Bartlett Regional | House Calls | Spring 2018

Bartlett earns flu prevention recognition Bartlett Regional Hospital has been recognized by the Immunization Action Coalition (IAC) for instituting a yearly mandatory influenza vaccine for all health care personnel. The mandate also includes further measures (such as wearing masks at work) to help protect patients from the flu due to workers who cannot be vaccinated. Bartlett instituted the policy this past flu season. The vaccination rate for all employees is 96 percent. Staff not vaccinated are required to wear masks at work during flu season. “The best thing we can do is to prepare for the worst. The more people we can protect through preventive medicine like the flu shot, the better off we all are,” notes Charlee Gribbon, Bartlett’s Infection Preventionist. Bartlett was accepted onto IAC’s Influenza Vaccination Honor Roll, which includes more than 650 organizations recognized for instituting mandatory flu shot policies to prevent spreading the flu. “Bartlett employees are more protected this year than ever,” says Gribbon.“I cannot thank all of my Bartlett colleagues enough for being so supportive and receptive to the mandatory flu shot. And a special thanks to Bartlett senior leadership. Bartlett’s vaccination rate is up 17 percent!” There is widespread agreement that mandatory flu shot policies benefit patients. Thirteen major health and medical groups support mandatory flu shots for health care personnel. “Health care settings have a responsibility to protect their patients from the flu,” says DeborahWexler, MD, executive director of IAC. “Bartlett’s commitment to this policy shows that they are a leader in protecting their patients.” “Flu season is unpredictable. The flu vaccine prevents serious illness and protects our vulnerable populations,” Gribbon adds. FLU PREVENTION: Charlee Gribbon, Infection Preventionist, and her flu shot cart made the rounds to vaccinate nearly all Bartlett staff this year! 6 House Calls Spring 2018 Doing our part to keep the flu away Basilio Taboada, Environmental Services Technician I work the day shift in the Mental Health Unit and at the Bartlett House. I clean patient rooms, nurses’ stations and other rooms. I wipe down all the surfaces and countertops, and mop the floors and hallways. I pick up garbage and deliver laundry. What I value most about working at Bartlett is that staff and co-workers help patients get well. We come from different ethnicities; we came here to work. I work with self-respect, respect for others and peace in everyday life. Being part of the Bartlett team is a privilege and I am happy to be part of it. Few people get to experience such support. Thank you, Bartlett! Ceira Moses, Respiratory Therapist Every five to six seconds we have to take a breath. We take care of people of all ages with cardio pulmonary and respiratory issues. We help them breathe. We intubate them. We give them their breath. We have to make sure that we are giving the right volume and pressure for the lungs. When we have people on ventilators, we are breathing for them. We are there for them. And that’s amazing. I love and enjoy being part of the respiratory team here. I like the value that the rest of the clinicians give us, the respect that they give us. They know we have the knowledge, they need us there because we know what needs to be done. I like not being fixed in one spot. I could be with a baby one minute and with a patient in ED in the next, and that is exciting. MEET MORE #PEOPLEOFBRH on the Bartlett Regional Hospital Facebook page! www.facebook.com/BartlettRegionalHospital . # Peopleof BRH Facebook “f”Logo CMYK / .ai