Management of Employee Exposure to COVID-19

Staff safety always has been, and remains, our top priority. Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, UMMS has deployed standard policies and procedures to help team members minimize COVID-19 exposure risk for themselves, their colleagues, their families and the community.

The UMMS Guidelines for Management of COVID-19 Employee Exposure guide team members on how to identify and assess their exposure risk, notify the appropriate leaders or personnel of potential exposure, monitor their own health, confirm their ability to report to work without compromising their own safety or the safety of others and minimize exposure for others, both at work and at home. 

For detailed information about Conventional, Contingency and Crisis staffing, please review the FAQs below and refer to the full policy on PolicyStat. For information on your facility’s current testing and return-to-work guidance, including whether it is operating under Conventional, Contingency, or Crisis staffing, please refer to your local Insider.

Per the guidance outlined in the policy, team members can follow either an antigen or PCR testing strategy. Please refer to your facility’s testing and return-to-work guidance on your local Insider to determine whether your facility is utilizing PCR testing and, if so, whether you are eligible for this UMMS-provided testing.

Team members who can use PCR testing  can schedule their own PCR test without calling the Employee Health Screening Hotline. This self-scheduling option is appropriate for team members who do not need clinical guidance and only require COVID-19 PCR testing. Of course, the Employee Health Screening Hotline is available for team members who would like clinical guidance prior to scheduling their test. 

How to Self-Schedule a COVID-19 PCR Test:

• Schedule Through Your Local Hospital.   
• Click here and find the hospital where you would like to schedule your test; follow the instructions to schedule your test.
• Schedule Through the MyPortfolio Patient Portal. Team members with a MyPortfolio account may schedule directly through the portal.
• Go to myportfolio.umm.edu to log into your account.
• From the menu, click on “Schedule an Appointment.”
• Then, click on the box for “Employees of University of Maryland Medical System.”
• Answer a few questions, including the reason for your visit (in this case, “Covid Testing”).
• Choose from the available locations, days and times to make an appointment.

FAQs

If I am eligible, how do I utilize the antigen testing option?

UMMS continues to provide at-home antigen tests to team members who meet the criteria and will do so as testing supplies remain available. Pick-up locations for the antigen testing kits will vary by facility. Please contact your manager if you are unsure where to pick up the tests.

Do we need to report the results of the at-home antigen tests?

If your antigen test is negative, there is no need to do anything with the results. If your antigen test is positive, please write your name and the date on the positive test, take a picture with your phone and retain the picture for your records as you may be asked to share this result with leave management or other entities. You should also notify your manager and your local Employee Health department (during normal business hours or next business day) or follow facility-specific process for reporting a COVID positive test result. To find contact information for your local Employee Health, click here. Please do not call the Employee Health Screening Hotline to report a positive test result. If you have questions about your return-to-work or other guidance outlined in the Guidelines for Management of COVID-19 Employee Exposure, you may call your local Employee Health department.

How do I schedule a PCR test?

Prior to scheduling a PCR test, please refer to your local Insider for your facility’s testing and return-to-work guidance to determine whether your facility is utilizing PCR testing and, if so, whether you are eligible. You may self-schedule a PCR test using the following instructions if you do not need clinical guidance prior to scheduling. The Employee Health Screening Hotline is still available for team members who would like clinical guidance prior to scheduling their test.

How to Self-Schedule a COVID-19 PCR test:

• Schedule Through Your Local Hospital.   
• Click here and find the hospital where you would like to schedule your test; follow the instructions to schedule your test.
• Schedule Through the MyPortfolio Patient Portal. Team members with a MyPortfolio account may schedule directly through the portal.
• Go to myportfolio.umm.edu to log into your account.
• From the menu, click on “Schedule an Appointment.”
• Then, click on the box for “Employees of University of Maryland Medical System.”
• Answer a few questions, including the reason for your visit (in this case, “Covid Testing”).
• Choose from the available locations, days and times to make an appointment.

Team members not eligible for UMMS-provided PCR testing should seek out testing at a community testing site near them.

When should I contact the Employee Health Screening Hotline?

Team members may call the Employee Health Screening Hotline if they are in need of clinical guidance related to a high-risk exposure or COVID-19 symptoms prior to scheduling a PCR test.

When should I self-schedule a PCR test instead of calling the Employee Health Screening Hotline?

If you only require a PCR test and you do not need to speak with someone to get clinical guidance or further input, then you should use the self-scheduling instructions listed above.

Additionally, please do not call the hotline to report a positive COVID-19 test result. Instead, you should notify your manager and your local Employee Health Department. To find contact information for your local Employee Health, click here. You should also not call the hotline for return-to-work or other guidance following a positive test. If you have questions that are not answered here or on your local Insider, you should call your local Employee Health department who can answer any remaining questions you may have.

What is the best way for a team member to understand their exposure risk level when they come in contact with someone with COVID-19?

There are three categories of exposure risk outlined in the policy: low, medium and high risk. The UMMS Contact Tracing, Employee Health, and Infection Prevention teams use the COVID-19 Exposure Risk Classification Grid, which is attached to the policy, to evaluate your risk level based on the closeness and duration of exposure, source masking, and use of mask (including type of mask) and eye protection by the exposed individual.

What is the process to notify team members when they have potentially had a COVID-19 exposure?

Routine contact tracing for COVID-19 is no longer in place but team members may be notified by the UMMS/facility-specific contact tracing teams or their supervisors in the setting of clusters, outbreaks, or identified workplace transmission, and additional measures may be required. UMMS team members who develop COVID-19 are strongly encouraged to notify team members with whom they have been in close contact or have spent a prolonged time in the same indoor space (for example at a meeting or conference).

What steps are we taking to ensure team members who are exposed do not increase risk for their colleagues?

Our policies on exposure management and use of PPE during COVID-19 are collectively designed to allow team members to report to work while minimizing risk to their own safety or the safety and wellbeing of others.

What special considerations is UMMS taking during flu season?

Symptomatic team members receiving testing at UMMS sites will routinely be tested for both COVID-19 and influenza A/B using a multiplex PCR on the same swab. If COVID-19 testing is negative and influenza A/B is positive, the team member should remain out of work until at least 24 hours after resolution of fever (without fever-reducing medications) and improvement of symptoms. Please review the full policy on PolicyStat for additional considerations, such as if team member had a documented exposure prior to symptom onset.