July 1, 2021
In today’s update, you will find important information, including:
- Oregon and Washington Reopen – But Our Prevention and Vaccine Work Continues
- Vaccination Quick Facts
- Be Safe on the July 4 Holiday
- KPNW Superhero Award Winner: Chris Markesino, PC Behavioral Health Consultants
Oregon and Washington Reopen – But Our Prevention and Vaccine Work Continues
As of Wednesday, Oregon and Washington have reopened their economies and most of their COVID-19 restrictions are over. We can go back to many of the things we used to enjoy doing before the pandemic began. One main difference between the 2 states: Washington is retaining its mask order for people who are not fully vaccinated. And, as a reminder, health care settings in Oregon and Washington have different mask requirements than other types of businesses.
PLEASE NOTE: Despite the new executive orders, there are no significant changes to patient care at KPNW facilities at this time. Masks are still mandatory in all KPNW buildings – hospitals, clinics, dental, and administrative offices. All other infection control and prevention measures remain in place for all KPNW employees and clinicians, and at all buildings.
Member talking point: If approached by visitors confused about masking guidance, you could say, “Changes in masking policies can be confusing. Health officials still require masks be worn in health care settings. Our Infectious Disease doctors agree, it’s for everyone’s safety.” Thanking patients and visitors who come in wearing masks can also reinforce this important message, in a friendly, positive way.
Meanwhile, our COVID-19 vaccination efforts continue:
- Unvaccinated patients admitted to Sunnyside and Westside Medical Centers are now being offered the single-shot J&J vaccine.
- You have 8 days! Encourage vaccinations by spreading the word about Kaiser Permanente’s ImmUNITY Sweepstakes, open to all of us who have been vaccinated by July 9. Prizes include a family trip to Disneyland, a gym membership, and more! Open to members and nonmembers, too, who have been vaccinated through Kaiser Permanente.
- We continue targeted community health outreach to Black, Latinx, and Pacific Islander communities to close the vaccination gap.
- We’re still pushing to achieve a 70% vaccination rate for our members by July 4 as part of the national month of action. We’re currently at 66.7%.
Vaccination Quick Facts
Here is a snapshot of the most current vaccination data as of June 30. KPNW health plan and hospital employees have hit 78.1%! How can we boost that number? Visit the COVID-19 Quick Facts Dashboard for up-to-date, key data on the virus and vaccines.
Be Safe on the July 4 Holiday
With the Fourth of July weekend on the horizon, we can all do our part to reduce heavy demand on our hospitals’ Emergency Department. All 4 regional health systems that have worked together during the pandemic – Kaiser Permanente, OHSU, Providence, and Legacy Health – sent out a joint message about the upcoming holiday. The highlights:
- We normally expect high caseloads in Emergency Departments from the holiday weekend. This year, it will be even more important to exercise caution.
- Please be careful with fireworks and observe the bans that local agencies have in place, practice water safety, avoid consuming alcohol in the heat, and drink plenty of water.
- Be careful in the heat. The record-breaking heat led to a record volume of cases – mainly related to people suffering heat-related illness. In many cases, the heat has exacerbated existing underlying health conditions such as heart disease and diabetes.
- Hospitals are at or near capacity. Although COVID-19 cases have declined overall, we still have many patients with COVID-19 occupying hospital beds. In addition, surgical demand has generally increased as a result of delayed care due to the pandemic.
- Please do your part! Encourage members (or check in yourself, if needed) to use Primary Care providers about urgent health care needs – or visit the nearest Urgent Care clinic – and reserve the Emergency Department for true emergencies.
Thank you to everyone for your hard work and careful, coordinated management of our member and patient volume. Please be safe!
KPNW Superhero Award Winners
Christopher Markesino, Director of Facilities Compliance, Safety, and Emergency Management
Chris was there when the Oregon Convention Center mass vaccination site was established, and he was there when it was closed. We knew when Chris was on duty, we had a leader we could go to who would listen, address our issues, and follow through to ensure there was a resolution. Read more.
Primary Care Behavioral Health Consultants
Behavioral Health Consultants provide same-day behavioral health support for members in Primary Care. This hard-working team has continued to provide high-volume care to a wide range of members throughout the pandemic. Read more.
The KPNW Superhero Award celebrates this excellence by recognizing the creative and collaborative ways your teammates support our company, our members, and community. Help spread the word! Post the KPNW Superhero Award flier in break rooms, and wherever teams gather for meetings / huddles and nominate your hero today!