UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, MD, and Nebraska Medicine CEO Jim Linder, MD, sent out the following message Wednesday to the UNMC and Nebraska Medicine communities about influenza vaccination, COVID-19 booster shots and TB questionnaires:
Flu season is right around the corner. As health care experts in our community, the public looks to us to set the example by getting vaccinated.
We know vaccination minimizes the spread of illness. It protects everyone – our community, families, colleagues and patients. It aligns with our mission to lead the world and create a healthy future for individuals and communities. It also is an important part of our commitment to Zero Harm.
Here is what colleagues should know about flu vaccines this year:
- Our goal is for at least 90% of employees and health care providers to receive the influenza vaccine.
- Each year, we must report our vaccination rates to The Joint Commission and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). All health care providers, students and employees at UNMC and Nebraska Medicine are expected to document their vaccination status in the Health Tracking System.
- If you receive the vaccine from an on-site clinic or through your clinical area, it will automatically be recorded for you.
- If you get your shot at a pharmacy, grocery store or physician’s office, you will need to log in and track it yourself.
- Log in to the Health Tracking System to record if you received the vaccination elsewhere or declined the vaccination and provide a reason for declination.
- Drop-in flu vaccine clinics will be held at various locations across the system from Sept. 29 to Nov. 9. Find the clinic that works best for you and more information about the flu on the Health Tracking System. To access the online Health Tracking System from off-network, follow these step-by-step instructions. Remember to fill out your influenza questionnaire on the Health Tracking System before you arrive.
- All colleagues are strongly encouraged to stay up to date on their COVID-19 vaccine boosters and document their booster status in the Health Tracking System. We plan to offer boosters at certain drop-in flu vaccine clinics beginning in October, but these details are still in development. Watch the NOW and UNMC Today for an announcement soon.
All Nebraska Medicine colleagues, as well as any UNMC students or staff who are fitted to wear an N-95 respirator, are also expected to fill out their annual symptom review form for tuberculosis (TB) beginning Oct. 1. This also takes place in the Health Tracking System, where you will find a brief, online questionnaire.
Our ITEACH value of accountability requires us to take ownership and do the right thing. We do not mandate influenza vaccination or require it for employment, but we are confident most of our workforce will be vaccinated because it is simply the right thing to do. It is part of our responsibility to our patients and each other.
Be an advocate for patients. All inpatient nursing staff should screen and vaccinate inpatients for influenza before discharge. Similarly, the influenza vaccine is available in outpatient clinics. It should be given to all patients over the age of 6 months who do not have a contraindication. For more information on the flu vaccine, resources are available on the Nebraska Medicine Health Tracking System.
Sincerely,
Jeffrey P. Gold, MD, chancellor, UNMC
Jim Linder, MD, CEO, Nebraska Medicine