Author: Kaiser Permanente NW

December 10, 2020

In today’s update, you will find important information, including:

• NWP 365 Podcast with Dr. Dacones and Dr. Spindel,
• In Search of Our Very Own “Masked Singers,” and
• Clarifying Changes to Hospital Employee Entrances.

Live Audio Broadcast | Latest COVID-19 Updates from the KPNW Command Center

Join our next LIVE audio broadcast Tuesday, December 15, from 12:10 p.m. 

Get the latest COVID-19 updates from the KPNW Regional Command Center:

• Vaccine – Prepare for Distribution + Answers to Recent Questions
• Clinician/Employee Health – COVID-19 Exposure, Quarantine, Return to Work
• Hospital Team Nursing Approach – Model, Roles, Triggers, and Training

Submit your questions or suggestions for future topics. For more information, review the audio broadcast flyer

Situation Update

NWP 365 Podcast Episodes   

Episode 114 | Steve Spindel, MD, chief of Infectious Disease, and host Imelda Dacones, MD,share the most recent COVID-19, PPE, dot phrase, and therapeutic updates.

In Search of Our Very Own “Masked Singers”: Send us Your Song about Safety

What better way to close out this tumultuous COVID year than in song? Besides, “Wear a mask, wear a mask, wear it all the time,” seems more fitting than “Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way…”

Rework the lyrics of a holiday song with important messages about mask-wearing, social distancing, and staying home — you get the idea. Record a selfie of yourself or someone else singing your song and send it to COVID19NW@kp.org.

Your creative twist might be added to a montage “commercial” and viewed at huddles, on insideKP, and social and news media to inspire community support. Afterall, songs connect people to memories and celebration this time of year.

Review some tips on shooting selfie videos. And, for inspiration, check out Lorie Dolo’s (video file will download) impressive take on “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.”

Clarifying Changes to Hospital Employee Entrances

Employee Entrances:

• Sunnyside – Main, L&D, café, labyrinth, pharmacy (between Sunnybrook and hospital), North door.
• Westside – Main, ED (by Security), cafeteria, dock.
• ED employees and physicians may use EMS entrances.

When you tap your badge, you are attesting that you have taken your temperature at home and do not have a fever. If the entrance you use does not have masks, please bring one from home and wear it until you arrive at your worksite, then don an approved mask for the type of work you will be performing.

Employees must wear a mask at all times (except when eating or drinking) inside the facility.

Still Need a Flu Shot?

It’s not too late to protect yourself. And through December 31, Kaiser Permanente members can get a flu shot at nearby retail pharmacies — at no cost. Visit Kp.org to find a retail pharmacy location near you. View more employee flu vaccination options.

Flu Vaccination Rates as of December 9

We continue to make progress toward meeting our employee flu vaccination goal of 90%.

Employer	2020-21 Vac %	2019-20 Vac %
HP	71.3%	79.4%
NWP	89.0%	93.1%
PDA	92.2%	89.2%
Total	73.8%	81.2%
To track progress, visit the Employee Flu Vaccination Program site. Information is updated every Wednesday.

December 8, 2020 

In today’s update, you will find important information, including:

• Get the Latest Updates from Our Regional Command Center Leaders,
• Seeking Answers from KPNW Employee Health?, and
• Weekly KPNW COVID-19 Trends.

Words from Our Members

 “The staff was wonderful, very warm and caring, as well as knowledgeable. I also very much appreciated how seriously each staff member that I dealt with was towards preventing the spread of COVID-19.”

Situation Update

Get the Latest Updates from Our Regional Command Center Leaders

During yesterday’s live audiocast, leaders provided important updates on KPNW’s COVID-19 surge planning—space, stuff, and staff; vaccine preparations; and, PPE. Jeff Collins, Dr. John Snyder, and Dr. Imelda Dacones also addressed our employees, dentists, and physicians.

Mark your calendar for the next live audiocast: Tuesday, December 15, 12:10 p.m. If you have questions or suggestions for future topics, click here.

Seeking Answers from KPNW Employee Health?

The Employee Health team is fielding many calls and wants to remind everyone that information is readily available on the Employee Health SharePoint site. This includes vital information about what to do if you have COVID-19-like symptoms and/or were exposed to a COVID-19 positive person.

Weekly KPNW COVID-19 Trends

This week’s COVID-19 trends from KPNW researchers, scientists, and physicians, presented on Friday, December 4:

• Anticipated Surge Timing: Based on observed data patterns, we expect multiple surges through late January (with higher hospitalization census possibly into mid-Feb. 2021).
• Recent OR & WA state restrictions had appeared to be working; transmission rate, case rates, and hospitalization rates increased at lower rates this week than previous weeks.
• Latest news is showing the increase worried about from holiday behavior. December holidays, travel, and college student returns may still lead to further increases in coming weeks. 
• Internal hospital census (ADC) weekly average was up 14% from last week to this week (41.7 to 47.6). ADC forecast for this week is 48 by Dec 10 (w. error). KPNW experienced a short run of higher-than-expected ADC Nov 24-26. Pattern reverted to less-steep but increasing trend from early Nov.
• COVID hospital patients 75 and older up from 21% to 27% (Oct to Nov). ICU use is still low relative to hospital census; 17% v. 9% (Oct to Nov). Patients under 55 in ICU up; 0% to 33% (Oct to Nov).
• KPNW COVID+ cases weekly average was down 22% from last week to this week (256 to 199). Forecast for this week is 279 cases by Dec 10 (w. error).  Fluctuation was likely due to increased testing during the week prior to Thanksgiving.

Get Your Flu Shot at a Designated Retail Pharmacy

Your health is important to us. Visit a designated retail pharmacy, by December 31, and KP will cover the cost of the vaccination. Visit Kp.org to find a retail pharmacy location near you. View more employee flu vaccination options.

December 4, 2020 

In today’s update, you will find important information, including:

• Answers to Questions About the COVID-19 Vaccine,
• Isolation or Quarantine: What’s the Difference?/Updated CDC Quarantine Guidelines,
• Monoclonal Antibody Products,
• Check Testing Guidelines Regularly, and
• What’s New in Healthconnect?

Live Audio Broadcast | Latest COVID-19 Updates from the KPNW Command Center

Join this LIVE audio broadcast Monday, December 7, from 12:10 to 1 p.m. 

Get the latest COVID-19 updates from the KPNW Regional Command Center:

• COVID Incident Commanders Situation Update
• COVID-19 Surge Planning
• Vaccine Preparations
• PPE Works

For more information, review the audio broadcast flyer

Situation Update

Answers to Questions About the COVID-19 Vaccine

KP National has created a COVID-19 Vaccine FAQ to help answer employee and member questions about the vaccine.

Isolation or Quarantine: What’s the Difference?/Updated CDC Quarantine Guidelines

Isolation keeps someone who is infected with the virus away from others, even in their home, to prevent the spread of infection.

Quarantine keeps someone who might have been exposed to the virus away from others to prevent the spread of infection.

New Options for Length of Quarantine for Asymptomatic Persons

CDC updated its guidelines for asymptomatic persons to include 2 additional options that shorten the duration of quarantine after exposure to a COVID-19 positive person. CDC currently recommends a 14-day quarantine when possible. However, the new options allow for a reduced length of quarantine based on local resources and availability of testing for people who have been exposed.

CDC now recommends quarantine for exposed asymptomatic persons can end:

• 10 days after the last exposure without testing
• 7 days after last exposure with a negative test result.  Test can be collected no sooner than 5 days after last exposure.

After stopping quarantine, people should

• Watch for the development of symptoms until 14 days after exposure.
• If they have symptoms, immediately self-isolate and contact their healthcare provider.

KPNW Health Care Personnel (HCP) quarantine and return to work guidelines have not changed. Review the CDC When to Quarantine site.

Recently, the FDA granted emergency use authorization (EUA) for two monoclonal antibody products to treat COVID-19, bamlanivimab and the casirivimab/imdevimab combination (Regeneron). They are for outpatients with mild to moderate COVID-19 illness.  Both products are in short supply and allocated by the state.

There is limited published data and experience with these agents and efficacy data are limited and marginal.  The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) do not recommend the use of these products outside of a clinical trial. A comprehensive review of these treatments by our KPNW Infectious Disease physicians and pharmacists have led us to the same conclusion.  We will continue to monitor for updated evidence on these and similar monoclonal antibody therapies that may be useful for ambulatory patients with mild to moderate infection.

We understand that many patients are inquiring about these agents. We have developed the following dotphrase — Monoclonal Antibody Request —  in the .COVID master phrase under miscellaneous — to help support you in these conversations with members.

Dotphrase language:
We understand you are interested in one of the available intravenous (IV) monoclonal antibody therapies recently approved by the FDA for emergency use. Most people infected with COVID-19 recover fully and do not need hospitalization. Currently, there is not enough evidence that either of these therapies help patients avoid hospitalizations or get better sooner. We also do not yet fully know how safe they are. Kaiser Permanente supports the further study of these treatments in research settings. We are not offering them in our medical facilities at this time.

Monoclonal Antibody Products

We will continue to monitor for updated evidence on these and similar monoclonal antibody therapies that may be useful for ambulatory patients with mild to moderate infection.

Check Testing Guidelines Regularly

Due to increased demand for testing, changes could be made to testing criteria on a daily basis. Please check the KPNW Ambulatory COVID-19 Testing Locations and Guidelines regularly for the most current information; it will continue to be the single source of truth.

What’s New in Healthconnect?

December 4 | See the latest edition for several important COVID19 related updates:

• Proper Use of COVID-19 Related Medication Ordering
• NEW! COVID Status Will Show on Storyboard in Chart Review
• Quickly Find Information About Why Your Patient Received a COVID Test
• Outstanding Radiology Orders from Earlier in the Year Will be Cancelled
• HealthCare Anywhere (HCA) Mobile to Replace IVVtoGo!

If You Have Not Already Done So, Get Your Flu Shot Today

Your health is important to us. Visit a designated retail pharmacy, by December 31, and KP will cover the cost of the vaccination. Visit Kp.org to find a retail pharmacy location near you. View more employee flu vaccination options.