If you have questions about measles or do not know if you are immune to measles, please see our information on the MMR vaccine or listen to our Wellcast regarding the importance of vaccinations. To see what Occupational Health has on file for you regarding the measles compliance policy at Vanderbilt, please log into your Health & Wellness Portal using your VUnet ID and epassword. ​

To meet the increase in demand for TB testing, Occupational Health will offer the TB test Express in the hallway of the 6th Floor of the Medical Arts Building during the week of May 13th – 17th. In addition, OHC will also be providing TB testing from mobile carts that will be roaming in multiple locations throughout the Medical Center. For a complete schedule of where and when these mobile carts will be near you, please see OHC Comes to You!

If you are not sure whether or not you need an Annual TB test or if you are a new employee needing a TB test as part of the New-Hire screening, please log into your Health and Wellness Portal for your status with the TB testing program.

Compliance reporting for TB will resume on June 4th, so there is time to complete your test before then!​

Our regular hours will resume Monday, July 1, 2013. For an appointment with Occupational Health for a minor illness, please call 936-0955. If you are having an emergency, please go to the Emergency Department.

The Faculty/Staff Express Care clinic is a benefit for Vanderbilt faculty and staff that treats minor acute illnesses on a walk-in basis. Patients are seen on a first-come, first-serve basis.

For more information, please see Faculty/Staff Express Care.

Due to a shortage of the TB skin test solution Tubersol across the nation, the Tennessee Department of Health has directed all hospitals and clinics in Tennessee to temporarily suspend routine skin testing of healthcare workers. Vanderbilt’s Occupational Health Clinic will postpone TB skin testing, effective as of April 10th, 2013. Testing will resume as soon as the national shortage has eased, which is anticipated to be Summer 2013.

How does this impact employees? If you are a VUMC employee required to have a TB skin test, either as a new employee or for an annual requirement, Occupational Health will not be able to provide the TB skin test. Occupational Health has made adjustments to the TB compliance reporting so that individuals who are unable to be tested will not be penalized during the suspension of testing. Performance evaluations for staff/faculty and re-credentialing for providers will not be adversely affected by this temporary suspension of TB testing.

FAQs about the Tubersol (TB skin test solution) shortage:

Q: What about the compliance requirement for performance evaluations and credentialing?

A: The Occupational Health Clinic will adjust the compliance monitoring system so that no employee will be penalized for being unable to get TB testing.

Q: I have been exposed to a patient with TB and I’m supposed to have follow-up testing. Can I still get that?

A: Yes, people who have been exposed to someone with active TB are considered high risk and can still get tested.

Q: What will be done to screen new incoming staff, house staff and faculty?

A: Occupational Health will screen all new faculty/staff for symptoms of TB. Anyone with symptoms for active TB will receive a prompt medical evaluation to ensure they do not have a contagious illness.

Q: What will happen when the shortage is over?

A: When the shortage is over, testing will resume as usual. OHC will notify employees who need testing and provide convenient ways for them to get tested.

Q: I need a TB test for school – or another employer – what should I do?

A: The shortage is a national issue, so schools and other employers will implement the same restrictions. If the institution insists you be tested, refer them to the TN State TB Elimination Program at (615) 741-7247.

Q: Could we switch to another brand of TB solution?

A: There is an alternative solution, Aplisol, which is used in some settings. It is not recommended for healthcare worker testing and other settings with serial surveillance programs because of a higher rate of false positive results. Switching from our usual solution, Tubersol, to Aplisol is not recommended because of the high number of people who would have a false positive reaction in the same year. Also, Aplisol is now on backorder due to the national Tubersol shortage.

Q: What about blood tests instead of skin tests?

A: For ongoing screening programs in low risk individuals, the Health Department does not recommend switching to a blood test at this time. In low risk populations, there is a high frequency of test results that are barely above the cutoff level between positive and negative, and in serial testing programs people can go from positive to negative and back again; this can cause diagnostic uncertainty. Blood tests for TB infections may be useful to evaluate patients with TB symptoms or to guide treatment recommendations for people with a positive TB skin test.

Q: Who do I contact for help?

A: If you have any questions about the shortage or our testing program, contact the Occupational Health Clinic at occupational.health.clinic@vanderbilt.edu, or call OHC at 936-0955.

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To access through a Clinical Workstation, look in the Departmental tab for the Easy Reader Icon. To access through Starpanel, the Easy Reader link is listed under Information Resources. For employees, once your reader has submitted the results through Easy Reader, there is no need to fax the paperwork any longer. If you have questions about whether or not you are due for a TB skin test, please check your Occupational Health Status in our Health & Wellness Portal.

If you are eligible to read TB skin tests, you can now submit reads to the Occupational Health Clinic using the Easy Reader.  It’s fast, easy to use, reduces paper, and the results are stored electronically.  Best of all, no more faxes! If you are a clinician at Vanderbilt, you can also find the Easy Reader on ALL clinical workstations as well.

The next time you need a skin test read, ask your reader to log on and use the Easy Reader!

Read more and view a demo of Easy Reader in action.​

Performance evaluations are almost here – are you ready?

Occupational Health makes it so easy.  Individuals can log in to the Health & Wellness Information Portal to see what they need. (Click Occupational Health Status on left sidebar).

For a wide variety of quick and convenient shots and TB skin test locations, visit an OHC Compliance Hot Spot and choose a site to get up to date.​

The Tennessee Department of Health is investigating multiple outbreaks of norovirus across the region.  Norovirus is a highly contagious virus that causes vomiting and diarrhea.  To keep your family and coworkers safe, practice these simple precautions:

• Wash hands with soap and water after using the toilet or changing diapers, and before eating or handling food.
• Wash fruits and vegetables and cook seafood thoroughly.
• If you are sick, do not prepare food or provide healthcare for others for 48 hours after your symptoms have resolved.
• If a family member or coworker has been sick with vomiting or dairrhea, wipe down any surfaces they touch have touched with bleach-based cleanser
• Keep break room refrigerators clean and discard leftover food after 48 hours.

More information on norovirus is available from the CDC.​

Approximately 125 new Nurse Residents have begun working and learning at the Vanderbilt Medical Center and the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.  VUMC’s Nurse Residency Program helps new nurse graduates transition into the nursing profession.  They’ll be learning vital information about patient care here at Vanderbilt such as safe patient handling.  Please join Occupational Health in welcoming this group of new nurses to Vanderbilt.​

It isn’t only Influenza that is prevalent across the U.S. this winter; this year has been bad for Norovirus as well.  Norovirus affects the stomach and intestines, causing gastroenteritis, or an inflammation of the stomach and intestines.  The most common symptoms include nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach cramps.  Less common symptoms can include fever, chills, muscle aches and fatigue.  There is no vaccine or medical treatment for Norovirus.

The best way to prevent the spread of Norovirus to you or your family is to practice proper hand hygiene.  For more information about proper hand hygiene, listen to the Occupational Health Clinic’s Wellcast “Hand Hygiene: Good For You and Your Patient”.

For more information about Norovirus, check out the CDC webpage on Norovirus.​

News outlets across the U.S. are reporting significant increases in flu cases over the last few weeks.  The city of Boston has declared a public health emergency as a result of numerous people visiting area emergency rooms due to the flu.  The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that, along with getting your annual flu shot, the most important thing a person can do to avoid the flu is good hand hygiene.  Washing your hands frequently and for the appropriate amount of time can eliminate numerous viruses that are easily picked up in your environment.

For more information on Hand Hygiene, listen to our Wellcast “Hand Hygiene: Good For You and Your Patient”.

Flu shots are still available!  For more information, see our Influenza Vaccine Program page.

The Occupational Health Clinic team would like employees to know that the Faculty/Staff Express Care Clinic schedule for December 14th, 2012 will be 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., opening one hour late. The Occupational Health Clinic as the Faculty/Staff Express Care Clinic will both be closed December 24th-25th for the Christmas holiday as well as New Year’s Day.  ​

According to the CDC, influenza activity is increasing in parts of the country and further increases are expected in the coming weeks and months. Though flu season usually peaks in January or February, it can vary from year to year, making it hard to predict when it will spread to middle Tennessee. If you are thinking about getting a flu shot, keep in mind that it normally takes about two weeks to fully develop immunity against the flu. National Influenza Vaccination Week is December 2 – 8, 2012, so now would be the perfect time to get your flu shot. Remember, anyone can get the flu and it can be deadly serious. Let’s all campaign: Protect yourself and those around you by getting a flu vaccine.

Flu shots are still available in the Occupational Health Clinic (OHC) and through OHC’s many onsites and events such as the OHC mobile cart or “OHC Comes to You” and Vanderbilt’s upcoming annual Holiday Gift Giveaway. You can also get the flu shot on a walk-in basis in the Occupational Health Clinic, Monday – Friday, 7:30am to 5:30pm. No appointment necessary!

If you can’t make it to Occupational Health this week, don’t be a turkey! Come and get your flu shot when OHC will be at Langford Auditorium from 6:00 a.m. to Midnight and at One Hundred Oaks from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on December 14th during Vanderbilt’s Holiday Gift Giveaway. ​

Check out this OHC Wellcast to find out just how easy it is!