The latest statistics show signs of hope for our region. Vanderbilt Health applauds you for all of the personal and professional decisions you’ve made to help flatten the curve and contribute to these results.
As leaders in the business community, Vanderbilt Health asks for your continued support of the policies and guidelines that have helped us get to this point.
One way you can help our frontline healthcare team is to continue to be a trusted voice with credible information for your employees and their families. Here's some of the latest information your workforce might find helpful:
COVID-19 Testing Information
Many of our employers have had questions concerning COVID-19 assessments. Here are a few answers:
- Who should get tested? This video from Dr. Tom Talbot, Vanderbilt's chief hospital epidemiologist, explains the typical symptoms of COVID-19 and who should be evaluated. For those suffering from spring allergies, he also has helpful advice on how those symptoms differ from COVID-19.
- What’s the best number to call for assessment advice? Start by calling your usual source of care for guidance. The following sources will conduct a phone assessment to determine if an in-person assessment or test is needed:
- Tennessee Department of Health COVID-19 Public Information Hotlines: (833) 556-2476 or (877) 857-2945, available daily, 10 a.m.-10 p.m.
- Metro Nashville COVID-19 Hotline: (615) 862-7777, answered 7 a.m.-7 p.m.
- Vanderbilt Hotline for employees and patients with symptoms: (888) 312-0847. This line is available daily, 7 a.m.-7 p.m.
- What’s the COVID-19 antibody test? You may have seen the April 2 report that the FDA approved the first coronavirus antibody test. A lot of research is being done on these types of immunity tests that could determine whether someone has ever been exposed to the COVID-19 coronavirus. These tests could potentially allow people with immunity to return to work. “We could sort out who among the healthcare workers has antibodies and assign them to coronavirus patients. They’d still use protection, but would have a much greater sense of security,” William Schaffner, a professor of preventive medicine and infectious disease at VUMC, told USA Today. We are closely tracking the development of these tests to be able to offer them to you and your workforce as soon as they are readily available.
Guidance for Employees at Higher Risk of Complications
Many of you have employees who are at higher risk of more severe complications of COVID-19, perhaps because they have asthma, are immunocompromised or because they have underlying medical conditions. The CDC recently provided guidance for those who need extra precautions, particularly those at higher risk for severe illnesses.
How You Can Help
Vanderbilt Health is grateful to individuals, corporations, nonprofit organizations and others who are raising their hand to help VUMC in its preparedness efforts, whether that means donating masks, giving blood, making financial gifts or providing meals to our frontline staff. If your organization wants to pitch in, we’ve collected a few ways to do that.
For the month of April, you can also dedicate a song to say “thank you” to doctors, nurses and medical staff. The VUMC “Gratitunes” program invites you to choose a tune and add it to a playlist. That song is then shared with VUMC staff and streamlined to clinics to help reduce anxiety and lift spirits. Share your Gratitune or other note of encouragement via social media. Here’s how.
VUMC is thankful to all of you for the difference you are making in the fight against COVID-19.
