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Dear UVA Health Team Members,

As previously announced, August 2, 2021, is the start date for mandatory weekly prevalence testing by team members who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19. All team members must continue to follow masking and PPE guidelines within UVA Health facilities.

Following is information about the prevalence testing program, which includes both saliva and mail-in testing. Most team members will be required to undergo proctored saliva testing: a limited number of individuals will be designated to complete mail-in testing.

Why are we doing this?

Mandatory prevalence testing is being instituted as part of UVA Health’s commitment to protect the health and safety of our patients, team members and community. It is also consistent with Policy OCH-002, which grants the Medical Center Hospital Epidemiologist authority to require team members to undergo any additional screening, vaccinations or tests as may be necessary for infection control and patient safety.

Who is required to complete weekly prevalence testing?

All team members who meet these two criteria must complete weekly prevalence testing:

• Work requires them to come into any UVA Health facility at any time during the year; and,
• They do not have documentation of a COVID-19 vaccination on file with Employee Health.

As defined in Policy OCH-002, team members include everyone who provides clinical, educational, research, administrative, maintenance or other services within or for the benefit of UVA Health.

Are any unvaccinated team members not required to complete weekly prevalence testing?

Exceptions for the weekly prevalence testing will be granted to unvaccinated team members who:

• Have tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 150 days
• Have been identified in VaxTrax by their managers as a 100% remote worker

What type of testing is required and where is it being offered?

• Proctored saliva testing will be required for all unvaccinated team members unless they have been notified that they will be issued mail-in kits (see below). Saliva testing will be available by appointment at numerous locations around the region. Team members must schedule  prevalence tests online using the Time2Test application. This site is being regularly updated to reflect changes in testing locations and appointment times.
• Mail-in kits will be provided to team members who work at outlying locations and have been notified that they must use this type of testing. Team members who are designated to complete weekly mail-in testing will receive kits and compliance instructions from their supervisors.

Can saliva testing be scheduled during working hours?

Yes. Time used to complete required testing is paid time. Before scheduling testing appointments, team members are encouraged to talk with their manager to identify testing times that will not conflict with the needs of patients, with workflow and deadlines or with the availability of back up support.

Can team members get vaccinated and avoid the need for prevalence testing? 

Team members who have not yet received a COVID-19 vaccine can make arrangements to be fully vaccinated, but must undergo weekly prevalence testing until 14 days after receiving the J&J vaccine or their second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines.

Where can team members get vaccinated?

Team members can get vaccinated at any COVID-19 vaccination site that is most convenient. Anyone who was previously infected with COVID-19 is encouraged to get vaccinated as soon as they are  recovered from clinical illness. Team members can schedule appointments at a UVA Health vaccination site through VaxTrax. Note: Proof of vaccinations administered at UVA Health sites will automatically be available to Employee Health; team members who get vaccinated at other sites must follow the steps for submitting proof of vaccination described below.

How can team members submit proof of their COVID-19 vaccination?

Team members who did not schedule vaccinations through VaxTrax should send a scanned image or photo of immunization records, such as a CDC card or official medical record, along with their UVA computing ID to covidvax@hscmail.mcc.virginia.edu. Employee Health will use this information to validate and update team members’ records (VaxTrax data will be available to managers). Any other forms of documentation will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

How long does it take to be removed from the mandatory testing roster after submitting proof of vaccination?

Roster information will be updated every 24-48 hours.

What happens if a team member does not complete required weekly testing?

Team members who do not complete required saliva prevalence testing at least weekly will be subject to sanctions up to and including termination of employment. Non-compliance notifications will be sent to managers, who will initiate the sanction process.

Are any unvaccinated team members exempt from weekly prevalence testing?

Exceptions for the weekly prevalence testing will be granted for unvaccinated team members who:

• Have tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 150 days
• Have been identified in VaxTrax by their managers as a 100% remote worker

Where can team members get more information or submit questions?

• BeSafe Prevalence Screening Website | Team members can find information about prevalence testing preparations, the testing process and other important program details.
• UVA Prevalence Testing Webpage | Posted on the UVA Human Resources website, this page provides information about documentation submission as well as relevant Frequently Asked Questions.
• UVA Health Team Member HR Info Related to COVID-19 | This page contains a broad range of human resources information for UVA Health team members.
• UVA Health Employee Health [covidvax@hscmail.mcc.virginia.edu] | Contact this team when you have questions about prevalence testing, providing proof of vaccination, scheduling a vaccination appointment or the vaccines themselves.

Sincerely,

John Bennett, MPA
Chief Ambulatory Operations Officer

Mitchell H. Rosner, MD MACP
Chair, Department of Medicine