EPHC board discusses Covid-19 — concerned only 55 percent of staff vaccinated
By Lauren Westmoreland
Board Chair Gail McGrath reported that things were continuing to come along “quite well” at the Nifty Thrifty in Portola as the spring changes into summer. “There are certainly a lot of donations!”
Covid-19 vaccinations
Infection Control Specialist Michelle Romero spoke briefly about the current levels of vaccinations completed in Eastern Plumas, with 55 percent of EPHC staff vaccinated against Covid-19 as of that day and 85 percent of Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) residents fully vaccinated and being tested weekly.
The board discussed the topic of vaccinations on campus, and whether 55 percent of staff fully vaccinated was enough. Director Linda Satchwell inquired as to what measures had been taken thus far to educate and possibly further incentivize the vaccination. “A lot of people just don’t want to get the vaccine,” Romero said.
Dr. Paul Swanson expressed frustration with the situation. “We had discussed this in the past,” Swanson said. “We had discussed the possibility or the option of requiring staff be vaccinated. I think at one point we decided that we wanted to see what staff would do.”
“This is not just about the staff; it is also about the patients. We’re still at risk of future variant surges, and 55 percent just doesn’t seem very good,” Swanson continued. “My point of view is that you’re balancing individual wishes with the greater good. It might be worth considering either stronger incentives or requirements for vaccinations.”
Director Theresa Whitfield commented on the need to increase education on why the vaccine is a good idea, citing that 89 percent of her staff is currently vaccinated due to that approach. “I think the education is the key.”
Human Resources Director Lori Tange noted that work had been ongoing to inform staff that there are sick benefits that can be used by staff for those that might need them during the vaccination process.
“We’re seeing patients now, one year later, who went home on room oxygen, and now have to go home on five to six liters. So, the progressive damage to people’s lungs still happens after they recover from the initial infection,” Whitfield said.
Satchwell stated that she agreed with an approach that might be balanced between increasing incentives and education, with the potential of requiring stronger standards in patient care.
Whitfield commented that the hospital couldn’t mandate for anyone to have the vaccine, and Swanson responded, “Yes, you can. I’m not suggesting that we require it, but a 55 percent level is not good enough.”
McGrath added that stronger support was needed and that department heads and others in leading roles should be encouraging staff much more strongly. “I think that to sit back and let them make a decision is really not in their best interest or the institutions,” McGrath said.
The board discussed how further education might be accomplished, and Whitfield pointed out the importance of having one-on-one conversations with staff members to determine the unique situations that everyone was dealing with.
Romero said, “The bottom line is that many of the employees I have spoken with have said that they will quit if they have to get the vaccine. It’s difficult. We have a very different dynamic here than at the hospital in Reno.”
It was made clear that the board was highly appreciative of all the work done thus far by staff at EPHC, such as Michelle Romero, to not only keep the campus Covid-19 free, but also in educating and updating employees on vaccine related information, in addition to providers having doubled down on conversations about the benefits of the Covid-19 vaccination.
Chief Nursing Officer Penny Holland commented that she didn’t think forcing vaccinations was “the way” and acknowledged that a lot of folks that remain currently unvaccinated are waiting specifically for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
“I would like to move on. We have to follow CDC guidelines on how to approach variants coming our way, and I don’t see our world changing much in the next year,” Holland said.
Staff reports
Chief Nursing Officer Penny Holland gave a brief report, noting that EPHC hired five well-qualified new nurses in the past month. Holland added that there was a new piece of ultrasound technology being used on campus to assist in quickly and easily finding deeper veins. “It’s been very successful — some doctors have even used it to put in a central line,” Holland said.
Human Resources Director Lori Tange reported that over the month of April, there had been a variety of new hires at EPHC, including a new dietary aide, dental assistant, and nurses.
Chief Financial Officer Katherine Pairish reported that for the month of March, EPHC posted a net profit in the amount of $1,264,555. “This is thanks to the second HQAF6 IGT, or Inter Governmental Transfer, in the amount of $1,697,607,” Pairish said. “We also saw improvement in revenues overall, posting just under budget by $15,500.”
Year-to-date net income was $1,857,499, and EPHC budgeted for a year-to-date net loss of $488,410. The variance is due mainly to the fact that IGT’s came in over budget by $2,587,641.
Year-to-date, EPHC has paid $536,496 for COVID supplies and testing.
Chief of Staff Dr. John Hibler was unable to attend the meeting due to appointments with patients, so Chief Executive Officer Doug McCoy led right into his report.
McCoy highlighted the main impacts to EPHC’s inpatient volume during the second wave of Covid-19, and said that overall, there was a downturn that was consistent with others around the state. “On the flip side, there has been a 26 percent increase in labor costs,” he said.
McCoy noted the focus on increasing outreach to customers and obtaining feedback and increasing surveys in areas such as the lab on the Portola EPHC campus. “It’s a great way for us to also recognize staff,” McCoy said.
McCoy went on to touch on the preliminary budget process currently being undergone and noted that there would be a lot of due diligence in the budgeting process.
McCoy also noted that there would be an expected 30 percent increase in insurance due to rising costs from wildfires in the state.
There was also a note that there was a lot of interest in a Loyalton property owned by EPHC from a variety of entities.
Eastern Plumas Health Care holds a monthly meeting that is open to the public on the fourth Thursday of every month at 9:30 a.m. For more information, email Jessica Folchi at [email protected] or visit ephc.org.
