Updated: Immunization and Health Screen Requirements For GSDM Faculty, Staff and Volunteers
02.08.10 Update
GSDM employees do not need to complete the OSHA Respirator Evaluation Form included in the packet.
__________________________________________________________
To: All GSDM Employees (Faculty, Staff) and Volunteers
From: Dean Jeffrey W. Hutter
Date: January 20, 2010
As part of the Boston University Medical Campus, the Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM) strives for consistency and uniformity when implementing best practices for the safety and well-being of all our employees, volunteers, and patients. To implement this goal, effective immediately, GSDM will be following the policies and protocols used by the Boston Medical Center regarding Immunization and Health Screening Requirements for all our employees and volunteers.
Purpose:
To minimize the exposure of all GSDM health care workers, faculty, staff, and volunteers from exposure to communicable diseases, to facilitate the identification of susceptible individuals in the event of an exposure, and to decrease the likelihood of transmission of communicable diseases to patients and others.
Policy Statement:
The Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM) requires all current and future employees and volunteers to be screened and immunized for certain Infectious Diseases prior to beginning work, and annually, thereafter.
Physicians, dentists, hygienists, dental assistants, patient coordinators, clinic supervisors, clinic administrative managers, clinical faculty, non-clinical faculty, research faculty, faculty volunteers, other volunteers, non-clinical staff, research staff, all departmental directors and support staff including administrative managers, administrative coordinators, program coordinators, administrative secretaries, assistants, and all other support staff must demonstrate compliance with the same health screening and immunizations that are required for GSDM employees.
Please see document entitled Immunization Requirements for GSDM Employees and Volunteers which will list the requirements for each category of employee or volunteer, i.e. direct patient care, indirect patient care; non-patient care .
Application:
All GSDM Faculty, Staff, and Volunteers are covered by these requirements.
Procedure:
- Each employee or volunteer will pick up a Health Screening Information Packet from the Dean’s Office beginning Monday, January 25, 2010 through Friday, January 29, 2010.
- The employee or volunteer will return the completed packet that has been reviewed and updated by the employee’s or volunteer’s primary care physician to the Dean’s Office no later than Monday, February 22, 2010.
- Occupational and Environmental Medicine (OEM), will provide a report to the Office of Human Resources and the Dean’s Office, listing employees or volunteers who did not return a Health Screening Information Packet, did not provide documentation of immunity, or provided evidence of immunity to some of the diseases but not all. The information on the report will simply state the name of the employee or volunteer with one of the following designations: “INCOMPLETE INFORMATION” or “NOT COMPLIANT,” but will not list what the employee or volunteer is missing.
- In cooperation with OEM, Immunization Clinics will be set-up at GSDM during the week of March 8, 2010 for employees or volunteers who are lacking documentation of immunity. Updated inoculations or the drawing of blood titers to determine immunity, will take place at no cost to the employee or volunteer.
- Employees or volunteers who have previously signed a declination form for the annual flu vaccine and/or the Hepatitis B recombinant vaccine, but would like to receive the immunizations, can attend one of the clinics to receive that vaccine, at no cost.
- Effective April 15, 2010, individuals who do not comply with the new immunization and health screening procedures, will be administratively suspended from their current duties until their immunization and health screening activities are completed.
- Annual immunization and health screening activities for TB and influenza will take place each September.
Responsibility:
- It is the responsibility of the individual to comply with the GSDM immunization and health screening requirements and to ensure that appropriate immunization status is maintained.
- It is the responsibility of each Department Chair working in concert with the Office of Clinical Services to ensure compliance with this policy, including the removal from all clinical duties of those suspended for lack of compliance.
- It is the responsibility of the Occupational and Environmental Medicine (OEM) director to verify immunity status, maintain accurate records, and provide timely reports to the Office of Human Resources.
Other Related Policies:
http://dentalschool.bu.edu/treatment-policies/infection.html
Hepatitis Vaccine Declination Form
Sincerely,
Jeffrey W. Hutter, DMD, MEd
Dean and Spencer N. Frankl
Professor in Dental Medicine
Boston University Henry M. Goldman
School of Dental Medicine
Larry Culpepper, MD, MPH
Professor and Chairman
Department of Family Medicine
Boston University School of Medicine