Safety Report: Covid-19 OSHA Complaint, St Joseph Mercy Hospital, Ann Arbor, 5301 McAuley Dr, YPSILANTI, MI, 48197, USA

5301 McAuley Drive, Ypsilanti, 48197 Michigan, United States

1) The clerical/registration staff in the ER have patient facing contact when they check-in Covid19+ patients and PUI's upon entry into the ER. The podium desk area of the ER, used for quick registration, has barriers that do not go all the way around or are not enclosed. Check-in processes are also done at the ER front registration desk where the barriers do not meet the countertop and there is a space between the counter and the bottom of the barrier; patient's may lean on the desk posing a risk of exposure. There is another area near this location that is not enclosed with any barriers. 2) A new "hot and cold triage process" has been implemented where the ER clerical/registration staff that are not clinical educated or trained are to determine Covid-19 illness and determine where these patients are to be seated. This staff sits at the un-protected podium as well as the ER front desk. Every individual checking into the ER for services may be standing in line with Covid-19+ patients or PUI's before determining if they are hot or cold. - At times, when there is not a clerical staff member staffed at the Podium, patients that are not Covid-19+ as well as patients being discharged wait in line with Covid-19+ patients or PUI's. 3) The clerical/registration staff are required to go into rooms to obtain complete registration information with the patient, sometimes being in the room for longer than 10-15 minutes. Some of the patients may appear asymptomatic upon triage and are tested later for admission. However, at this point, the clerical/registration staff has already had close contact. 4) There is lack of communication verbally or electronically with hospital computer applications, as the symptom displayed as the patients chief complaint doesn't suspect Covid-19 symptoms. Patients being tested at outside facilities are being seen in our ER and that testing information does not reflect unless opening the patient's medical record. The clerical/registration staff at quick registration do not access the patient's medical record to arrive or check-in patients arriving to the ER, so this exposure is unknown at quick registration or registration completion thereby putting employees at risk. 5) Patients are being transported by EMS crews for emergency services and Covid-19+ patients or PUI's are not communicated with the clerical/registration staff as we are in close contact, i.e., patient facing, during the direct encounter with arriving/checking-in the patient with EMS personnel. EMS personnel are not always properly entering the building in full PPE. For trauma patients who come in via EMS, it is unknown whether they have been tested for Covid-19. Clerical/registration staff again are not protected. 6) Upon employment, hospital employees are required to be fitted for an N95 respirator for any health hazard related to airborne conditions, including Covid-19. Covid-19 can be transmitted between people who are within 6 feet of each other. Airborne transmission by exposure to the virus in small droplets and particles can linger in the air for minutes to hours and may be able to infect people who are further than 6 feet away. As seen on the CDC website guidelines, Respirators are ideal for colleagues that work with high volumes of Covid-19 PUI's in ER's. - The Clerical/Registration staff in the ER, who perform patient facing roles, should be provided with N95 respirators in order to prevent exposure to Covid-19. 7) The employer assigns mandatory educational courses for affected employees and departments. Most recently the Coronavirus Employee Health Services and Infection Prevention course for Colleague and Patient Safety was required for Clerical/Registration staff employed in the ER. This mandatory course provided N95 information for employees to acknowledge and check off on. The course also stated the safety of our colleagues remains the top priority, even during this challenging virus and meet the needs of our patients and communities


Source: Osha.gov | Receipt Date: 2020-12-16