Pulse Employee Newsletter - March 2, 2021

Kind Words From Our Patients

Our patients have affirmed what we have long known: every day, and especially now, you are doing incredible work and deliver safe, high-quality care with the utmost compassion. We hope you enjoy some of the feedback from our anonymous NRC surveys:

"Every time I come for an outpatient therapy appointment, I am always greeted pleasantly and with a smile in the Atrium by the Ambassadors. They make my day when I come in as they are always cheerful and welcoming."

"Great experience in both the pre-op and recovery areas. The staff attention to details was excellent considering the number of patients. Keep up the excellent work!"

"We are lucky in Massachusetts to have such great healthcare facilities. I have lived in 4 states and always come to you. You are just simply the BEST!"

More News

Employee Applause Event – Today, Tuesday, March 2, 2:30 – 4 pm

Members of the Rewards and Recognition Committee will be rounding throughout the hospital to hand out a special treat today, Tuesday, March 2 from 2:30 – 4 pm to recognize and thank staff at all levels of the organization for their incredible commitment to taking care of our patients, their families and each other, especially during these trying times. Visit BWFHconnect for additional dates and times for Employee Applause events.

Save the Date: 5^th Annual Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Summit

Participate in this year’s virtual Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Summit on May 19 and 20, 8:30 am – 12 noon, for two days of learning and engagement. Mass General Brigham has identified diversity, equity and inclusion as focus areas of the highest priority that are aligned with the goals of United Against Racism.

Save the date for this can’t-miss two-day event that will feature:

• Isabel Wilkerson, Author of Caste
• Leana Wen, MD, CNN Commentator
• David Williams, PhD, MPH, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health

For more information, email diversityinclusion@partners.org.

Fleece Jacket Delivery Update

All employees who placed an order for a fleece jacket and met the eligibility requirements should receive it by the end of March. Jackets will be delivered to the mailing address that you entered on your order form. As background, our donors wanted to give employees a fleece jacket to express their gratitude for your contributions not only in response to COVID-19, but also for the special ways in which you always go above and beyond. The deadline for orders was the end of December 2020. Please note that we cannot accommodate new orders.

Betsy Lehman Center for Patient Safety – Virtual Support Group for Nurses

Feeling stressed on the frontlines of COVID-19? Talking to fellow nurses can help. The Betsy Lehman Center for Patient Safety is offering a free 6-week support group for nurses working with COVID-19 patients in any health care setting in Massachusetts. Beginning March 10, the weekly sessions for nurses will be held on Zoom and facilitated by a licensed mental health professional. Advance registration is required, and space is limited. The sessions, from 8 to 9:15 pm, are offered as a series. Interested participants should register here. More information is available here.

Understanding Teen Dating Violence and How to Offer or Get Help

Teen dating violence (TDV) is often a topic that’s not discussed. Therefore, many teens are not getting appropriate education on preventing or addressing dating violence and many may not feel comfortable discussing TDV with friends, parents, teachers or coaches. For guidance on counteracting TDV read our Mass General Brigham EAP article on this topic.

Windows 10 Version 1909 Update Coming in March

Beginning in mid-March, Mass General Brigham will be kicking off the automated push of the Windows 10 version 1909 update to all private and mobile computer devices at Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital.  This update to Windows 10 includes several critical security patches, hotfixes, and user interface improvements, and is required for all MGB devices running Windows 10.

Once the v1909 update is downloaded by the network onto the computer, the user will see a pop-up message indicating the update is ready to install. The user is provided an option to proceed or postpone the upgrade, but after 3 weeks, postponement will no longer be allowed. The update typically requires at least 90 minutes to complete and the computer device is not accessible during the process. Additional details and communications will be sent as we get closer to deployment of the update. View the tip sheet or learn more about Windows updates. For questions or concerns, send an email to the Brigham Health Windows 10 team at bhwindows10support@partners.org.

Innovation Digital Education Academy (IDEA)

Mass General Brigham’s Innovation Digital Education Academy (IDEA) is a new, year-long program focused on Innovation and Digital Health. Each month, we will host a special session highlighting key individuals and innovations happening within the digital health space.

• March 3, 2021 at 3pm:Digital Health Innovation in the Age of Covid-19 will highlight some of the new infrastructures for digital health, including research, and will feature Shawn Murphy, MD, PhD, Chief Research Information Officer, MGB; Adam Landman, MD, Chief Information Officer; Digital Innovation Officer BH; Lee Schwamm, MD, VP, Virtual Care, MGB. 
• March 30, 2021 at 12:30 pm:Equity Access and Inclusion in Digital Health will feature Sandy Aronson; Joe Betancourt, MD; Lee Park, MD; Cheryl Clark, MD; and Jorge Rodriguez, MD, discussing digital health access and impacts particularly from the perspective of patient care.

BWFHconnect Now Available in More than 80 Languages

Content on BWFHconnect can now be translated into more than 80 languages using the Google Translate feature. The Google Translate drop down menu appears at the top of each BWFHconnect page, and users can select their preferred language to have the text on the page translated. Please note, this feature works only in Google Chrome, Firefox and Safari browsers.

COVID-19 Updates

COVID-19 Surveillance and Monitoring Dashboard
MA Situational Update as of February 28, 2021
30,486 active COVID+ cases
1,248 new daily COVID+ cases
The 7-day percent positivity average is 1.77 percent

BWFH Situational Update as of March 2, 2021:
Admitted COVID+ Patients as of 7am: 14
Admitted COVID PUI Patients as of 7am: 10 

BWFH Vaccine Update of March 1, 2021:
65 percent of BWFH based employees have chosen to receive their first dose of vaccine
62 percent of BWFH employees have received their second dose of vaccine

Updates to the Mass General Brigham Visitor Policy

The Mass General Brigham Visitor Policy has been updated and Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital will implement this updated policy on Tuesday, March 2. Key updates include:

• For patients who do not quality for an Essential Visitor or Support Person, a single Non-Essential Visitor will now be permitted for inpatients.
• Non-Essential Visitors:
  • Will be allowed to visit daily from 1 to 8 pm
  • Will not be allowed for inpatients on Enhanced Respiratory Isolation
  • Will not be permitted in any other areas of the hospital, including ED, Ambulatory locations, and procedural areas

You can review the updated Visitor Policy in full here.

COVID-19 Vaccine: What You Need to Know

Vaccine information for patients

Mass General Brigham has administered more than 159,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine to health care workers and patients, which is aligned with our allocation of doses received from the state.

Starting this week, Mass General Brigham resumes offering limited new appointments for the COVID-19 vaccine to patients who are eligible under the current phase of the state’s vaccine distribution plan. Patients who meet the following criteria qualify for vaccination under state guidelines: 

• Individuals ages 65 and older;
• Individuals ages 16-64 with two or more certain medical conditions.

We are inviting eligible patients to schedule their vaccination appointments based on a fair, random allocation process. We are currently relying on Patient Gateway with support from our equity partners to schedule vaccination appointments at one of the ten Mass General Brigham vaccination clinics listed below.

Mass General Brigham vaccine clinic locations

Eligible patients can schedule their vaccine appointment at one of our clinics listed below. Vaccines are available by appointment only. There are no walk-ins.

• Assembly Row, Somerville
• Brigham and Women’s Healthcare Center – Pembroke (available for scheduling starting 3/11)
• Brigham and Women’s Hospital – Hale
• Brookside Community Health Center – Jamaica Plan (available for local residents only)
• Cooley Dickinson Medical Group – Atwood, Northampton
• Massachusetts General Hospital – Bulfinch Tent
• MGH Chelsea HealthCare Center (available for local residents only)
• MGH Revere HealthCare Center (available for local residents only)
• North Shore Physicians Group – Lynn Medical Village
• TripAdvisor (Newton-Wellesley Hospital) – Needham

Vaccine information for employees

All unvaccinated Mass General Brigham employees can schedule their COVID vaccine through COVID Pass. For assistance, view the tip sheet or speak with your manager. Please note that employee and patients will now be vaccinated at the same sites listed above.

Reminder: masking, hand hygiene and distancing remain essential after vaccination. Even after you receive your second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, it is essential to continue to adhere to all the interventions we know to be effective: mask wearing, hand hygiene and social distancing. This protects all of us and our patients.

Employee Asymptomatic Testing at BWFH

Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital continues to offer on-site COVID-19 testing for asymptomatic (no signs of illness) staff members free of charge, with results returned to you approximately 24 - 36 hours later.  Learn more and schedule a test.

• As of March 1 testing will be offered every Monday from 6:30 - 9:30 am and Wednesday from 2 – 5 pm. Click here to view the schedule.
• Employees will schedule their appointment through COVID Pass.  Please note that additional options are now available when scheduling through COVID Pass.  Click here to view instructions on COVID-19 test scheduling through COVID Pass.
• Employees who are not COVID Pass users will be able to schedule their COVID testing appointment at the testing site when the clinic is open; please be aware that the ‘walk-in’ scheduling will take longer and plan accordingly.
• Results will be available in Patient Gateway, and turnaround time for results is between 24 and 36 hours.  Click here to view instructions on enrolling in Patient Gateway.
• If you receive a “test not performed” or “invalid” test result, please come to the testing site during open clinic hours to be re-tested as a walk-in.
• Employees will be able to schedule 1 elective COVID test every 7 days through COVID Pass.  Please note that a block on COVID Pass will prevent users from accessing the schedule until exactly 6 days past the time of your last elective COVID test.

Save the Date

Digital Health Innovation in the Age of Covid-19 (Innovation Digital Education Academy (IDEA) Symposium)
Wednesday, March 3
3 to 4 pm
Via Zoom 

De-Escalation Recert/Initial Training
Friday, March 5
8 am to 12 noon
Via Zoom

Virtual Meet and Greet with Black Excellence @ MGB Employee Resource Group
Thursday, March 11
1pm - 2pm
Via Zoom

BWFH Links

• APP Affair
• BWFH Calendar of Events
• BWFHconnect
• BWFH MD News & Views
• BWFH Nurse
• BWFH Perks
• BWFH Pulse – Email Edition
• BWFH Pulse – Print Edition
• Employment Opportunities
• Last Week in Patient Safety
• Monthly Education Calendar