Good Afternoon,
In light of the recent increase in Delta variant COVID infections in other areas of the country, now is a good time to review the importance of getting your COVID vaccination. The vaccines have been proven to be safe and effective, and even the extremely small number of vaccinated people who have had breakthrough COVID infections have experienced mostly mild symptoms – in other words, it is 100% effective in preventing hospitalization and death.
While we do not currently have a policy requiring staff to be vaccinated, we do have several requirements about staff notification of vaccination status and communication with members about vaccines. (see below; also, full policy emailed Wedge-wide on 7/20/21). All staff are required to be familiar with this policy, and report their vaccination status as required. We are currently exploring options for making vaccination mandatory, and will update you about this in the coming weeks.
- VACCINATION FOR COVID-19
- Wedge currently does not mandate vaccination for staff or members, but STRONGLY RECOMMENDS that all staff and members be vaccinated.
- Staff who are vaccinated must submit a copy or photo of their vaccination card to HR upon completion of their vaccination.
- Staff who decline to be vaccinated must send a statement to that effect, with a reason for their declining the vaccine, to HR immediately (email is sufficient).
- Staff should not ask other staff about their vaccination status. It is appropriate for a staff member to share with others that they are vaccinated, but this information should not be solicited from other staff, and staff have a right to not answer this question if asked by a fellow staff member. Human Resources will ask for this information, and will keep it in a confidential medical file; staff are required to cooperate with Human Resources in providing this information.
- Wedge as an organization is pro-vaccine. Staff are required to encourage all of their members to get vaccinated, and provide them with resources to access vaccination sites. Staff who discourage or withhold vaccine resources from members will be subject to counseling and progressive disciplinary action.
- Staff are required to keep tracking of the vaccination status of all members in their caseload at all times. Staff must obtain a copy of the vaccination card for vaccinated members, and upload to the member’s medical record. Management will occasionally ask for reports on these vaccination data.
- Go here: Client –> Client Info –> health info –> immunizations
- Click “New Manual Event” and “COVID-19”
- Enter “dose(s)” –
- 1 if first dose
- 2 if second dose
- Enter “actual date” as date of vaccination
- Enter “Provider” as location vaccination was administered
- Upload a copy of the card
- In “symptom/reaction” you can enter any side effects or symptoms the member experienced as a result of the vaccination
- Our partners at Genoa Healthcare can now offer the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to our staff, as well as friends and family members of staff, and our members. To schedule an appointment, call the Genoa pharmacy at our Venango site: extension 4080.
If you have any questions about your responsibility regarding your personal vaccination status, please contact HR. If you have questions about communicating with members and documenting their vaccination status, please see your supervisor.
Thank you for your cooperation!
– Jason
Jason R. McLaughlin, MS, MSS, LCSW, CPRP
Chief Executive Officer