Testing | Media Inquiries

Situation

COVID-19 testing criteria has been developed for employees and healthcare workers.

Background

On-site COVID-19 collection is currently available for employees and symptomatic healthcare workers.

Assessment

Given limitations of testing capacity, development of a COVID-19 occupational health review process will facilitate rapid ordering and testing for employees and healthcare workers.

Recommendation

Effective March 18, 2020, a COVID-19 employee testing process will be implemented. The following criteria should be considered to guide employees & clinicians with a COVID-19 concern.

1. Employees with symptoms should call the YNHHS COVID-19 Call Center at 203-688-1700.
   1. Symptoms include: Fever[≥100.0^o F], cough, chest pain, or difficulty breathing
2. Employee will be routed to an Occupational Health team member in the Call Center.
3. Occupational Health will assess the employee’s symptoms and exposure history to determine if COVID-19 testing is appropriate.
4. Occupational Health will place an order for COVID-19 testing in Epic.
5. Employees will be contacted by a scheduler to arrange for a COVID-19 specimen collection appointment at their local delivery network.
6. Results will be tracked by Occupational Health and communicated back to the employee.
7. Work Clearance will be evaluated by Occupational Health in accordance with test results and assessment by a clinician.

Non-Employee Healthcare workers

1. Contact your Primary Care Provider and they can order the Covid test which can be collected at a Yale New Haven Health Delivery network collection site
2. If your Primary Care Provider does not use Epic, please utilize the YNHHS COVID-19 Call Center at 203-688-1700

To protect the privacy of our patients and in accordance with the YNHHS Release of Information to the News Media Policy:

The Marketing and Communications department is responsible for the release of all information to the news media concerning the System and patients at all system hospitals.

Hospital employees will not speak to, text or release any information about the System and its activities or make public statements on behalf of the System to the media without authorization by Marketing and Communications or the appropriate member of the senior administrative staff.