By: Taylor Bewers, BSN, RN, Employee Health Program Coordinator – TrackMy
In any workplace, maintaining a safe and healthy environment is crucial, not only for employees but also for volunteers and those participating in job shadowing programs. These programs offer invaluable learning opportunities but require careful attention to health onboarding requirements to ensure the well-being of all involved. Let’s delve into some of the common requirements and discuss how TrackMy can be used to streamline clinic workflows and promote compliance for these individuals.
Ensuring Protection Against Communicable Diseases
One of the primary reasons for stringent health onboarding requirements is to protect against communicable diseases. Participants in job shadowing programs often interact closely with employees, patients, or clients, increasing the risk of disease transmission. Common vaccinations like MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella), VAR (Varicella), and Hepatitis B are crucial as they protect not only the participants but also those they come into contact with.
MMR – 2 Doses or a Positive Titer: Measles, mumps, and rubella are highly contagious diseases that can spread rapidly in healthcare and educational settings. By requiring proof of two vaccines or a positive titer (blood draw indicating immunity), organizations reduce the risk of outbreaks.
VAR – 2 Doses or Positive Titer: Varicella (chickenpox) can cause severe illness in those who have not been vaccinated or previously had the disease. Two doses of the vaccine or proof of immunity through a titer help prevent its spread.
Hep B – 3 Doses and/or Positive Titer: Hepatitis B is a serious liver infection that can be transmitted through blood or bodily fluids. Even with a history of three vaccinations, confirming immunity through a titer ensures protection for participants and those they interact with.
Preventing Respiratory Infections
Respiratory infections, such as influenza, tuberculosis (TB), COVID-19, and Pertussis are also significant concerns in workplaces with close interactions. Requirements for current flu, COVID, and Tdap vaccinations along with TB screening help mitigate these risks effectively.
Current Seasonal Flu Vaccine: Requiring participants to receive an annual flu vaccine reduces the likelihood of flu outbreaks during peak seasons.
2-Step TB Skin Test (TST) or Quantiferon TB Gold (QTBG) blood test: TB testing ensures early detection of latent TB infection, which, if left untreated, can progress to active TB disease.
COVID-19 Vaccine(s): While specific mandates may vary, organizations often require proof of COVID-19 vaccination to protect participants and reduce transmission risks in the workplace.
Current Tdap Vaccine: Tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (whooping cough) can be prevented with a Tdap vaccine every 10 years.
Upholding Workplace Safety and Trust
Aside from infectious diseases, some health care facilities require that volunteers and job shadow participants undergo a toxicology screening, which promotes workplace safety and maintains trust within the organization.
Simplifying Onboarding Processes with TrackMy
One of the most crucial aspects of integrating new individuals into the workplace, such as job shadow participants, is ensuring they meet the aforementioned health requirements. TrackMy simplifies this complex task by digitizing the entire health compliance onboarding process. From collecting health history and vaccination records to documenting lab work and vaccine administration, TrackMy centralizes all necessary information in one secure platform. By digitizing health records and automating compliance processes, TrackMy significantly enhances organizational efficiency.
Features of TrackMy include:
- Localized compliance rules
- TrackMy works with organizations to understand their compliance standards and sets appropriate compliance rules to evaluate health data within an individual’s profile for compliance
- Communications
- Key communications for compliance events are automated and setup, focused on increasing compliance adoption ongoing
- Management Dashboards
- With a click of a button, easily see the compliance status of a certain population (location/department, HCP category, vaccine type) or drill-down to an individual
- Accommodations/Declinations
- Digitize your accommodation/declination process, complete with automated routing rules to capture approval as-required
- Vaccine Administration
- Running a busy annual flu clinic, no problem with TrackMy – as with a few selections and documentation clicks, we capture the proper immunization administered and complete any required State IIS reporting
Conclusion
In conclusion, employee health onboarding requirements play a crucial role in ensuring the safety and well-being of job shadow participants. By adhering to these requirements, organizations demonstrate their commitment to maintaining a healthy workplace environment and protecting all individuals involved. These measures not only safeguard against communicable diseases but also uphold workplace safety standards and foster a culture of responsibility and care.
By leveraging technology to automate processes, ensure regulatory compliance, and enhance efficiency, TrackMy empowers HR and Employee Health teams to focus on strategic initiatives while providing a seamless experience for new individuals joining the workforce.
If your organization is looking to streamline its health onboarding processes and ensure compliance with ease, TrackMy is the comprehensive solution you need. Discover how TrackMy can transform your employee health management today!
For more information on TrackMy, please contact us at – info@trackmysolutions.us – and/or view a live demo here.