08.24.2020

Vaccination Mandate, "Skinny" Relief, ONL Report

Vaccination Mandate for All Students

Massachusetts has the highest childhood flu vaccination rate in the U.S., according to the CDC, and now Governor Baker wants to ensure even better results by mandating influenza immunization for all children 6 months of age or older, who are attending Massachusetts child care, pre-school, kindergarten, K-12, and colleges and universities.
  
Curbing the flu as a resurgence of COVID-19 is expected in the fall will keep people healthier and reduce the possibilities of the healthcare system being overrun by both flu and coronavirus cases.
  
There are medical and religious exemptions for those declining the flu shots, but children who are going to school remotely this fall are not exempt. All vaccinations must be received by December 31. More details from the state are here.
  
MHA, which has strongly endorsed influenza vaccinations for healthcare workers and the general public, praised the governor’s order. Said MHA President & CEO Steve Walsh, “The upcoming flu season is of major concern to our healthcare providers, who are already working around the clock to prepare for a second wave of COVID-19. We appreciate the Baker Administration’s proactive focus on areas like classrooms, where a flu outbreak could further harm the health of our communities and overwhelm our hospitals. Just like wearing a mask and social distancing, getting a flu shot is a simple but powerful way to help our healthcare community through what will be a very challenging fall.”
  
Also last week, U.S. Health & Human Services amended the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act to authorize state-licensed pharmacists and pharmacy interns under their supervision to order and administer vaccines to children, subject to certain requirements. 
 

Criticized for Not Offering Enough, Senate GOP Offers Less

Reports out of Washington indicate that Senate Republicans, after failing to reach any sort of agreement with the U.S. House and White House on a COVID-19 relief bill, have floated the idea of a “skinny” bill that does not contain any additional funding for hospitals.
 
The original Senate HEALS Act contained $25 billion for hospitals, while the House-approved HEROES Act dedicated $100 billion. The new scaled-back proposal from the Senate GOP, while not formally introduced, entirely removes hospital funding and scales back other items like unemployment relief. As the House had already dug in and argued that the original Senate bill did not go far enough in providing relief, it’s unclear how the skinnier bill containing even less funding will help to move along negotiations.
 

Baystate Franklin Wins Grant to Improve Rural Workforce

Baystate Franklin Medical Center has received a $750,000 grant through the federal Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to support the development of rural residency programs that will address physician workforce shortages in rural communities. More than $8 million in funding was made to programs in 10 states through the Rural Residency Planning and Development (RRPD) Program. Baystate Franklin was one of 50 rural health organizations across 33 states – and the only hospital in Massachusetts – that received a total of $35 million in Rural Health Communities Awards through HRSA.

RNs: Developing Leadership Skills through Storytelling and Listening

The Organization of Nurse Leaders (ONL) has released a report from the annual summit the group held in January, which brought together the nursing community in an open dialogue to elevate the profession by using stories to drive action and influence. As ONL states in the report, “Engaged nurses are essential to providing high-quality patient care and decreasing turnover. When nurses come together and nurture supportive work environments, the profession moves forward and can achieve its goals.”
  
Among the exercises at the summit was one where the more than 270 attendees broke up and sat at tables with other nurses they did not know to tell, and listen to, a “High Point” story, during which nurses told a story of a high point in their careers when they were proud of their work, and a “story with drama” that involved something that bothered them at work or a situation that was challenging or frustrating. After these two exercises, each table got together and integrated what they experienced, writing down what commonalities emerged, what they noticed about themselves when they were telling and listening to stories, and how stories can be used to amplify their voices or points of view. Another exercise focused on engaging in dialogue and co-creating stories to practice listening and how to build on what is important to the other person, rather than “selling or telling.”
 

Annual Human Resources Labor Forum

Wednesday, September 16, 2020, 8:30 to 11:15 a.m. EDT

Human resources professionals in the healthcare field face an ever-evolving labor and employment landscape. Join us for an interactive virtual program where we will examine trends, best practices, and current policy in HR through a healthcare lens. We will be joined by expert leaders that are currently practicing innovative HR strategies and will provide insight into how to integrate these practices into your organization. This program is geared toward human resources executives and professionals, or leaders seeking learning opportunities on employee onboarding and training. Learn more about this program, including registration details, by clicking here.
  
Please look here for more information on upcoming MHA Educational programming.
 

John LoDico, Editor