Leaders highlight COVID-19 vaccines for all employees at Penn State Health Jan. 13 town hall

About 1,700 employees joined the Penn State Health town hall on Jan. 13 to learn about the health system’s rollout of COVID-19 vaccinations to all Penn State Health and College of Medicine staff who wish to receive it.

Leadership also provided updates on Penn State Health’s vaccinations of community health care and emergency medical services providers not affiliated with the health system.

Steve Massini, Penn State Health CEO, highlighted recent leadership appointments at the health system. He then spoke about the importance of a new Diversity, Equity and Inclusion educational series on microagressions, unconscious bias and understanding.

Watch a recording of the town hall

COVID patient numbers remain very high at Penn State Health medical centers, Massini said, causing significant stress on staff. Currently, 213 employees have COVID-19 and another 718 are quarantined due to exposure.

• Watch the video, available on YouTube and also on Mediasite, unveiled during the town hall, that features staff members sharing their personal stories of what receiving the vaccine means to them.

Massini said that all employees of Penn State Health and College of Medicine employees, as well as College of Medicine students and student nurses, have been invited to schedule their COVID-19 vaccinations and urged those who have not yet scheduled their vaccinations to do so soon. To date, more than 10,000 employees have been vaccinated, with many already receiving their second and final dose.

Among the questions addressed during the town hall:

• Employees who are not in regular patient care are requested to sign up to receive their vaccinations at either Holy Spirit Medical Center or St. Joseph Medical Center due to supply availability. If they have already signed up to receive the vaccine at Hershey Medical Center, they do not need to reschedule their appointment.
• Penn State Health’s Travel and Quarantine Policy and all other recommended health and safety precautions remain in effect even for those who have received their second and final vaccine, as it is not known yet if people who get the vaccine can still get the virus but not have symptoms. Even if vaccinated, individuals can still transmit the virus. As more is learned, the guidelines may change.
• If an employee has had COVID, they may still receive the vaccine once they are out of isolation and clinically recovered. We ask that employees who are in isolation or quarantine wait until they are released to return to work to receive the vaccine.

Many of the answers to more than 175 questions submitted before and during the town hall are already included in the Employee FAQs about the COVID-19 vaccine on the Infonet. Watch the Daily Brief for answers to some additional questions.

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