UVA Health Team Member HR Info Related to COVID-19

Yes. Following the end of the Public Health Emergency for the COVID-19 pandemic, new guidance has been issued to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to no longer require the COVID-19 vaccine among healthcare workers certified by that governing body. As a result, and to align with CMS’s new guidance, UVA Health ended its COVID-19 vaccination requirement, effective August 4, 2023.

This policy change is effective for all UVA Health team members, inclusive of the Medical Center, UPG, School of Medicine, School of Nursing, Claude Moore Health System Library, UVA Community Health, and UVA Community Health Medical Group.

Although UVA Health will no longer require the COVID-19 vaccine among its team members, it will continue to recommend that all eligible individuals receive both a primary COVID-19 vaccination and recommended boosters, as the COVID-19 vaccine has proven itself to be the safest and most effective tool to prevent severe illness caused by the virus. COVID-19 vaccinations are available through one's primary care physician or at local pharmacies, including within UVA Health. Although not required, team members are encouraged to submit their vaccination records with Employee Health. 

UVA Health will no longer require an exemption process for not receiving the vaccine.

Team members, including those who do not get the COVID vaccine, must wear protective equipment consistent with UVA Health PPE policies.

Any team member who is experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 should isolate and contact Employee Health at 434-924-2013 for evaluation.

All team member COVID testing is now being performed by Employee Health at its new location at 400 Brandon Avenue. Symptomatic testing for team members is being offered on a walk-in basis from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm and 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday. Designated Employee Health patient parking is available in the lot beside the Elson building and can be accessed from Monroe Lane.

UVA Health team members who are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 are not required to complete weekly prevalence testing. There is a possibility that prevalence testing will be reinstated in the future if warranted by changes in COVID-19 case numbers and other factors. As a reminder, prevalence testing is separate from diagnostic testing, which is performed on individuals who have symptoms, have possibly been exposed to COVID-19, or otherwise have been directed to get tested. Read about team member diagnostic testing options.

Below are the new telework guides pertaining to the UVA Health. They include the new policy, the manager guide for implementation, the team member / manager agreement form, and the remote access technology requirements. 

1. New Telework Policy
2. Telework Agreement Form
3. Telework Technology Guide
4. Telework Manager Guide and FAQs

Please see the Dependent Care webpage for the latest information on child and elder care. This includes full-time, short-term back-up, and school and tutoring support. 

Please see the PTO Cash-Out and Carryover webpage for the latest information. 

Please see the UVA Health Orientation webpage for the latest information. 

The University with UVA Health specifically endorses the anti-discrimination provisions in 16 VAC 25-220, Emergency Temporary Standard (“ETS”), Infectious Disease Prevention: SARS-CoV-2 Virus that causes COVID-19 effective July 27, 2020. As such, all employees and team members must not discharge, or in any way discriminate against, any employee who raises a reasonable concern about infection control regarding the SARS-CoV-2 virus or COVID-19 disease in the workplace with the University/UVA Health, other employees, any government agency, or to the public through any form of media.

UVA Health: The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies:
Patient Experience Officer
PO Box 800704
Charlottesville, VA 22908-0704
Phone 434.924.8315 or PatientExperience@hscmail.mcc.virginia.edu

University: The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies:
Associate Vice President. Office for Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights
UVA Washington Hall
P.O. Box 400219
Phone: 434.924.3200 or email UVAEOCR@virginia.edu

Team members are encouraged to get vaccinated — or to receive any recommended booster doses — by visiting your primary care physician or any number of pharmacies within the community, including within UVA Health.

Yes. Time used to complete required vaccinations is paid time. Before scheduling testing appointments, team members are required to talk with their manager first to identify vaccination times that will not conflict with the needs of patients, with workflow and deadlines, or with the availability of back up support.

Working Remotely

• How to Actually Work When Working From Home - YouTube video by Paige Cohen, Harvard Business Review
• Working From Home - LinkedIn Article by Sean Jackson
• Tips from UVA Information Technology
• Working From Home Tips From Experienced Remote Employees
• Guidance for Individual Contributors of Virtual Teams
• Helping Remote Leaders Succeed In a Virtual Workplace - a collection of YouTube videos for leaders by the Virtual Leadership Institute
• LinkedIn Learning has new courses to help us work in the remote environment. Access these sessions via your UVA email address and NetBadge (instructions below):
  • Click the link above. At the top of the LinkedIn browser window that appears, you will see a “Sign in” button to the right of the search box. Click that and sign in using your UVA email address. Click the "Single Sign In" button on the next screen, which will take you to NetBadge. Sign in through NetBadge and proceed.
  • These courses will help you optimize working remotely, whether you’re new to remote work or not, and whether you’re leading a team or part of a team involving distributed team members:
    • Learn how to effectively work remotely.
    • Gain tips for adjusting to changes in your work environment.
    • Explore virtual communication tools for staying connected. This includes a session on learning Zoom (how to schedule, moderate, and participate in meetings).

Working from Home with Kids

• How To Get Your Kids To Do Their Schoolwork While Getting Your Own Work Done - UVA Today article with Education professor Gail Lovette

• Zoom tips by Tanya Rahman, UVA HR Governance, Updates and Testing
• Basic Zoom setup is on the ITS page for video and audio conferencing
• How to call-forward your work phone to either mobile phone or email
• How to set up voicemail messages remotely

Charlottesville Area Community Foundation Community Emergency Response Fund.

• 4 Points on Handling Everything Going On With Coronavirus - Chuck Dinerstein, MD
• Contemplative Sciences Yoga and Meditation classes have gone online! Keep an eye on their schedule as they plan out future offerings.
• Wellbeats by Hoos Well
• Not Losing Our Minds and Hearts When We Most Need Them: Mindfulness, Healing, and Wisdom in a time of COVID-19 - Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD, professor of medicine emeritus at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, founder of the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society and its world-renowned Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Clinic. Watch below:
  • YouTube
  • Facebook

Here is a list of information provided by our vendors and partners:

"Five Steps to Protect Yourself Financially from the Impact of the Coronavirus"
It is important to focus on what you can control during this time of uncertainty. This webinar will give you tangible steps to help guide yourself financially during this time of crisis. 
Register for this pre-recorded webinar from the State Employee Financial Wellness Program

RESOURCES FROM TIAA

• TIAA Overall Market Commentary: current market commentary
• TIAA How to Weather Stock Market Volatility Article

VIDEO FROM CAPTRUST

• Coping with Market Volatility: video created by Captrust

ARTICLES FROM FIDELITY

• Test Drive Your Investment Strategy
• 6 Tips to Manage Volatile Markets
• Markets, Emotions, and You
• Navigating Market Volatility

As authorized by federal CARES Act legislation, loans and in-service withdrawals from the UVA 403(b) Tax Deferred Annuity plan will be permitted for COVID-19 related reasons. Hardship withdrawals, in-service withdrawals over age 59½,  and loans also remain available from the plan for non-COVID-19 related reasons. To initiate a loan or withdrawal, contact your account provider (TIAA and/or Fidelity Investments) directly. No UVA authorization is required. Loans and withdrawals are not available from the UVA Optional Retirement Plan, the UVA Cash Match Plan, or the Virginia Retirement System Defined Benefit Plans (VRS Plans 1 & 2, VaLORS Plans 1 & 2).For information about in-service withdrawals from the Commonwealth of Virginia 457 Deferred Compensation Plan (DCP), the Virginia 401(a) Cash Match Plan, and/or the VRS Hybrid 457, contact VRS Defined Contribution Plans customer service at 1-877-327-5261.