Made the Seminole Square Vaccination Center Possible! | Opened on Jan. 31 as a large-scale community vaccination site, UVA Health’s “Big Shots” location is administering its final dose of vaccine today, July 2. The center, which has provided more than 63,000 doses of vaccine during its 21-week existence, has been made possible by the generosity of several community organizations, support of the Blue Ridge Health District, and the work of hundreds of team members on-site and behind the scenes. Many of the team members and community volunteers who made the Seminole Square Vaccination Center possible attended a closing celebration on Thursday, July 1. Gatherings like this would not have been possible before vaccination programs like the one at Seminole Square. Thank you, all!

Connect | UVA Health Bridge Plan | UVA Human Resources
Faculty and Employee Assistance Program | Wisdom & Well-being Program

Archive of previous UVA Health Updates

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