Trinity Health St. Joseph Mercy Oakland patient Kylie Ossege had the unique opportunity to participate in a fan experience, courtesy of Saint Joseph Mercy Health System and the Detroit Red Wings.  Kylie enjoyed a night out recently at Little Caesars Arena (LCA) with friends and family, where she got to take in a game between her hometown team and the Columbus Blue Jackets.

During the night, Kylie received a Dylan Larkin jersey, gift card and a Red Wings goodie bag.  She had her photo taken near the St. Joe’s Bench, located inside LCA, and rode the team Zamboni.  She even appeared on the LCA jumbotron during the game.

Following what has been a very challenging year for her, the evening’s activities offered Kylie and her family a reprieve and a chance to create shared memories.

Since arriving to Trinity Health St. Joseph Mercy Oakland on Nov. 30, with injuries sustained from the Oxford school shooting, Kylie has made a tremendous recovery.  In the months following her admission to the hospital, Kylie was cared for by many hospital colleagues from across different units and different medical disciplines. 

“We are forever grateful to St. Joseph Mercy Hospital and their incredible staff for their amazing dedication and care for Kylie,” said her mother, Marita Ossege.  “From our friends in the ICU to the rehab team, you all have touched our lives in a manner we will never forget.”

Trinity Health St. Joseph Mercy Oakland is a verified trauma center by the American College of Surgeons, which means it can provide first responders, patients and the community with increased access to highly specialized care during emergency situations.  The verification ensures that patients with severe injuries receive priority access to the full spectrum of resources, including in-house coverage for trauma surgery, anesthesia, critical care and radiology, as well as cardiology, orthopedics, neurosurgery, vascular and thoracic care.

Fabian Fregoli, MD, chief medical officer of Trinity Health St. Joseph Mercy Oakland, met with Kylie and her family several times during her stay in the hospital.

“Witnessing Kylie and her family’s courage has been an inspiration to me and our entire team” said Dr. Fregoli.  “To recall where she was when she arrived through our doors and compare that to how well she is doing now, she’s had a truly remarkable recovery and I couldn’t be happier.  She is thriving and we’re all rooting for her.”

Livonia Today Magazine spoke with Cardiologist Tanmay Swadia, MD, and highlighted heart healthy tips while living in a COVID-19 world.

Friday Musings published a Q&A with Nathan Foster, in which he highlights the dangers of heart failure, and a new and innovative technology, the Optimizer, a surgically implanted device that delivers therapy to the heart, strengthening the efficiency of the heart muscle.

WWJ News Radio interviewed Patricia Paz Arabo, MD, Chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at St. Mary Mercy Livonia.

Phoenix Murphy, a transporter at St. Mary Mercy Livonia, was recently presented with the BeRemarkable Award and recognized by his team and hospital leadership for demonstrating our Core Values while on the job.  The colleague that nominated Phoenix wrote, “Phoenix is the epitome of a model employee.  He is so helpful and kind to every single patient he comes into contact with.  Not only with patients but other staff members.  He continually goes above and beyond, helps CT move/transfer the patients to the table.  His hard work and dedication do not go unnoticed.  Phoenix makes sure the patients come first.  His kindness to others and integrity for his job make him a model employee.”

Carol Blum, a patient of oncologist Kathleen Beekman, MD, gave a new meaning to can-do spirit when she presented her doctor and Daniel Lawson, Executive Director of Oncology, with a donation of $21,400 to support St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor’s Robert H. and Judy Dow Alexander Cancer Center. Carol is now cancer free, and the donation celebrated her last visit as well as the successful results of her annual cans/bottles/pocket-change drive. She started the initiative a few years back by reaching out to friends via social media as well as local organizations and picking up cans and bottles throughout the year. This year, Carol chose St. Joe’s as a beneficiary of her generous effort and gift to help others who are facing cancer this holiday season. St. Joe’s extends our gratitude to Carol and those who supported her efforts.

The Biden-Harris administration announced that, beginning Jan. 15, 2022, health plans must cover the cost of at-home over the counter (OTC) COVID-19 diagnostic tests authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This means that colleagues and dependents covered under a Trinity Health medical/prescription drug plan will be able to get FDA authorized at-home OTC tests at no cost when obtained at an OptumRx participating retail pharmacy, including Trinity Health pharmacies (where available). Each covered family member is eligible to receive up to eight tests covered per 30 days.

To have an at-home OTC COVID-19 test covered at no cost on or after Jan. 15, 2022, members can obtain an FDA authorized test at any OptumRx network retail pharmacy. Test supply will vary and may be limited by location. To keep out-of-pocket costs to a minimum, here is what members need to know:

• Qualifying tests include FDA authorized OTC COVID-19 antigen or molecular tests only.
  • Proctor supervised tests are not eligible.
  • A list of FDA authorized antigen tests is located here.
  • A list of FDA authorized molecular tests is located here.
• At the pharmacy, members should present their OptumRx card.
  • Not all pharmacies can process OTC products through the prescription drug plan so members may be required to purchase an OTC COVID-19 test and submit for reimbursement through OptumRx. Members will need to provide an itemized receipt with the reimbursement request which could take up to 30 days to process. Reimbursement process details will be shared through the COVID Read newsletter as soon as they are available.  
• Members who purchase an OTC COVID-19 test at a non-network location on or after Jan. 15, 2022 may submit for reimbursement to OptumRx for up to a maximum of $12 per test.
• Colleagues who have coverage through a non-Trinity Health medical/prescription drug plan should wait for instruction from that plan.
• OTC COVID-19 tests obtained prior to Jan. 15, 2022 are not eligible for reimbursement. 

Information for colleagues enrolled with Blue Care Network (BCN) or Kaiser only

Colleagues enrolled with Blue Care Network (BCN) or Kaiser may purchase FDA authorized at-home OTC COVID-19 tests, save their itemized receipts, and submit for reimbursement through their medical plan administrator.

Please look for additional information about this update in the COVID Read newsletter soon.

For access to all posted COVID-19 documents, visit the COVID-19 Resources page.

For the latest updates on the COVID-19 vaccine, visit the COVID-19 Vaccine page.

With COVID-19 surging in our communities, Trinity Health’s updated guidance for meetings, business travel, and distributed work arrangements, has been extended to all leaders and colleagues of Mercy Health, St. Joe’s, IHA and MHPP through at least February 28.

Safety Guidance for Internal and External Events and Gatherings

• Essential in-person meetings should be limited to fewer than 25 participants following masking and physical distancing protocols. Examples of essential in-person meetings include daily unit huddles and Incident Command meetings.

• No other in-person meetings are permitted within our buildings. Please take advantage of virtual meeting tools for departmental and one-on-one meetings (Teams, WebEx).

• Avoid potlucks with open food. Plan gatherings virtually.

• Medical-grade face coverings must be worn by all colleagues working in our hospitals and buildings (fully vaccinated and unvaccinated) unless alone at their workspace or enclosed office more than 6 feet away from other colleagues or while they are eating or drinking.

• Continue with physical distancing and other established and proven safety protocols.

• If you are working partially or fully remotely, continue to do so until at least February 28.

• Visit COVID-19 Resources site for information on Contingency Staffing & Quarantine Guidance, which was announced last week.

Business Travel

• Business travel is permitted for essential work only through Feb. 28. Travel for essential business such as TogetherCare go lives and other work deemed essential by Mercy Health, St. Joe’s, MHPP or IHA senior leaders requires supervisor approval prior to travel.

We will closely monitor CDC guidance and positive cases in our communities and provide monthly updates until community transmission rates are low-to-moderate.

Thank you for your contributions to safety during this prolonged surge period.

Rob Casalou

President and CEO

Shannon Striebich
Senior VP of Operations and President, St. Joe’s Oakland

Rosalie Tocco-Bradley, PhD, MD
Chief Clinical Officer

Ane McNeil

Chief Human Resources Officer

Ministry CHROs Tonia Schemer, Mary Rosser, Mary Kate Gibbons, Cheryl Goodell and Keyantee’ Davis

The current COVID-19 surge has made it difficult to find home testing kits in stores and online. As a result, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have seen an increase in reports of fake tests being sold online.

Unknowingly purchasing and using a fake test isn’t just a waste of money, it also increases the risk of spreading COVID-19. It could also mean not getting the appropriate care for an illness. Here are some steps you can take to avoid fakes:

• Only buy authorized tests. Check the FDA lists for authorized antigen tests or molecular tests. The FDA also has a list of fraudulent coronavirus disease products on its website. Check these before you buy.
  
  
• Buy from a trusted seller. Major pharmacies and retail stores sell tests online. If using Amazon, always look at the seller of the test. If it seems off, best to look elsewhere.
  
• Research unfamiliar sellers. Read the seller’s reviews. Or perform an online search for the seller’s name and words like “scam,” “complaint” or “fake” to spot any red flags.
  
• Use a credit card to purchase. If purchasing from an unfamiliar seller, use a credit card. This way, if you receive a fake test or don’t receive the package, you can dispute the charge with the credit card company.

After three years of planning and implementation, MI Source will go live on Thursday, Jan. 13. MI Source combines content from two intranets supporting Mercy Health and Saint Joseph Mercy Health System onto one platform in SharePoint Online, replacing the outdated SharePoint 2010 software.

The new features on MI Source are easy to access and navigate. It will be your “one stop shop” to locate content you often use in your work.  

• Be informed with dynamic news, announcements and events
• Collaborate across teams, departments and ministries.
• Easy Access from mobile devices and desktop PCs without having to log in remotely. Badge-swipe login available to Epic users on shared workstations.
• Integrates with Microsoft 365 products (Teams, Outlook)
• Favorites —your most visited pages for quick access through “My Sites”
  

Between now and the go-live, it is possible that you might click on a link on our current intranet or in our colleague newsletter that re-directs you to the new site where the content you’re seeking has been relocated.

Our thanks goes to the hundreds of colleagues who have worked tirelessly to make this huge project a success.

Having Trouble Accessing MI Source? Try This…

As the internal website for colleagues, MI Source is open only to those with Trinity Health user accounts. The best way to look up your Trinity Health username is https://findmyupn.trinity-health.org/. The password is the same as your Network password.

MI Source is also accessible on shared workstations for Epic users via badge-swipe.

As we prepare for another increase in COVID-19 cases, we want to remind colleagues to keep using the Employee Hotline. Colleagues MUST contact the Employee Hotline at 734-712-1919 if they do not pass screening, have an exposure to COVID or have the following new onset symptoms: (Fever; Cough; Shortness of Breath or Difficulty Breathing; Chills; Sore Throat; Diarrhea; Nausea / Vomiting; Muscle Pain; Loss of Smell or Taste; Fatigue; Headache and Congestion/Runny Nose.)

Again, prior to getting tested for COVID-19, colleagues must call the Employee Hot Line and the Hot Line staff will assist them in finding the best option.

While we work together to care for patients and each other during this pandemic, please continue to treat fellow colleagues with patience and compassion, in accordance with our core values. Thank you all for remaining dedicated to our healing mission.

Additional Hotline News – The COVID-19 Colleague Hotline is Experiencing High Call Volume – Please Continue to be Patient
Please note that with the current spread of COVID-19 within our communities, Saint Joseph Mercy Health System is experiencing an increase in symptomatic and/or exposed colleagues. The COVID-19 Colleague Hotline has received higher than normal call volumes and has been overwhelmed over the past few days. Employee Health is working diligently to follow-up on every call as quickly as possible to ensure all health care workers are safe and can return to work as soon as possible. Please leave one voicemail and the hotline will return your call in the order it was received. We care about the safety of our colleagues as well as our patients. We honor the sacredness and dignity of every person.  

Please also note that the Hotline is providing colleagues with detailed return to work instructions during initial phone calls. If a colleague receives a negative COVID-19 test and was told they could report to work after receiving a negative test, the colleague can return to work prior to the manager receiving an official email from the Hotline. Emails to managers may take longer than usual and we want to ensure employees can return to work as soon as possible.

Please continue to call the Colleague Hotline at 734-712-1919 if you do not pass the screening, have an exposure or have new onset symptoms. Please be patient and thank you for your understanding. It is also important that all colleagues continue to follow COVID-19 safety guidance to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Please wear a mask and maintain physical distancing. If you haven’t already, we also strongly encourage all colleagues to be vaccinated and receive their booster.  

SMML has been asking for volunteer shift support in the Emergency Department over the past week, however,we still urgently need nurses and other roles filled (hourly and salaried).  Colleagues with any type of background, both clinical and non-clinical, can sign up to help us meet these needs.

The ED roles we are requesting:

Incentives are being offered for those who help. 

For Incentives/Compensation Plans please see: Incentive Program for Critical Staffing 11 14 2021 and Exempt Employee Compensation Working Additional Shifts 11 14 2021.

To sign up for a range of shifts during weekdays and weekends, please click  HERE.  Please use the tabs at the bottom of the spreadsheet to review tasks and expectations of each role and to find the correct sign-up sheet for each role.  Once on the sign-up tab, you can scroll to the right to sign up for future dates.  Please work with your Manager who will approve the extra shifts.