MEMCHAP/Oregon and SW Washington

I'm interested in learning how other healthcare facilities are currently managing exposure notifications for confirmed COVID positive patients.
Do you send a notification for every COVID positive patient or is there specific criteria that you use?
Who do you send notifications to?
Are you using the CDC definition of low, medium and high risk exposures? or another source?
Do you furlough staff for low, medium, high?
Do you have any type of automated system set-up?
What standard precautions do you have in place? (universal masking, universal eye protection, patient masking)

Thanks for answering my quiz questions!
Stay safe and well!

Susan

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Susan Diskin BSN, RN, CIC | Infection Prevention and Control
Manager Infection Prevention and Control
Legacy Emanuel Medical Center | 2801 N Gantenbein Ave Portland, OR 97227
Phone: (503) 413-1731 | Fax: (503) 413-3058 | E-Mail: sdiskin@lhs.org
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Thanks for this question Susan, do you mind giving your own answers for Legacy too? Answers for Kaiser in italics below:
Do you send a notification for every COVID positive patient or is there specific criteria that you use? Yes, we send for every COVID positive patient (unless previously positive and meets de-isolation guidelines)
Who do you send notifications to? Manager, employee health, and medical chief of service
Are you using the CDC definition of low, medium and high risk exposures? or another source? For employee exposures, yes we are using guidelines to determine risk of exposure based on PPE used and type of exposure. I thought that was an old OHA guideline that was retired (but yes we are still using it), although maybe it originally came from CDC. For HCW to patient exposures, we are using internal guidelines to determine risk level, and generally consider source control to be effective (if HCW is asymptomatic/minimally symptomatic and was masked for patient contact, low risk exposure).
Do you furlough staff for low, medium, high? We have gone back and forth depending on staffing levels and other factors. Currently yes, we do furlough for high risk exposures.
Do you have any type of automated system set-up? No.
What standard precautions do you have in place? (universal masking, universal eye protection, patient masking) Universal masking and universal eye protection (for close contact patient care <6ft). Patients are encouraged to wear masks when staff are within 6ft but not required while in their own patient rooms.