Guess I won't be volunteering there, then
My husband is one of those annoyingly healthy people. In comparison to him, I am a hypochondriac. I don't know if he's ever had a flu shot. Certain shots are mandatory in healthcare, such as the ones for Hep, and he's also had to go through the TB check process each year.
I have only ever had the flu shot once. That night I got sick and couldn't make it into work the next day. Whatever flu was in it must have reacted to something in my system. I vowed never again. I never grew up with flu shots, and even if I've been ill I've always bounced back.
This year, although the CDC has strongly recommended getting vaccinated against Swine Flu, only New York state has made it mandatory for healthcare workers. In fact, NYS has stated you must have both regular flu and Swine Flu shots. Needless to say, my healthy husband isn't best impressed. It's one thing for your organisation to make it mandatory, it's another thing completely for the State to do it. Especially when it's the ONLY STATE IN THE USA. But, this is New York and we already know Governor Paterson will not win election in his own right come November 2010. You know it's bad when a. people would rather have Spitzer back (the one involved in the prostitution scandal) and b. the unions are asking Andrew Cuomo to run instead. Oh yeah, and c. Obama's got involved with this brouhaha too.
Given that I have time on my hands, I figured I would volunteer at the hospital where Heath works. I called the department, got the application forms, filled in the paperwork, etc. I just haven't been yet able to call and schedule an interview. I didn't plan on being in patient contact, because quite frankly I think I'd freak if something happened to one of them while I was with them. But there are plenty of office positions available as well, including in the Human Resources department.
Today, I read the memo that was sent to Heads of Department within the hospital. H's boss forwarded it to her employees, and H forwarded it to me. I'm not going to reproduce it in full, since there may be confidentiality issues, but the memo does state the following:
This regulation includes not only employees with direct patient contact, but essentially everyone who works in the hospital. According to the State, indirect patient contact includes activities such as riding in an elevator that a patients uses, walking in a hallway that is used by a patient, or coming in contact with an employee who has contact with patients.
Do I want to have to take these shots? Hell, no! One bad reaction scared me off for life. And I've never been that sick. So, I'm waving goodbye to volunteering.
However, is anyone else seeing an issue with the State's definition of 'indirect patient contact.' I come in contact with an employee who has contact with patients EVERY DAY, as do many other spouses! And what those who are simply visiting a patient? They'll be riding those same elevators and walking down those same hallways. How about delivery people? Will the florist be able to deliver a bouquet of flowers to the front desk? What about the out-patients my husband sees? Will the hospital end up becoming a quarantine zone? What about doctors' offices? Will all their patients have to get the shots because they come in contact with an employee who is in contact with other patients? That doesn't make sense. And what about those pharmaceutical reps?
Somehow, I get the feeling the State of New York hasn't figured this thing out properly. There are so many areas where this cannot be realistically enforced. There are way too many of us who come in contact with an employee who has contact with patients. I understand the 'strongly recommend' but mandating it is surely unworkable.
I have only ever had the flu shot once. That night I got sick and couldn't make it into work the next day. Whatever flu was in it must have reacted to something in my system. I vowed never again. I never grew up with flu shots, and even if I've been ill I've always bounced back.
This year, although the CDC has strongly recommended getting vaccinated against Swine Flu, only New York state has made it mandatory for healthcare workers. In fact, NYS has stated you must have both regular flu and Swine Flu shots. Needless to say, my healthy husband isn't best impressed. It's one thing for your organisation to make it mandatory, it's another thing completely for the State to do it. Especially when it's the ONLY STATE IN THE USA. But, this is New York and we already know Governor Paterson will not win election in his own right come November 2010. You know it's bad when a. people would rather have Spitzer back (the one involved in the prostitution scandal) and b. the unions are asking Andrew Cuomo to run instead. Oh yeah, and c. Obama's got involved with this brouhaha too.
Given that I have time on my hands, I figured I would volunteer at the hospital where Heath works. I called the department, got the application forms, filled in the paperwork, etc. I just haven't been yet able to call and schedule an interview. I didn't plan on being in patient contact, because quite frankly I think I'd freak if something happened to one of them while I was with them. But there are plenty of office positions available as well, including in the Human Resources department.
Today, I read the memo that was sent to Heads of Department within the hospital. H's boss forwarded it to her employees, and H forwarded it to me. I'm not going to reproduce it in full, since there may be confidentiality issues, but the memo does state the following:
This regulation includes not only employees with direct patient contact, but essentially everyone who works in the hospital. According to the State, indirect patient contact includes activities such as riding in an elevator that a patients uses, walking in a hallway that is used by a patient, or coming in contact with an employee who has contact with patients.
Do I want to have to take these shots? Hell, no! One bad reaction scared me off for life. And I've never been that sick. So, I'm waving goodbye to volunteering.
However, is anyone else seeing an issue with the State's definition of 'indirect patient contact.' I come in contact with an employee who has contact with patients EVERY DAY, as do many other spouses! And what those who are simply visiting a patient? They'll be riding those same elevators and walking down those same hallways. How about delivery people? Will the florist be able to deliver a bouquet of flowers to the front desk? What about the out-patients my husband sees? Will the hospital end up becoming a quarantine zone? What about doctors' offices? Will all their patients have to get the shots because they come in contact with an employee who is in contact with other patients? That doesn't make sense. And what about those pharmaceutical reps?
Somehow, I get the feeling the State of New York hasn't figured this thing out properly. There are so many areas where this cannot be realistically enforced. There are way too many of us who come in contact with an employee who has contact with patients. I understand the 'strongly recommend' but mandating it is surely unworkable.