Covid Test Kits Update: Testing Options & Test Kit Expirations Extended

HOW TO GET COVID TEST KITS . . . WITHOUT PAYING FOR THEM

In case you missed it, US households are now eligible to receive an additional eight free Covid test kits from the federal government via USPS. Additionally, many health insurance providers offer a test-kit reimbursement program such as this one from Blue Cross Blue Shield. Local drugstores including CVS, Walgreens, and Rite Aid offer direction for other insurance providers and in-store pickup. Walgreens also provides Drive-Thru PCR testing. You can also find Covid testing sites near you through the mass.gov website.

Test Kit Expirations Extended

If you still have older kits on hand, you may still be able to use them. The Boston Globe reports that the FDA has approved expiration extensions for several brands of rapid test kits, according to the agency’s website, including: 

• BinaxNOW COVID-19 Ag Card Home Test (extended from 12 to 15 months) 

• BinaxNOW COVID-19 Antigen Self Test (extended from 12 to 15 months) 

• CareStart COVID-19 Antigen Home Test (extended from 9 to 12 months) 

• Flowflex COVID-19 Antigen Home Test (extended from 12 to 16 months) 

• Celltrion DiaTrust COVID-19 Ag Home Test (extended from 12 to 18 months) 

• Detect Covid-19 Test (extended from 6 to 8 months) 

• iHealth COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test (extended from 9 to 12 months) 

• SCoV-2 Ag Detect Rapid Self-Test (extended from 10 to 13 months) 

• Pilot COVID-19 At-Home Test (extended from 6 to 9 months) 

More Free Covid Test Kits Available

Every home in the U.S. is now eligible to order a 3rd round of free at-home tests from the federal government.

US households are now able to order "an additional eight free at-home tests at COVIDTests.gov—bringing the total number of free tests available to each household since the start of the program to 16," the White House said in a fact sheet on Tuesday.

Learn more in this White House Fact Sheet

UMass Memorial Info Session about COVID-19 Vaccine for Pregnant & Breastfeeding Caregivers

This Friday at noon, UMass Memorial will be hosting an information session with UMass Memorial OB/GYN physicians about pregnancy, breastfeeding, and the COVID-19 vaccine to address questions and concerns from hospital employees. See the event flyer below for full details.

Additionally, UMass Memorial is running a panel discussion to talk about concerns related to race, ethnicity, and the vaccine. SHARE members also put questions about these and other COVID vaccine issues to UMass Memorial’s Dr. Kimi Kobayashi at a pair of virtual information sessions. You can read SHARE members’ questions and Dr. Kobyashi’s answers here.

SHARE Negotiations Update about the COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate

Update 9/24/21 — Please note this follow-up post about negotiations. You can also find on the SHARE website the full roundup of posts about the Covid Vaccine & Mandate.

A group of SHARE Executive Board members and Organizers met with UMass Memorial Labor Relations (HR) on Friday afternoon for our first formal negotiations about the COVID-19 vaccine mandate. We covered a lot of ground, mostly to understand management’s position and to explain SHARE’s interests to hospital leadership. These discussions will continue, as we try to come to an agreement about how the proposed vaccine mandate will affect SHARE members.

SHARE has made its position clear:

• We want to keep SHARE members, co-workers, and patients safe from COVID.

• We don’t want anyone to lose their job.

It’s not yet clear how much the new federal announcement about vaccine mandates will need to change our discussions.

Most SHARE members have already received the COVID vaccine – we think the number is between 75-80%. (We have asked management to provide us with that data.) Some of those SHARE members support a vaccine mandate for everyone. Some of those SHARE members got vaccinated, but don’t support making it mandatory. Other SHARE members don’t (or don’t yet) want to get vaccine and don’t think that the hospital should be able to require it to work here. Our union is trying find a solution that keeps people safe and prevents people from losing their jobs – but it is not easy to balance all the different points of view.

Management described that the hospital has gotten many calls from patients saying that they won’t come to UMass Memorial if their caregiver has not been vaccinated. This is part of what is driving them to push for a vaccine mandate.

Exemptions

The SHARE team urged the hospital to get the applications out for employees who want to apply for an exemption from the vaccine mandate.

Testing and Masking as an Alternative to the Vaccine?

The SHARE team’s position is that we are trying to find an alternative to the vaccine for SHARE members who really don’t want it, so that no one loses their job over this.

What about the new Executive Order requiring hospitals to mandate the vaccine?

President Biden issued an executive order last Thursday which says that hospitals who get money from Medicaid and Medicare, as UMass Memorial does, must have COVID vaccine mandate of some kind for employees. (We are waiting to hear more detailed guidelines about this. This is different from the requirement for all employers with more than 100 employees that they must have a vaccine mandate but can have a frequent COVID testing alternative.) We are not going to see the specific rules from the federal government until next month. It is possible that there will be no testing alternative allowed in the required mandates. (The mandate for federal employees used to include a testing alternative, but that is now being eliminated by executive order.)

The Staffing Crisis

The SHARE team raised the issue of a vaccine mandate causing employees to leave because they do not want to be vaccinated against COVID. So many areas are already short-staffed, and people are exhausted. SHARE members are afraid that more than a few co-workers will leave and they will have to work even shorter.

Work from Home Exemption from the Vaccine?

Some SHARE members who work from home have suggested an exemption from the mandate. We described to management that since they don’t come into physical contact with co-workers or patients, they cannot spread the disease to patients.

Next Steps

SHARE and UMass Memorial will continue to negotiate, and we will keep you posted.

More Time

The current vaccine deadline is coming quickly – November 1st to get the first shot. Some SHARE members need more time to get answers to their questions and make this decision. We urge the hospital to slow this process down enough to make it go as well as possible.

Questions and Answers

SHARE leaders hear lots of questions and concerns about how well the vaccines work and how safe they are from some SHARE members. The SHARE team asked for a process for SHARE members to be heard about their concerns, as well as a way for the hospital to answer members’ questions.

If you want ask questions, or hear the hospital’s point of view for yourself, tune into the System Town Hall Meeting on September 15 at 12:15 pm. Check out the Hub for more details.

This Is Difficult, but Let’s Treat Each Other with Kindness and Respect 

Lots of people are tired, and everyone is frustrated that COVID is still here and getting worse again. We have more disagreement among SHARE members on this topic than on most. Building the strength of the union, and of our SHARE community, means being able to talk through difficult subjects – we can disagree about ideas, but be respectful to each other as people. COVID has really showed us how connected we are to each other.

ICYMI: UMass Memorial Featured on Chronicle

On SHARE’s own website, we put the spotlight on members during the pandemic. In this SHARE’d Story, Patient Care Associate and SHARE Representative Kona Enders, above, describes her own experience caring for critically-ill COVID patients on 3 West and in the CDU. Read them all . . .

In case you missed it, Boston’s WCBV Channel 5 recently dedicated an entire episode to covering the challenges that caregivers have met at UMass Memorial through the pandemic. You can still see all four segments of the episode online:

• The Struggle to Provide Proper PPE

•  Caregivers Go Above and Beyond

•  Inside the ICU

•  Caregivers Seek to Heal Themselves as the Pandemic Continues

About the Covid Vaccines, Right Here in Our Hospital

“Ask Anything” about the Vaccine in Your Department

Mitz DeSouza, SHARE Member and X-Ray Technologist at Marlborough Hospital, received one of the first doses for caregivers at UMass Memorial. Read more . . .

Now that employee vaccine appointments are available through Employee Health again, SHARE members who haven’t gotten the COVID vaccine may want to get more of their questions answered. If you want an expert to come answer all the questions you and your co-workers have, let SHARE know. We would be happy to help arrange it.

SHARE and SHARE Executive Board Member Deb Clark recently worked with management to set up an “Ask Anything” session for the CDU at University. Dr. Stuart Levitz, Infectious Disease specialist, spent an hour answering questions with the SHARE members and co-workers. “It was very informative. He was willing to answer all questions, and he was very easy to speak to,” says Deb. She added that they could ask him anything at all.

SHARE’s goal is to get information to SHARE members, so that they can make an informed decision about whether they want to get the vaccine or not.

Learn More

Whether we’ve been vaccinated or not, many of us continue to have questions and concerns about the new COVID vaccines. Their development has been, in some ways, unlike anything we’ve seen before. Plus, as Dr. Torian Easterling, New York City’s Deputy Commissioner and Chief Equity Officer puts it, “after decades of racist disinvestment and medical mistreatment, Black and Latino communities have every reason to be skeptical.” And furthermore, it can be difficult to sort through misinformation.

One of the most informative (and witty) presentations to take on the most common questions about the vaccines can be found in this video from Hello Black America! with W. Kamau Bell & Black Health Care Workers. You can also check out CovidActNow for a comprehensive FAQ. SHARE continues to round up information, too, in blog posts marked #Covidvaccine and on Twitter.

How to Get Help — and Help Others — to Get Vaccinated

• Massachusetts residents who already qualify for the vaccine can get help booking their appointments. (You can also visit that site to volunteer to help.)

• Even if they aren’t eligible yet, Massachusetts residents can pre-register and be in line for the vaccine at a state-run site when the shot does become available to them.

• ·For those who are fully-vaccinated, the CDC has issued this guidance

Geeky and beautiful and scary all at the same time, this Animation of SARS-CoV-2 Entry into Human Host-Cell is pretty neat.

Where Is COVID Research Headed?

MassLive reports that, right here, “UMass Medical School has been working to sequence COVID viral samples in-house to track the presence of variants in Worcester County. A large number of cases of the U.K. variant confirmed in Massachusetts earlier this year were first discovered in Worcester County.”

Meanwhile, medical science continues to identify more symptoms and learn more about “long Covid. ” For a deep dive into the variants we know about, the potential for others, and what we can do about them, check out this America Dissected podcast.

The COVID Vaccine at UMass Memorial

As of now, roughly two-thirds of UMass Memorial’s employees have received the COVID vaccine. Simultaneously, employee COVID rates have plummeted: for many days in recent weeks, no new cases have been reported among caregivers; fewer than twenty employees are currently on leave due to the disease. UMass Memorial leaders and infectious disease experts also tell us that those caregivers who recently became ill with COVID were unvaccinated. Thankfully, the evidence continues to build that the vaccine can live up to its promise.

Taking Care of Each Other

We know that, when it comes to the vaccines, there’s a risk/benefit comparison for each of us to make, and the calculations aren’t the same for everyone. We encourage all SHARE members to keep informed, reach out with questions or concerns, and keep doing a brilliant job taking care of patients and one another.

Member Spotlight: Kim Latrobe

Vascular Technologist, Surgical Vascular Lab, Memorial Campus

interviewed by Rafael Rojas, 1/26/21

I work in the Vascular Lab, in which I do vascular ultrasound and work right alongside the surgical team. It’s pretty neat that we get to work directly with them, but it’s gotten pretty crazy with this pandemic. When COVID first started, it was classified as respiratory illness, but as the studies progressed and the multitude of symptoms that patients would feel were identifies, it became clear that it is a disease that directly effects the vascular system. This meant that it got very busy very quickly. It is pretty tough right now with how saturated every day is with work. We have changed our protocol drastically to manage time, and to monitor the ways in which we go in and out of the surgical room. For example, we have reduced the time of certain procedures that were not as essential, such as scanning. This has saved us time in the room and has felt really well done.

In the beginning, everyone was very nervous about the pandemic, but also about carrying out new procedures correctly and effectively. Now it feels standard and walking into that surgical room seldom feels any different from walking into it last year.  

We have a really strong team and a really organized manager in the Vascular Lab. She always seems to be one step ahead of whatever seems to come up, and she has been great at getting the whole team ready for the new changes. She actually held meetings every week with us as this pandemic started to grow – just to check in on how we were feeling and what we wanted to work on. It is because of this preparation and initiative that our team was prepared before we even started. This surge we were also able to better prepare with the PPE and the feelings of being safe and relaxed came with it. Things are also looking up with the vaccine being distributed. Our manager helped us out by arranging our schedules so that taking the time to get vaccinated would be easy, and many of my coworkers will be getting their second dose soon! 

I live down in Connecticut where things are so messed up compared to how things are at work. Their plan to get vaccinate regular citizens was so poorly coordinated that people cannot book their appointments to receive their second dose when they need it. I still wouldn’t say that I feel safer at work than I do at home, but when I go to the store, I am reminded of this joke that we have at work. We say that it’s better to go into COVID room than to go to an outpatient room where you are not covered in full protective garb. I guess in the same sense when you go to the store or anywhere nowadays you kind of have your guard up a little bit. I’ve been lucky to not know anyone closely who has had any serious outcomes from getting sick, and it’s important that I do what I can to keep it that way. My husband is at a slightly higher risk than me, and this fear comes naturally when you are trying to protect your family.  

This second surge was a scary thing to go through, but I’m hopeful that things will start to get better. With that said, I still think that this is going to be a longtime thing. I’m wondering how this is going to affect people in the future with hugging and socializing. It’s tough to imagine that it will feel the same as it did. Maybe this is just me. There are really some people out there with completely different mentalities, and they’re already living as if this pandemic is all made up! Just the other day I was at the store and I ran into a man with no mask. “Oh, you’re one of them,” he said! One of them . . . it made me take the time to look at him and explain that I work with COVID patients, and that I know my actions are protecting him. He just looked at me funny, I think hoping that he would get me all defensive and wound up, so he just laughed and walked away. I knew he would have nothing to say, so it felt good to have stood my ground and be confident in knowing that I’m doing the right thing.  

Hopefully the actions of those who are doing the right thing will be enough to let us go back to what we miss the most soon. For me it is that moment of getting to hug the ones I care about that I look forward to the most, and I know that I’m not alone. Just the other day I had a coworker come up to me in tears saying that she just could not stand having to be so distant from everyone anymore. I’m thankful that she came up to me to share these feelings. I want all of my coworkers to know exactly how grateful I am for their ability to keep the calm and to keep the smiles in our office. It’s pretty common to run into someone who is just having a terrible day, and it’s okay. As a team full of workers and nurses who have gone through hell, it’s amazing how people will pull through to keep their composure and each other’s spirits up. If you think I’m “one of them,” I’ve got you fooled! 

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Read more about Kim’s experience in the Vascular Lab UBT Spotlight!

Member Spotlight: Tenille Dudley

Medical Assistant, Lincoln Street Primary Care Clinic

Interviewed by Rafael Rojas, 1/22/2020

I am a medical assistant over on Lincoln Street Primary Care and things have been running smoothly with our office. A typical day at work can now involve a patient come in who is COVID positive, but thanks to our PPE and our management we’ve stayed clear of any issues. For better or worse, I was out of work at the start of the pandemic recovering from a surgery and came back once all of the new procedure had been set in motion. After twelve weeks away, I returned to work in April. Everything felt very different. We had almost completely transitioned into telehealth appointments, and the patients came back very gradually. I’m thankful that this immediate change was not as bad as I had worried it would be. The time I spent at home was overrun by what was on the news. I saw the disease spread through our cities and the rest of the world, and I was petrified to go back. I’m lucky that I walked back onboard to our office running smoothly. My coworkers did a great job helping me get used to the new procedures, and I soon felt very safe.

What worries me more now is the removal of the COVID-pay policies. It makes me nervous to know that employees will come in with a cough or a cold because they feel like they have no other option. You now have to use up to five days of your time before you can even qualify for short-term disability and workers comp. [note: COVID pay currently only covers COVID infections from exposure at work, according to the current COVID policy.] It’s not fair for people to have to choose between providing for their families and putting their coworkers at risk. There are new precautions being put in place, and the vaccine has given some people a lot of hope, but the pandemic is still affecting all of us and our employee-health policies should remember that.

Click here to connect with more SHARE’d Stories!

While I have still not gotten vaccinated, I have been very good about not leaving my house and risking any exposure to the virus. Every day I go straight to work and back home, and when I need to go to the store, I am always very careful. In a way that’s been a vaccine of its own kind, and I’m proud that it kept me and my family healthy. This new lifestyle and all of the time I get to spend at home has even brought us closer! My son Cassius is only ten years old and I’m already able to spend time with him and teach him how to cook. He’s left-handed, so it’s been a fun challenge to teach him when he holds the spoon and the knife differently than I do. It means a lot to me that I’m able to keep him active by playing board games with him and thinking of other activities to do together. It’s a lot better than how much time he could be spending playing video games.

Cassius is anxious and excited to go back to school. There is a tentative return date for March 15th – depending on how the numbers are. He really misses his friends and teachers, and although he gets to see them over zoom and is doing well in his classes, he misses being there with them. It’s tough because I do want him to go back to being with them in person, but I think it’d be best if they just finished the rest of this school year off virtually. Cassius has learned to do a lot of different chores and the value behind helping around the house. For us, it’s not worth the risk of people getting sick when he’s able to learn such important things at this early age. Although it’s been tough, and it is important for them to go back to being in person, I know that as he grows up, he will be able to look back on this time and find fond memories.

Member Spotlight: Denise Page

Medical Office Assistant, Primary Care Clinic

Interviewed by Anna Weick, 12/8/2020

“Coming back here from my disaster-relief work to the situation with COVID-- it’s bad, I’m not putting it lightly. But I’ve dealt with the worst of it. It’s using your head. Listen to the experts.” 

Helping Where Help Is Needed Most

I worked through SARS, in the midst of all that. I worked during the AIDS pandemic. The COVID pandemic is not my first rodeo. I’m on the National Disaster Medical Services Medical Assistance Team. I’ve been on it since right after 9/11. When that happened, and I saw what was going on, I saw a lot of my coworkers and friends were going there, through FEMA, but I couldn’t be part of it because I wasn't on the team. So, I applied and I’ve been on the team since. So I’ve been there. I was at Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Isaac, fifteen different hurricanes and tornadoes and disasters. I was at Hurricane Katrina for fourteen days. We slept on the Baggage 5 Carousel at Louis Armstrong Airport -- that was our sleeping quarters. 

In March, I was in California in San Diego for the Princess Ship that came in when this whole thing broke out. I was dealing with patients there. We went there blindfolded. We didn’t have the supplies or N95s we needed. We made it work. I didn’t have enough equipment. Of course I was scared. But we managed. I’m pretty well grounded on this stuff -- I’ve been dealing with it. I was in California for fourteen days dealing with COVID. I was in PPE for twelve-hour shifts, seven days a week. 

Dealing with COVID, Firsthand

COVID is so very exhausting. I’m a lucky one -- I got it and I’m still around talking about it. My husband and I both have tested positive. It’s hard because we all do what we are supposed to do. We wear goggles every day. We wear the mask every day. We do our hand sanitizer and wash down our stations and everything. My husband got sick first. He came home from work not feeling well. My daughter got it in April. She works in the ER. She was bed-ridden four or five days with joint pain and headaches and fatigue. She would literally fall asleep talking to you. She lost her taste and sense of smell for a couple weeks. It did take her a while for it to all come back, but she’s back to normal again. 

Working with Unknowns

This is our job. When a paramedic is assigned to pick up a COVID patient, that doesn’t mean they signed up to be assaulted by that patient. I didn’t sign up to get COVID because I had a patient with COVID. No one signed up for this. But this is our job, this is what we do. This is just one thing that is happening and we have a long way to go -- God knows what else can happen. You will come up against these roadblocks, you have to know how to tear it down and keep on going forward. I still got COVID while doing everything as carefully as possible. I had a friend who was literally in the ICU for eleven days on a ventilator because of this. He was a nurse in the ER. He pulled through. Thank God he’s fine now. 

Day-to-Day Challenges

Previously, I worked in the ER at UMass Memorial for twenty seven-years. I’ve been in my current job for two and a half years, working as a Medical Office Assistant. The doctor I work with is with Internal Medicine. He has a huge clientele. He’s one of the busiest doctors in the clinic. His patients range from all different ages. I go over my doctor’s schedule. I get all the patients in the rooms. I do their evaluations with them. I go over all the medications. And I talk to them, do their vital signs and so forth. I report everything to the doctor that I did, he does his part, and then I go back in and reschedule the patient for their follow ups, any test results they might need, and I draw their blood if needed, get them to different x-rays, whatever else they need. We do EKGs. We keep them comfortable. We try to do as much as possible in the clinic with the patients so we do not have to send them to the ER. I keep my room stocked with supplies all in order. I make sure all the orders are correct. I do sometimes draw the patient blood, but mostly send them to the lab for blood draws, only because my doctor is so busy. On a Tuesday and Friday I have between sixteen and twenty patients. It’s nonstop. I don’t think people realize all I do in the office until they fill in for me, and then they’re like, How did that room get clean? And who just hooked that patient up to the monitor? Who just did those vital signs? Who changed the bed? Who fed that patient?  Oh my god, you do so much! 

How Do We Keep It Going?

We don’t get recognized enough. It takes a whole village. We do a lot of COVID precautions before patients come in. It could be worse, we could be in the ER, doing what they have to do every day. With COVID, everyone is all about the nurses. Sometimes I think people forget that the person below the nurses are doing a lot of the work, too. The ER techs, the PCAs, the medical assistants, without them, they wouldn’t get everything done. We do a lot of that to get everything going. I think we are forgotten sometimes. The nurses do a lot of work, but without support from the Tech, and from the MOA, that’s not happening. The Food Service, the ER Techs, Trauma techs, Housekeepers -- without them, we would be in a crisis. They are putting themselves in harm’s way. It’s all of us, all together, making it happen. 

Click here to connect with more SHARE’d Stories!

I feel like I’m accomplishing things doing patient care, something that is important to me. That’s what I always strived for. You’re making a difference helping the patient out, you make a big difference in their lives, which is important to me. With the family members it’s always gratifying when a family member comes back and thanks you for taking care of somebody they love. They know your name and they come in and say Denise, thank you for being here, I’m so glad it’s you today. It makes you feel good, I’ve left a good impression. I will call patients at home at times to schedule appointments, to make sure they are doing better. They appreciate that and I like that. It makes me feel like I am worth something for them. 

I feel good that I’m making a difference, even if it’s a regular patient in for something simple. I know I made a difference with that person, I made them smile as they walked out the door. No one is doing this by themselves -- there is no way -- we can’t do it by ourselves! Our roles are very important and people need to realize that we are all in it together.

Member Spotlight: Nancy Barrett

Communications Center, Marlborough Hospital

interviewed by Rafael Rojas, 1/6/2021

This Monday was the first day in 40 years where I felt like I really didn’t want to go to work. My kids were just growing up when I started this job, going part-time on Friday nights. It was my very own Friday night out for a while. I really love getting to talk to people, I enjoy my coworkers, and it is fulfilling work. So, when I felt this way on Monday, I called my boss to talk about it. She was fine with me taking the day off and just getting a break.

My department took on the challenge of putting together the COVID testing kits for the community. At the start of the pandemic, the demand for these kits was not nearly as overwhelming as it is now. There are barely enough to make it to the next day. Each day requires 500-800 tests, and that’s as many as we can make for the day. It’s tough to go through all of that work and feel like there won’t be any left; we just have to start over. 

Putting the tests together in such large quantities is definitely tough work, but the biggest challenge is to keep doing our normal job on top of it, and to do it well. These last few weeks have been very, very, busy and very overwhelming. Thankfully, going into this next surge the hospital administration has put out a call to anyone who would like extra hours to help us out. We really need it.

Perhaps the biggest impact that the pandemic has on our workplace is through our personal lives. It is really tough to want to see my children and their kids and have to wear my mask, or even not see them at all. You can tell that they’re scared and don’t want to get me sick. It’s really hard to see that fear in them. It’s moments like these that make you start thinking ahead and get worried to go into work. My ‘chipper’ attitude does fade as the day goes on, but it’s the time before work, when you worry most, that poses the biggest challenge. This all gets better as soon as I step inside. As I said, I love my work and it makes me happy.

Click here to connect with more SHARE’d Stories

We all need time off. But, for the record, that day when I really felt like I didn’t want to go in to work? I went to work anyway. And I was fine! You know, I’m a morning person, so once I got there all of the girls were like, “Why are you so chipper?” Everyone is in this together, and if we work together, we can get through it. If people speak up and speak their mind and let their concerns be known, they will be addressed. It’s a good thing to get your feelings out and let them be known at a time like this. Speak with your supervisors about how you’re feeling, do the best you can for yourself and for your department and we will get through the days where it’s tough to go in.

Employee Symptom Reporting: Tips and Tricks to Remember

The daily symptom tracker started out on an honor system, but now UMass Memorial will pursue disciplinary action for employees who don’t use it daily. This month, disciplinary action began in some departments. The policy says that if you miss reporting twice out of ten work shifts, you can get in trouble. 

Most of the meetings with SHARE members so far have focused on how to remember to do the symptom reporting. People want to do it, they just forget. Here are some tips to help you stay on top of your own reporting: 

• You can set an alarm on your phone to remind you – either for a certain time, or when you get to a certain location, like within a mile of the hospital. 

• SHARE members have loaded the symptom reporting app onto their computer if they are having technical trouble with their phones. 

• One department manager created a reminder that pops up every day when the staff logs into their computers. 

• One SHARE Organizer tells people who think that technical difficulties are preventing their tracker from registering that they did it, to take a screen shot to show that they did it, just in case.  

We certainly hope that there will not be many more disciplinary meetings about remembering to do your symptom reporting! 

SHARE and UMass Memorial Medical Center Sign Improved Redeployment Agreement

SHARE leaders and management have spent a lot of time talking about the redeployments last Spring, so that we could try to make things better for SHARE members during subsequent surges. (See SHARE members survey responses here.)  We recently signed an agreement that includes these improvements:

Making One-to-Ones Voluntary 

The first big improvement was for union and management to create voluntary float pool to cover the needs for one-to-ones on COVID floors. We heard from SHARE PCAs from the clinics that it was difficult to get dropped cold into the role of a patient observer, especially if they had to work a different shift from their usual. By asking for SHARE member volunteers ahead of time, the volunteers were able to pick up extra time or over-time at times that work for them and their families instead. 

The Current Status of Redeployment 

The hospital hopes to continue to keep clinics open during this Winter’s COVID-19 surge. At the moment, senior leadership has no plans to redeploy SHARE members from ambulatory clinics to other parts of the hospital. They caution that things could change, but they are hoping they don’t. Only a few procedure areas, like HVIL (Heart and Vascular Intervention Lab), are currently slated to redeploy to other areas of the hospital. 

Improvements in the Agreement 

Nevertheless, it makes sense to put into place as good a process for redeployment as possible for SHARE members. SHARE and UMass Memorial Medical Center signed an agreement this week that contains significant progress: 

• Liaisons from SHARE will connect with the HR Labor Pool team to help with redeployment plans. 

• Voluntary redeployment is the goal. If more people are needed than there are volunteers, they will be selected by reverse seniority. 

• Everyone who is willing to stay in their home department or be redeployed will have work at their current pay rate and hours. 

• The union-management Labor Pool Problem Solving group will case manage situations where a SHARE member declines a redeployment – less of a ”one-strike-you’re-out” approach, or where someone is asked to work a different shift. 

• If a SHARE member declines to be redeployed to any job, then they will be placed on furlough. The furlough process will be more clear this time, though the SHARE member still has the option to use their paid time off or go on unemployment. 

SHARE is pleased with the agreement, and the way the union-management collaboration created it. 

You can read the full agreement online. Please contact SHARE with any questions or concerns.

Member Spotlight: Anthony Baidoo

Radiologic Technologist, Marlborough Hospital, 12/28/2020

In the beginning of Covid-19, we did not have adequate PPE. The demand from COVID overshadowed the supply. It wasn’t that the hospital didn’t want to provide it- it is that the manufacturers had to catch up with the demand. So, we had to ration what we had. We had to reuse PPE or use UV lights to kill the germs. It’s better now that we know better about COVID than previous, and now management is prepared better than the previous. We, radiologic technologists, are also more mentally prepared and that is helpful. 

We were scared at first with the first lockdown for Covid-19. However, through persistence on the job, we came out of the darkness. The initial lockdowns made the cases go down so the workload reduced a bit, but now that it is picking up it is a different world that we’re going into. 

One day, I went with a colleague into a patient's room. There was a gentleman who came in for a Covid test. He was coughing and had a shortness of breath. We told him we were here to perform x-rays on his chest. He responded by saying “I regret telling you this, but I have to tell you that initially I didn’t think Covid-19 was real. But now with the way I feel I know it’s real.” I want to share this story so that people know it is real. You might survive, but there are others who might not. But if together we accept that, together we can overcome it. 

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I have been a Radiologic Technologist for 10 years now. Before, I lived in Ghana where I was an accountant in a mining company. There, I was lucky to be elected a union leader. I learned that there is a difference between how they manage and what the employees want. Their job is to manage and save the company money and help make the most profit possible for the company. However, the union is able to give the workers a voice at the table as well. 

Before, there was not a union in Marlborough Hospital. Many of my coworkers did not understand what benefits there are to a union. However, I let them know that it is good, no matter how, because the union is a bigger force than individuals. The same way, we have brooms from individual palm fronds. When you get a lot of them you put them together you can use  them to sweep. If there is one, you can easily break it, but when you put them all together, you cannot break it.

There is a proverb in my country that explains this: one person’s hand cannot cover the whole sky. Only together can we really make a difference. This both explains the importance of unions and the importance of working together to defeat Covid-19. 

SHARE Member Spotlight: Samantha Roy

Patient Access Services Rep, 12/12/20

For a Patient Access Service Representative in the Cardiology/Vascular Surgery department, all scheduling calls are urgent. Oftentimes, people can be agitated just because they have just had a bad experience with another person. When people are angry, it is helpful to be patient and to do as much as you can for them. When you answer the phone and have a bad attitude, it is not helpful to the patient. When you are happy on the phone you can feel them smile on the phone. I like to treat people the way I want to be treated. It definitely has its ups and downs, but I try my best to help people in the best way possible.  

Sometimes, the patients calling have cancer or are caring for a loved one who has cancer, it can be hard to tell them about not having an appointment available ASAP. I usually just try to ask a lot of questions to ask how they are doing and making them feel heard. It is really nice to know that someone cares no matter what. When you are sick, you don't want to be transferred to ten different people, but we just try to fix it and make it as easy of a process possible.  

In the beginning of the pandemic, it was difficult to get people scheduled because of the change in phone systems and how quickly everything happened. We used to not have computers or access at home, so it was an adjustment. Also, we have to now ask patients to get tested before coming in and that can be really difficult for patients who have Alzheimer’s or any other kind of disability. Although the process has become a bit more complicated, I like being home and I get to still talk to my coworkers, my friends, on phone or on Zoom. Also, it is much healthier that we are all at home and can stay safe. My son is twelve and he's online too. He's working back-and-forth with the process, too. It has been an adjustment, but we are adjusting together and staying safe together. It is just much healthier to be home and be safe. It is just the way of life right now and is the safest way.  

I am used to changes, though. In the beginning of my career, we used to use paper and then the system changed. The experience of getting used to a new system was quite hectic. I often book up to eighty appointments a day.  

When booking appointments during Covid-19, a patient was trying to get her heart monitor and she could not come to the hospital to pick it up. She ordered it and UPS, due to the pandemic, sent it late and it was broken. She had to return it and then she was told she was going to get another one. Unfortunately, due to the delay she had to go to the ER because of her inability to monitor herself. I followed up with her and made sure that she was seen by our doctors and checked in with her to make sure that she was okay. I made sure that she knew that I was there for her and if she needed anything she could always call. I wanted to make sure that she had someone to call and talk to especially because she had no one.  

I always think that if my mom called someone and did not get the help that she needed, I would be mad. I want to make sure that I don’t do that to anyone and not make anyone angry. Even if I don’t have much time, I want to do as much as possible for whoever I am speaking to and make sure they are able to reach who they need to reach. If I can fix it, I am going to try to fix it. It might take longer, but it should be done right the first time. Sometimes patients will call and they accidentally have reached the wrong person. I try to make sure that I do whatever I am able to do — either connect them with the right office or give them the number myself — especially for patients who don’t know how to look that up themselves.  

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I am glad to be a part of this union; it feels great to have someone that I can text for advice and have someone be there for us and to support us. I saw a letter from the union about letting us work from home and that is so important in case any of us gets sick at this time. The support is huge so that I can do the best at my job especially during Covid-19.  

I try to let everyone around me know that they can call the union if they are having issues. It feels good to be there for other people at work and outside of work. I like to follow my heart and just do what I feel is right as a first responder. As I say, I’m Sam-I-Am. I know who I am, and I like to do what feels right.  

First COVID Vaccinations Administered at UMass Memorial

As the U.S. enters its third wave of the Coronavirus and Massachusetts continues to deal with its current active outbreak, UMass Memorial received its first batch of the new COVID-19 vaccine, and SHARE is hearing good reports. Mitz DeSouza, X-Ray Technologist at Marlborough Hospital, had this to say about his experience:

I took the COVID vaccine because it’s very important to me — we are all vulnerable, not only because I am working with COVID positive patients, but even if I wasn’t taken care of patients with the virus, we are all exposed.   

I have been waiting for this.  I did my own research about the vaccine, and even talked with our ED doctors at the Hospital. I felt very encouraged. Everything went well, no side effects, my shoulder felt less sore than the flu shot. It’s been more than 24 hours already, and I’ve had not side effects. I got it before my work shift, and went to work my work right after.  

It was a happy environment at the hospital yesterday –everyone getting the vaccine seemed was optimistic. We had the ED staff there, radiology techs, nurses and coworkers who have the direct contact with COVID patients. We have been so scared about COVID and I was very happy to finally get vaccinated.  I encourage other coworkers to get it. 

You can learn more about the latest data and scientific findings about COVID-19, including research into the vaccines and other therapies, at covidactnow.org

Member in the Spotlight: Sabrine Aakil

Sabrine Aakil

Medical Lab Techician, Marlborough Hospital, 11/11/20

I am really passionate about what I do. I already have my two-year degree and currently work as a medical lab technician, but I am also in school to continue my passions. I work in the lab in Chemistry and Hematology at UMass Memorial, where I process specimens and review the result. 

In the beginning of COVID-19, it was overwhelming for all the hospital staff when the cases were really high. As lab techs, we worried about not having enough supplies to run COVID-19 tests. We used to wonder what will happen if we run out. However, now, we have enough supplies and are not worrying as much. Due to COVID-19, we just have to remain really sharp. We need to engage in proper protocol and PPE usage in order to make sure that we don’t get sick. It is extremely important that we maintain that.

During COVID-19, many patients call about results for their COVID-19 tests. They often have to get tested in case they are traveling or due to their jobs. We would let them know when their results would come in, but many of them are on urgent deadlines due to travel dates. In the lab itself, we only process rapid tests for patients who come through the emergency room. Most of the Covid-19 tests are sent out to another lab to be processed.  

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I love working with my coworkers. We communicate well — we make sure that things are working effectively and the timing is right. We are really good at helping each other work on things that require teamwork. My coworkers are super caring and nice, but also so smart. They have so much knowledge and I love to learn from them. I have learned how to work calmly and to figure things out. We are always learning new procedures and are needing to adapt within the lab. Thankfully, we are always receiving the best training possible. My coworkers also have a great work ethic and it has made me realize how important it is to be working with people who I can look up to.

At work, everyone is always complimenting each other and that makes the energy so nice. During our breaks, we talk to each other more on a personal level.  Before COVID-19, we used to always have baked goods on our table. We always have shared food, goals and ideas for our department. We are always working together to make it a better environment for all of us. Since Covid-19, things have changed. We don't have the option to bring things, but we always talk about what we will do when this is all over. Hopefully, we will be able to break bread together soon. 

An Open Letter to Massachusetts' U.S. Senators about Hazard Pay

Because SHARE members continue to face exhausting, potentially dangerous challenges during the pandemic, SHARE’s Executive Boards have sent the following letter to Senators Markey and Warren urging Federal support for the front lines. Specifically, we urge them to fund much-needed hazard pay for healthcare workers. We again encourage you, too, to push your Senators for meaningful support.

SHARE Member Spotlight: Lorie Rosen, Denials Resolution Specialist

I have been working in insurance for 30 plus years. I am currently a Denial Resolution Specialist at UMass. I get lists every week of claims that have been denied by the insurance companies. We have to understand why it was denied. I try to get authorization for it or write an appeal or adjudicate for payment. What happens is someone comes to the hospital and they create a claim for the insurance company. Sometimes there is a problem and sometimes we need to get authorization. We need to do extensive research to understand what has gone wrong and how to change it.

I love the problem solving that my job requires. Developing relationships with different people from insurance companies has been really helpful in being able to get these claims through. We call the insurance companies and speak with them and hopefully get the claim reprocessed. We develop relationships with people from these companies and you get to know them well. I have developed these relationships and when there is a further problem we are able to go through it together. They are going to try harder to solve the issues and if there is a mistake on their end then they try to fix it as soon as possible and speed up the process instead of it coming back. 

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Sometimes, we get to speak with the patients and ask them to call the insurance company to just confirm who the primary insurer is. When I get to talk to patients who might be older and not understand how their insurance works, it is reassuring and warming to let them know to call the insurance company and then I can work with the insurance company to really resolve their insurance issues. This impacts not only their current payment, but also future claims. That is what is really rewarding. 

For example, we have talked to people who have been in a car accident. In these cases, we need the patient to call Medicare to update their status stating that either the claim is not due to the injuries from auth or Worker’s comp or that the auto coverage payment has been maxed out. You need to be able to talk to people effectively so that they will want to assist and make it into a positive.

Work for us has remained similar post-COVID. One of the things that has changed is that we can't scan in documents, but we can use our phones and use the equipment from our office. We are able to use the UMass phone system from our homes ensuring that the calls are secure. I am happy there is not a lot of background noise at home so I can focus more. It is quieter when I am making calls as well because the phone lines are not always great. Also, I don't have a commute anymore and that has been so helpful. I can add a few more hours to my day problem solving and working a job that I truly enjoy! 

SHARE Member Spotlight: Dareth Watts, Patient Care Associate

Dareth Watts

PCA II, Oncology Clinic, 10/9/20

I have been working as a PCA with cancer patients for twelve years. People think that working in the cancer department would be sad, but the patients are amazing. They have the best attitudes and they will fight this.

Yesterday, we had two patients finish their treatment, and it's a big deal around here! We give them a piece of paper that says congratulations and everyone signs it. When they walk out the door they get to ring a bell! It is just such a good feeling to get them through the treatment. It takes people about a month or more to get through the treatment and they don’t have to come back in until maybe six months later. 

We have not had a lot of patients finish recently. Because of COVID, many patients have pushed back their treatment. We can't hug and just there's nothing better than wrapping your arms around a patient to say congratulations. But, we tap elbows now and that has still been nice. I'm a big hugger and patients come in that are crying and upset and I can't give them a hug! It's really hard and tough.

I enjoy so many things about my job. I love the patient interaction and being able to have different conversations with patients to check in on how they are feeling. and see how they are feeling. Just getting to talk to them and hearing them tell me that they don’t need to take certain meds anymore makes me feel so happy. It is such a good feeling for them and being a part of that feels like such a good thing.

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My second family is here at work. This is where I am needed, so I need to be here. I have relationships with the cafeteria, housekeeping, the nurses, the lab and basically every department that impacts the patients’ care. I moved here from Worcester to Marlborough and these relationships were built over time. A patient needed knives, so I grabbed a handful from the cafeteria because we needed them in the drawer. We have patients who come in and need a lab immediately and because of my relationship with the lab I can help get that done for the patient. It is nice that I can ask for what is needed and sometimes they can do what is needed and sometimes they can’t. But if I never introduced myself and talked to them, I would not be able to just go down there and ask for the things that are needed.

If I were to give advice, it would be to be patient with patients and your coworkers. Not being patient and having a temper is not going to help you get very far in the medical field. Everyone has bad days — most days might be fine but there might be a day where your coworker just is having a bad day and is taking it out on you. Just let them do that and go on with your day. You have to keep relationships with people because in this field relationships help us to care for the patients in the best way possible. 

Stop the Spread: Free Community COVID Testing Available, and Volunteers Needed!

UMass Memorial is staffing free COVID testing at locations in the community. SHARE has offered to help spread the word that they need volunteers to help run the events: providers to swab and people to register. Training is provided, and so is PPE, water and snacks. People who have volunteered say that they personally found it very rewarding work. Get a free COVID test while you are there!

• For more information about when and where the COVID testing is offered, click here.

• Anyone with a clinical background (PCAs, LPNs, Respiratory Therapists, Rad Techs, etc) are encouraged to sign up in a provider slot. These are 2-hour shifts, plus arriving 15 minutes early to get trained. For the provider sign-up schedule, click here.

• Everyone is welcome to volunteer as a registrar! The shifts are 4-hours each, plus a 1 hour training beforehand for the first time you do it, and they ask you to arrive 30 minutes early for shifts after that. For the registration sign-up schedule, click here.