Blog Digest: College Scholarships, Member Spotlights, and Parking

Sharing Our Stories

We’ve been collecting and SHARE’ing stories throughout the pandemic, including this profile of Annette Machunsky from last year, who describes her work as a Specialty A/R Coordinator (photo: Candace Tauson)

We’ve been collecting and SHARE’ing stories throughout the pandemic, including this profile of Annette Machunsky from last year, who describes her work as a Specialty A/R Coordinator (photo: Candace Tauson)

Thank you to all SHARE members for your perseverance through the pandemic. Although infection rates are declining, we know that doesn’t mean your work has gotten easier. Just how are we doing? And how are SHARE members getting through all of this? To help tell the story of what’s happening on the front line as part of the SHARE’d Stories project, we’ve recently put the spotlight on:

  • Tenille Dudley, a Medical Assistant at Lincoln Primary Care, and

  • Denise Page, who currently works as a Medical Office Assistant in the Primary Care Clinic. (She also volunteers with the National Disaster Medical Services Medical Assistance Team, and worked for many years in the University campus ED.)

2021 Central Massachusetts AFL/CIO College Scholarships

This year’s scholarship opportunity has been announced, and the deadline for application is May 1. The lottery for these scholarships is open to any SHARE members, as well as children and grandchildren of members, who will graduate from high school this year and attend college next year. Recently, SHARE has been well-represented, with winners for the past several consecutive years. We hope to see more this time! Read here for more details about the award and how to apply.

Parking at University Campus – A Misery

If you park at University campus, the last few weeks may have been pretty miserable for you. Just a quick post to let you know that SHARE leaders have been collecting your concerns and experiences and urging the hospital management to try to solve them. As you probably know, the Medical School manages the parking on University Campus, so that makes everything more complicated.

Please visit this post to see the list of concerns SHARE has met with management about.

It looks like Medical Center leadership is trying to fix as many of the problems as they can, by working with the School. You have probably seen their list of what has been fixed so far in their message from last week.

Parking at the University Campus: SHARE Members' Frustrating Experiences

With the closure of the West Garage (First Road Parking Garage), and the resulting moves, the overall picture is there’s not enough parking.  SHARE members are dealing with chaos, significant time delay, safety threats. SHARE leadership continues to discuss these issues with management.

Below is the summary of parking problems that SHARE sent to management at the beginning of the problems. Below that is the more recent update from hospital leadership about what they are doing in response to everyone’s complaints, including SHARE’s, in case you missed it.

Summary Overview of Parking Concerns

Safety 

  • Employees are quite concerned about walking to the Pine Tree Lot, especially the far-flung upper lot. 

  • Some employees chose to pay extra to park in the West Garage to limit the amount of walking they have to do, because of their own physical limitations. Now they have to walk quite a bit further.  

  • Snow and ice make the walk to the Pine Tree Lot treacherous, especially for those with physical limitations. Walkways are not kept clear, and crossing South Road does not seem safe. 

  • People don’t take the offer of a ride from Security seriously. They feel like it takes Security a while to get to their department when called, and they can’t possibly have time to drive individuals to the lot. 

Delays, Wasted Time, and Chaos

  • The Pine Tree Lot is full by 7:00am when the first shift is coming in because the night shift hasn’t left yet. When the second shift comes in before 3:00, they find the lot full of first shift cars. The fact that there’s room in the lot at 8am, doesn’t help those who have to be at work by 7:00. 

  • When employees arrive and the lot is full, there’s chaos. They have to drive someplace else, and it’s time-consuming and confusing. 

  • Employees are losing 20 minutes to a half hour of their personal time each day due to the increased time it takes to park. That’s unpaid time committed to work, and especially difficult for SHARE members with childcare responsibilities or a 2nd job on a schedule. 

  • Traffic is backed up while cars wait to get into the Pine Tree Lot. This also creates delay for cars trying to get to the Plantation garage. 

  • Walking to and from the Pine Tree Lot takes more time. 

  • People have to try to get to work even earlier to get the limited spaces. That becomes worse and worse as people arrive earlier and earlier. 

  • Now people who didn’t need to shuttle have to add waiting for a shuttle twice a day – to the Pine Tree Lot or to the Plantation garage.  

  • Adding 300 more parkers to the Plantation Garage means more delay for the shuttlers. One SHARE members reports that his department had already shifted their schedules by 15 minutes to try avoid the rush at the Plantation lot. That was a solution to the disciplinary action they were getting from tardiness caused by shuttle delays. Now that 15-minute shift isn’t enough. 

  • Why are employees being told they cannot park in the garage on weekends? Normally those who park at Plantation during the week can use the garage on weekends. Now they are being told they can’t.  

Cost

There is a lot of concern and confusion. SHARE members who are paying the same and getting less are angry. Many are worried that they will have to pay more, owing to the confusion caused by the School email.  

Transparency

There ought be enough information available that the community feels they understand what’s happening.  

  • Seniority: Some of these parking questions are apparently decided on seniority.  

  • Big picture: What happens when the VA opens? And the new building over the West Garage? 

  • Cost: Years ago employees were told that parking would be free once the (west) garage was paid for. Since then employees wonder what they are paying for. Does the hospital or the School make money on parking?  

Official Communication from Hospital Administration

In case you missed it, here is the latest official communication from UMass Memorial about these issues . . .

TO:             UMass Memorial Medical Center – University Campus Caregivers

FROM:            Michael Gustafson, MD, MBA, President, UMass Memorial Medical Center

Kathleen Hylka, Interim Vice President, Facilities, UMass Memorial Health Care

DATE:             February 25, 2021

SUBJECT:      University Campus Safety and Parking Update

This month’s changes in reserved and unreserved parking on the University Campus, combined with the winter weather, have prompted our caregivers to seek clarity and offer feedback about parking and pedestrian movement on campus. The safety of our caregivers, patients and visitors is always our highest priority, and the following information is designed to update you on the improvements we have made, as well as those under discussion, in response to your feedback.

Pedestrian Safety

Caregivers have raised concerns about the safety and current number of crosswalks, sidewalks and walking paths on campus, as well as the effectiveness of lighting and signage. Over the years, UMass Medical School has sponsored traffic studies to determine where to locate crosswalks based on the safest paths for pedestrians. Adding a crosswalk at or near the Pine Tree Lot entrance, as suggested by some, is unsafe, given the number of vehicle entry and exit points in that area. When crossing to and from the Pine Tree Lot, pedestrians must use the crosswalk to the Lazare Building or the crosswalk in front of the ACC Building.

To enhance safety as construction on campus progresses through the spring, additional lighting and flashing lights are planned for the crosswalk between the Ambulatory Care Center and the Remillard entrance, and temporary lighting has now been installed at the Lazare Research Building crosswalk. The school will continue to assess the need for additional lighting and signage, beyond those in the current construction plans.

Preparation for Snow Events

UMass Facilities staff meet prior to each forecasted snow event to plan their response. Pre-treating surfaces and other prep work will take place prior to the start of the storm, based on Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency alerts. The Pine Tree Lot will be cleared to ensure available parking for first-shift parkers, as this timeframe coincides with higher patient/visitor volume. Clearing snow overnight may require closure of the Pine Tree Lot, so signage will redirect traffic to available parking locations. Indeed, whenever the Pine Tree Lot is closed, we encourage parkers to pay special attention to posted signage about other parking availability.

First-shift parkers who wish to park in covered areas during snow events are encouraged to go to the Plantation Street Garage and use the shuttle, which runs from 5 am to 9 pm, Monday through Friday.

Parking and Safety Enhancements Since February 8

We have offered an additional 475 reserved parking spots to first-, second- and third-shift caregivers, based on date of hire or reserved parking waitlist. These caregivers have been informed that upon acceptance, their parking deductions will reflect the reserved parking fee.

In addition, in partnership with the school we have:

  • Introduced a late-night shuttle from the Pine Tree Lot to the Remillard entrance, initially operating Monday through Friday, 6 pm to 12 am, and now expanded to every day of the week, including holidays.

  • Stationed Valet, parking attendants and signage at entry gates to redirect parkers if the Pine Tree Lot is full. This will continue as we monitor the impact on the lot from the additional reserved parking spots noted above.

  • Operated the Plantation Street shuttle on the recent President’s Day holiday, helping us to determine, based on ridership, if future holiday shuttles are necessary.

  • Stationed Campus Police or security assistants at crosswalks during night shifts to ensure caregiver safety. A police vehicle rounds in lots with lights on to assist pedestrians.

  • Prioritized Campus Police escort rides and directed officers to remain until the parker is safely in their vehicle (unless the officer must respond to an emergent call).

  • Reconfigured a monitoring camera to remain stationary and fixed on the Pine Tree lot.

As we continue to work through all of these changes, please continue to pay special attention to signage at the entrance of the Pine Tree Lot.

It is important to note that, over the past four years, no calls have been made from the Pine Tree Lot emergency call boxes, nor have any violent crime incidents been reported occurring in the Pine Tree Lot.

Campus Police encourage caregivers to add the department’s routine business number to their mobile phones: 508-856-3296. If an emergency call box is out of reach, calling this number is the quickest way to contact Campus Police dispatch in an emergency on campus.

Parking and Safety Discussions/Assessments Underway

In partnership with the school, we are also doing the following:

  • Assessing adjustments to shuttle operating hours based on ridership levels

  • Assessing parking levels in each of the University Campus lots to determine spot allocation, understanding that we won’t know “normal” volumes until remote caregivers are back on-site and patient volumes return to pre-pandemic levels

  • Discussing the feasibility of expanding reserved parking for off-shift employees in lots closer to buildings

  • Assessing lighting in the Pine Tree lot and at crosswalks; recommendation expected in 1-2 months

  • Assessing current Emergency Blue Light call box locations; recommendation expected in 1-2 months

We hope this information is helpful and responsive to your valuable feedback, which we always welcome. Please continue to let us know how we are doing, and in turn, we will keep you updated on our ongoing efforts to maintain safety as our top priority. 

 

 

Member Spotlight: Tenille Dudley

Medical Assistant, Lincoln Street Primary Care Clinic

Interviewed by Rafael Rojas, 1/22/2020

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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!

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.” 

“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!

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.

2021 Central Massachusetts AFL/CIO College Scholarship

In recent years, SHARE families have consistently been represented among the winners. In 2020, Liam Foskett was awarded one of the scholarships. (Liam’s mother Nancy is a SHARE member in the HIM Department.) The Scholarships are typically awarded du…

In recent years, SHARE families have consistently been represented among the winners. In 2020, Liam Foskett was awarded one of the scholarships. (Liam’s mother Nancy is a SHARE member in the HIM Department.) The Scholarships are typically awarded during the annual Central Massachusetts Labor Day Breakfast. However, since the breakfast was cancelled last year for social distancing reasons, SHARE Organizer Carol Hehir took the celebration on the road.

The SHARE office recently received the following notice from Joe Carlson, President of the Central Massachusetts AFL/CIO, about a really great scholarship opportunity for members. The lottery for these scholarships will be open to any SHARE members, as well as children and grandchildren of our members, who will graduate from high school this year and attend college next year.

Read full details and download the nomination form below.

We’d love to see another SHARE winner this year. Good luck!

Tips for Applying

Please note that the union affiliation should be identified as AFSCME/SHARE. Members at UMass Memorial (including Marlboro Hospital) are in Local Union Number 3900. Applications should NOT be sent to the SHARE office.

Other Educational Opportunities

Keep your eye on the SHARE blog for more #scholarships. For other educational opportunities, including the ongoing AFSCME Free College program, check out posts tagged #education.

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Blog Digest: New Free College Opportunities, First Aid for Stress, Member Spotlights, and More

Phil Berry: ASR, SHARE Rep, Nursing Student, Advocate for Equitable Healthcare, and more!

Phil Berry: ASR, SHARE Rep, Nursing Student, Advocate for Equitable Healthcare, and more!

SHARE’d Stories

We keep adding to SHARE’s collection of SHARE’d stories. Most recently, Communications Specialist Nancy Barrett & ASR/SHARE Rep Phil Berry describe, in their own words, their roles in the hospital and the effect of the pandemic on the work that they do.

Dignity and Human Rights . . . and SHARE

SHARE applauds the fact that our hospital recognizes the value of unions — and of our very own Unit Based Teams — as important elements of being heard in the workplace. Unions provide an essential, independent source of power and safety for workers. Read more . . .

Super Bowl Trip for Super Healthcare Heroes

Our team may not have been in the big game this year, but there’s still reason to celebrate. Patriots owner Robert Kraft flew seventy-five healthcare workers to this year’s Super Bowl aboard the Patriots’ private jet, and SHARE member and Respiratory Therapist Lisa Drakos was among them!

Free College Degrees: New Opportunities

AFSCME’s Free College Program, already popular benefit among SHARE members, has recently announced new offerings in Health Services and Business Management.

Things to Know for Bad Weather

What you should understand about the framework that SHARE negotiated with the hospital, and advice for knowing how the Inclement Weather policy works in your own department.

How to Find Open Covid Vaccine Appointments, Efficiently

Although the rollout for UMass Memorial caregivers to receive the Covid vaccine is well underway, your friends and loved ones here in Massachusetts may run into frustrations finding access to the shot as it becomes available to them. A new website can help.

First Aid for Stress

UMass Memorial is hosting a webinar to help caregivers understand and apply the fundamental elements of Stress First Aid when the need arises — learn to provide important care for yourself, your team, and your loved ones.

Member Spotlight: Phil Berry

Ambulatory Services Rep & SHARE Rep, University Campus Endoscopy Suite

interviewed by Anna Weick, 12/10/2020

Healthcare workers are more than just the doctor and nurse who complete your appointment. They’re also everyone behind the scenes. They’re our food service workers, our maintenance staff, our housekeeping staff -- all of these individuals play an invaluable role within the healthcare system.

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I’m on the Health Equity Diversity and Inclusion Council (HEDIC) at UMass, and one of the things we’re discussing right now is ensuring that access to the COVID-19 vaccine is equitable -- that anyone on the frontlines, regardless of their title, will have access to the vaccine. It’s been really inspiring to see that intention set firsthand. The Council was looking for regular hourly employees to join the council and diversify the perspectives. Most people who serve on the council have been senior VPs and higher-level staff.  I was introduced to the Council and their work through my Union Organizer. Being a part of SHARE allows me to be part of a larger conversation about creating positive changes and improving health equity in our community and even within my own workplace.

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A lot of change is happening on campus, with COVID and within my department. After every briefing that Governor Baker or Dr. Dickson has to inform the public of any COVID updates, we get inundated with hundreds of phone calls, questions about the patient’s appointments and procedures. People are worried about the impact of the virus on their preventative maintenance. After one of the last conferences, patients became concerned that their outpatient procedures were being cancelled due to the announcement of the cancellation of inpatient, elective procedures. Even though my team doesn’t schedule elective inpatient procedures, our phones were off-the-hook with worried patients. The whole purpose of this announcement was to avoid inpatient bed overload, but a single word in a press briefing impacted our entire week’s work.

We have many appointments to be scheduled in the backlog due to COVID with 7 of us on staff. It’s hard because the world’s focus is on COVID-19. The focus is not on people getting their screening colonoscopies. It’s not at the forefront of people’s perception. We all start out our day with daily COVID-19 check-ins. We are still coming in every day and scheduling our patients and taking our calls. We are still doing our jobs, nothing has changed since the beginning of COVID. There was maybe a month where about three of us were doing other jobs -- I handed out masks at the front entrance -- when we weren’t scheduling as much. After that, everything went back to normal. It’s more stressful in our roles now because we are working as schedulers and healthcare providers, we provide emotional labor to patients to convince them that it’s safe and necessary for them to get their health care.

The top 5 languages in our organization are Spanish, Portuguese, English, Vietnamese, and Albanian. For the longest time we’ve been asking supervisors, managers, and others for patient instructions in those languages, and it wasn’t on their priority list. Then I finally got a chance to speak with a Nurse Supervisor of a different location and explained the problem with the lack of clear, translated instructions and the problems it posed for our patients. When I brought this concern up, we were able to address this, locate the instructions and have them uploaded. Now, every single one of the top 5 languages are in our system. I just want to make sure that our patients are taken care of and get the care they need.

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 Working as someone who is LGBTQ — I am queer, I am trans, I am nonbinary — and working in a medical space is definitely interesting, to say the least. There isn’t much respect around pronouns and gender identity yet, but I’m hopeful for the future we are creating. I work on the LGBTQ subcommittee for the medical school and I volunteer on the HEDIC. I’m in places where I have some influence and a voice at the table. Being queer and being in a medical setting . . . it feels like I am a trailblazer, even though I know there are so many of us in these roles. All of us are trailblazing to change how things are for the people who come after us. That is something that influences all my interactions. My drive is improving the healthcare system to care equitably for LGBTQ+ people. I’m in school now and plan on being in larger roles within the organization — I want to be running a department. I want to learn, and grow, and bring the perspective that I’ve had from working in other various roles within the organization to that table.

I love being a union rep. I like being able to help my coworkers with questions about their benefits, their work, and their rights as an employee. Everyone comes to me, as the union rep. If something goes wrong, they come to me. I’ve learned through this that a group of people standing up for a common interest not only changes the world around them but changes their individual lives. By talking to each other, sharing our experiences, and being authentic with what we deal with in our lives, we are brought closer together in the struggle. By sharing honestly with each other, we have the opportunity to create better lives for ourselves and each other. Being able to connect with people and learning about what they’ve gone through -- it brings my own struggles into perspective.

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Super Bowl for Super Healthcare Heroes

As we write this, SHARE Respiratory Therapist Lisa Drakos is on an outbound flight to Tampa. Like all SHARE members, Respiratory Therapists play an important role in our hospital. They have had a key place in recent months caring for the respiratory complications so common among Covid patients. Lisa’s name was drawn in a department raffle set up to recognize that important work. The prize? An all-inclusive trip to this year’s Super Bowl.

The package comes compliments of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, in a gesture that is making national headlines. Lisa is flying along with 75 other Massachusetts healthcare workers, including others from Central Mass. Some were even caught on video as Robert Kraft told them they’d be flying on the Patriots’ jet to Tampa for the big game.

Congratulations, Lisa! Hope you’re having a fabulous time!

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Lisa’s got a jam-packed — and enviable — itinerary

Lisa’s got a jam-packed — and enviable — itinerary

Find Open Slots for Covid Vaccinations

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

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

While on maternity leave following the birth of her second child, Olivia Adams, a 28-year-old Arlington resident, developed her own website where eligible Massachusetts residents and their caregivers can find available appointments to receive the Covid vaccine.

Read (or listen to) the story at WBUR.  

Want to help an eligible Massachusetts resident get vaccinated?

Dignity and Human Rights . . . and SHARE

UMass Memorial has published an important statement of commitment to dignity and human rights. One way to truly respect the whole community is to listen to the voice of every employee who works in our hospital.

SHARE applauds the fact that our hospital recognizes the value of unions — and of our very own Unit Based Teams — as important elements of being heard in the workplace. Unions provide an essential independent source of power and safety for workers.

We’re pleased to see that the hospital even pairs its official statement in the Ethics and Business Conduct section of the Hub with a quote from SHARE Co-President, Rita Caputo. We’ve highlighted Rita’s statement below.

SHARE shares in this commitment. If you would like help seeing that concerns are addressed, please don’t hesitate to contact SHARE. You can view the hospital’s Code of Ethics on the UMass Memorial Hub or online.

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AFSCME Free College Benefit: New Options in Healthcare and Business Management

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NOW ENROLLING FOR SPRING CLASSES MARCH 29, 2021 

Many SHARE members have already taken advantage of the Free College Benefit, offered by our parent union, AFSCME in conjunction with Eastern Gateway University. It’s a popular perk of union membership. Since it began in 2016, the program has expanded the variety of courses and degrees that it offers, The program now adds opportunities in nursing and other healthcare fields, as well as specialty certificates in the Business Management degree program . . .

New!  Health Services

Interested in nursing or another allied health specialty?  This program can help you get there faster!  This degree pathway offers the math and science you’ll need, as well as the general education and critical thinking courses, that a student will need in many healthcare fields. The Health Services degree is perfect for learning more about the industry or preparing to apply for nursing school.

Develop Your Expertise in These Business Management Specialties

  • Advertising

  • Cyber Security

  • Data Analytics

  • Digital and Social Media

  • Environment and Conservation Studies

  • Entrepreneurship

  • Finance

  • Hospitality: Food and Beverage Management

  • Hospitality: Hotel and Event Management

  • Human Resources Management

  • IT Help Desk

  • Labor Studies

  • Marketing

  • Operations and Logistics

  • Programming & Development

  • Project Management Fundamentals

Note that unemployed, furloughed, and laid off union workers and their extended family are all eligible to enroll in Free College.

Member Spotlight: Nancy Barrett

Communications Center, Marlborough Hospital

interviewed by Rafael Rojas, 1/6/2021

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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

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.

Know Your Department Weather Policy

With the coming snow, SHARE Reps have begun having conversations again about the severe weather policy that SHARE negotiated with hospital management.

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The full policy is posted below. The shortest summary is probably this: "All employees are expected to report to work, unless the severe weather plan in their department allows them to stay home." If you do not know if there’s a department-specific plan for your area, you should check with your supervisor or manager.

Please take good care when making decisions about traveling in extreme weather. Also, please contact the SHARE office (508-929-4020) if you have questions, or would like help developing or revising a plan in your own department.

severe weather

from SHARE-UMass Memorial Contract Agreement, page 82

UMass Memorial is an essential community service and as such will continue its operations without regard to weather conditions. However, UMass Memorial and SHARE recognize that severe weather conditions can interfere with the ability of employees to come to work, and agree to the following:

Staffing plans

The CNO, CMO, Hospital President and Vice-Presidents are responsible for developing a fair and equitable staffing plan to ensure continued essential services, and for informing employees of staffing and attendance requirements.

In order for employees to know what their responsibilities are in the case of severe weather, departments are encouraged to develop plans for their areas within the framework of the hospital plan described above. Employees are encouraged to participate in the development of the plan for their department. Department severe weather plans could include: what staffing level is required in the case of severe weather (such as full staffing, skeletal staffing, or no staffing necessary); how employees will find out if they are required to be at work that day, who to call and how to reach them; and whether there is a difference in their department between the plan for severe weather and the plan for a declared state of emergency. Department managers should review the severe weather plan for their department with all employees annually before winter weather begins.

All employees are expected to report to work, unless the severe weather plan in their department allows them to stay home.

Staying at work

Employees who are working during severe weather conditions are expected to work through the end of their assigned work shift unless they are excused earlier. In extreme situations, employees may be required to work beyond the end of their normal scheduled work shift if the manager determines it necessary to meet patient care and operational needs. SHARE overtime rules will apply.

Department closing, early dismissal
If a department is closed for all or part of the day due to severe weather, employees may go home (see pay for missed hours) or choose to report to/remain at work. The hospital may assign people who stay at work to perform different functions than their normal job. For a work assignment in an area other than your own, page the nursing supervisor/bed management: for the University campus, pager #2044; for the Memorial campus (on evenings, nights, weekends and holidays) pager #3318.

Grace period for late arrivals
The office of the CEO or his/her designee may establish a paid grace period for arriving late to work. The length of the grace period will be based on the severity of the weather conditions.

Pay for missed hours

Other than late arrivals covered by an established grace period, employees who miss all or part of their work shift may use earned, vacation or personal time, or choose to go unpaid for the hours they missed. When appropriate, an employee may make up the time that week, by mutual consent between the employee and the supervisor. Made up hours will be paid at straight time unless weekly hours total more than 40.

Excused and unexcused absences
If an employee does not work because the department is closed, or because they are not required to come to work, it will be considered an excused absence. Late arrivals covered by an established grace period will be considered an excused absence. Other absences from work on a severe weather day will be considered unexcused.

Transportation

When severe weather makes travel unsafe, or in a state of emergency, transportation assistance may be available. Requests for assistance should be directed to the nursing supervisor/bed management: for the University campus, pager #2044; for the Memorial campus (on evenings, nights, weekends and holidays) pager #3318. When necessary, communication with external bodies such as the National Guard and ambulance carriers will be coordinated through these offices.

The Case of the Lost SHARE Email Messages

We recently discovered that, since the winter holidays, a glitch in the hospital’s email system may have been diverting SHARE emails to your spam folder. Thanks to those of you who reached out to let us know things seemed too quiet!

We’ve been assured that the problem is now fixed. Visit the SHARE website for all of the interesting and important updates you might have missed, including . . .

Blog Digest: OT Opportunities for SHARE Members, SHARE Opposes Contracting Out, and More . . .

Help Needed: Want to Pick Up Overtime or Extra Time?

UMass Memorial needs help during this COVID-19 surge. Right now, they need SHARE members who are willing to pick up extra shifts doing:

  • One-to-one patient observing for COVID patients

  • Testing Tent staff, for swabbing or registering patients

  • “Runners” for the Emergency Rooms –patient care experience needed, so this role is good for PCAs, Techs, LPNs, etc.

  • Visitor Screeners

  • Patient Transport

Voluntary Redeployment is good for SHARE Members

SHARE has been encouraging management to look for volunteers, rather than redeploy people. Redeployment worked well for some SHARE members last spring, but other SHARE members had a tough time with the schedule they were redeployed to, or with what kind of work they were asked to do. The voluntary approach is really working well for the one-to-one patient observer work, so we hope there are lots of volunteers for these roles too. We know lots of people want to help, and lots of people are happy to have the extra money! Application details here.

SHARE Opposes Contracting-Out of Food Service and Housekeeping at Health Alliance

UMass Memorial recently told current Health Alliance food service workers and housekeepers that they would soon become employees of Sodexo. Those employees will all have jobs, with health insurance, and their pay rate will stay the same, UMass Memorial announced. These staff are not represented by any union, but all of us in the UMass Memorial community should be concerned by this move. Read more . . .

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. Discover strategies and tools to help you remember here.

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Employee Symptom Reporting: Tips and Tricks to Remember  

reminder cartoon.jpg

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 Opposes Contracting-Out of Food Service and Housekeeping at Health Alliance  

UMass Memorial recently told current Health Alliance food service workers and housekeepers that they would soon become employees of Sodexo. Those employees will all have jobs, with health insurance, and their pay rate will stay the same, UMass Memorial announced. 

These staff are not represented by any union, but all of us in the UMass Memorial community should be concerned by this move. We assume that moving staff off the UMass Memorial payroll is a cost-saving measure. How do you save money, doing the same work plus making a profit for the company, without cutting spending on wages and benefits? 

Contracting-out is not new at UMass Memorial. When the Med Center contracted out Dialysis, affected SHARE members were promised job security and minimal changes. However, within months they were told they would have to move to hold onto their jobs. Information Services (IS) and Central Processing were contracted out and then brought back in house for quality reasons. The SHARE Biomedical Engineers fought contracting out by showing that they could save money while keeping their jobs in-house, though the hospital contracted them out in the end too. 

The middle of a pandemic is the wrong time to upend good, stable jobs for our lowest paid staff. As the Institute for Healthcare Improvement points out, it is possible to support “better care, better neighborhoods, better health – all while holding onto valued employees, many of whom may be part of our most vulnerable populations.”

Perhaps most importantly, housekeepers are crucial to patient care, particularly in the age of COVID, especially when they also have patient transport duties. Being a UMass Memorial employee means that you have loyalty only to the patients and the hospital, not to an outside company. 

Help Needed! Want to Pick Up Overtime or Extra Time?

UMass Memorial needs help during this COVID-19 surge. Right now, they need SHARE members who are willing to pick up extra shifts doing:

  • One-to-one patient observing for COVID patients

  • Testing Tent staff, for swabbing or registering patients

  • “Runners” for the Emergency Rooms –patient care experience needed, so this role is good for PCAs, Techs, LPNs, etc.

  • Visitor Screeners

  • Patient Transport

how to apply

If you already filled out the volunteer survey for Patient Observers, you do NOT need to volunteer again. If you are interested and did not fill out that survey a few months ago, please send an email to LaborPoolNonProviders@umassmemorial.org. Include in your email:

  • ·         Your name, title and department.

  • ·         What roles you are possibly willing to do

  • ·         What shifts and days you are usually available

  • ·         How to reach you – cell phone, email, etc.


Voluntary Redeployment is good for SHARE Members

SHARE has been encouraging management to look for volunteers, rather than redeploy people. Redeployment worked well for some SHARE members last spring, but other SHARE members had a tough time with the schedule they were redeployed to, or with what kind of work they were asked to do. The voluntary approach is really working well for the one-to-one patient observer work, so we hope there are lots of volunteers for these roles too. We know lots of people want to help, and lots of people are happy to have the extra money!

SHARE Blog Digest: Incentive Pay, Covid Pay, Redeployment, and More

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Happy MLK Day! We encourage SHARE members to take time today to reflect on the importance of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King’s legacy to our country and even our own union. His ideas and example remain essential to SHARE as we face our own challenges today. 

COVID Vaccine 

SHARE Reps continue to report that UMass Memorial’s COVID vaccination process is going well. Some have declined for the moment, but most Reps have gotten at least the first shot so far. At a recent SHARE Rep meeting, only a few people had stories of a co-worker feeling sick afterwards. Hospital management tells us only about 10% of employees are declining the vaccine. 

The SHARE organizing team is seeing many positive signs in the broader roll-out of the vaccine, too. Our parent union, AFSCME, together with the country’s other three largest public sector unions, recently sponsored a virtual town hall, summarized here, with leading scientific experts, academics and government officials to address the safety, efficacy and equitable distribution of the COVID-19 vaccines.  

SHARE Argues that Members Should Be Included in Incentive Pay 

It’s a good news, bad news situation: when incentive pay for RNs who pick up extra shifts in some COVID units got extended, SHARE Respiratory Therapists were added (good news), but SHARE PCAs who work side-by-side with the RNs, did not (bad news). Read more . . .  

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 now have an agreement that creates a voluntary float pool to cover the need for one-to-one patient observers on COVID floors, strengthens the commitment to voluntary redeployment in other areas, and provides members a process for declining a redeployment assignment. One key change from the previous surge is that 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, and the SHARE member still has the option to use their paid time off or go on unemployment. Read more . . . 

COVID Pay 

The hospital has started COVID pay again, going back to November 1st. This pay is designed to make it so that employees don’t have to use their own accrued time for hospital-acquired COVID. Unfortunately, the new policy doesn’t cover as much this time, less than COVID pay last Spring. Now COVID pay covers two weeks of missed work, if you were infected at work.  

Staff who get COVID are to work with Employee Health and file for Workers’ Compensation. If Employee Health determines that you were infected at work, then the hospital pays you for the first five-day waiting period, and then they “top off” your Workers’ Comp pay during the second week of leave in order to make your pay whole. 

SHARE is urging management to re-instate COVID pay for absences due to COVID testing or illness, regardless of where you got infected. SHARE members should not have to use their own time. We want to encourage people to do the right thing and stay home if they have symptoms, which is tough to do if you don’t have any time in your bank. 

More Updates on the SHARE Website 

Thank you on this day, as every day, for everything you do to help keep our union, our hospital, and our community strong.