SHARE Recommendations for a 2^nd COVID Wave

Commit to job security, health insurance and pay for budgeted hours ahead of time for all SHARE members. SHARE members recognize that the hospital’s finances are difficult, but Dr. Dickson is right: Making sure everyone has a job puts us all in a stronger position – the hospital, and the families of Central Mass. Focus on PPE and Safety: PPE – SHARE members raised concerns about the amount and kinds of PPE available, how it’s re-used and cleaned, making sure all staff had enough, understanding “The Why” when things changed. (Infection Control staff visiting departments when there were questions and concerns was very helpful.) Stay Focused on Prevention: SHARE members want consistently high standards for screening for patients, mask-wearing for patients and staff; and easily available cleaning supplies. Department Leadership: Local department leaders made the difference between a chaotic and dangerous-feeling situation, and a collaborative, we’re-in-it-together best-case experience for SHARE members. Some specific best practices for managers include: · Listening: The most important thing. In a crisis, it feels like there’s no time to listen. But managers who did got much better results. · “The Why”: People want to understand why protocols and equipment and PPE are changing. Make the information easily accessible. · Debrief with staff: What worked in the surge? What should we do differently next time? Staff input leads to better answers, and to an engaged staff. SHARE members valued managers who were there, showing they cared, helping to resolve issues. Every SHARE member’s situation is different – leaders who were able to recognize each person’s work, to appreciate each person’s unique contribution, and to acknowledge each person’s hardship and stress, were incredibly valuable in this crisis. Hazard Pay, or other financial recognition of risk: SHARE members put their health and the health of their families on the line every day of this pandemic. While SHARE members understand the value of job security, and the cost to UMass Memorial of not doing furloughs and layoffs, we need to find some way to reward the people who took risks. Click here to return to the Survey Overview and links to other pages

Work from Home: Continue and Expand 1. Keep SHARE members at home who are working from home now, at least until the coronavirus is under control. We should work out options for people who want to come to work, and address technology and communication issues. 2. Expand work from home options to Med Center SHARE members. Most of the SHARE members who worked from home fall under Medical Group and Revenue Cycle leadership. Some SHARE members think their jobs can be done from home, who were told “no.” We should develop transparent standards and a way to review jobs. Labor Pool Deployment: How to Improve It Let’s take advantage of time to plan before a second wave. Here’s what matters to SHARE members about “Labor Pool 2.0”. Informed Choice for SHARE Members SHARE proposes a survey of SHARE members about what they would be willing and able to do to help in another COVID-19 wave. It should have lots of information about the roles that will probably be needed, and ask SHARE members about their skills, their schedule, any health restrictions. Encourage Volunteers The more people volunteer, the more likely it is that Labor Pool matches will be good for the SHARE member and good for the department that needs help. Information and training ahead of time would help. We should look at incentives for hard-to-fill roles and shifts, and at how Labor Pool assignments could support future career growth for SHARE members. Transparency, so SHARE members know what to expect and how decisions are made about deployment. There needs to be a transparent and fair system for rotation in the Labor Pool, and a system of communication during the surge to handle any issues that come up. SHARE members need to know that their budgeted hours will be paid as long as they are willing to work. Plan Ahead Where There Were Problems One-to-ones for COVID positive patients were difficult for deployed SHARE members. SHARE and Nursing leadership should plan ahead for how they could work better. We also need to talk about SHARE members deploying to inpatient Psych areas. SHARE members should not have to change shifts involuntarily. Some people’s home lives make that extremely difficult, and SHARE members should not have to go out on their own time if they are unable to do it.

SHARE Members Who Were Not at Work Deployment Choice Ahead of Time: If SHARE members have the opportunity to volunteer for deployment roles ahead of time, fewer SHARE members may have to go out on PTO because their assignment did not work for them. COVID LOA: SHARE believes that we should create a COVID leave of absence, for people who cannot do their regular job or a deployment for a COVID-related reason. UMass Memorial should not lose those valuable employees.