Successful employee testing program yields reassuring results

Shannon Knaggs, APRN, Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital, was one of the staff members who oversaw employee COVID-19 testing in June. More than 10,000 asymptomatic employees volunteered to be tested.

Thank you to everyone who volunteered for, and helped conduct, employee COVID-19 testing in June and early July. Yale New Haven Health System reached its goal to test 10,000 asymptomatic healthcare workers and found that less than 0.25 percent tested positive for the virus.

“Widespread healthcare worker testing has been a key component of the system’s COVID-19 transformation and recovery plans,” said Thomas Balcezak, MD, YNHHS chief clinical officer. “The reassuring results confirm that the current risks of asymptomatic transmission in our healthcare settings are low, and that our facilities are safe. This will speed our return to providing the full spectrum of care for the communities we serve.”

The employee testing program ended July 3. Employees without COVID-19 symptoms who want to be tested should contact their primary care provider.

While widespread employee testing has ended, YNHHS is increasing testing for patients and community members. YNHHS is testing all patients coming into our hospitals and ambulatory locations for surgeries and other procedures, opening more temporary testing sites and deploying mobile testing units for the communities.

Some important reminders for employees:

• Employees who experience COVID-19 symptoms at work should leave immediately, contact their manager and call the YNHHS COVID-19 Call Center, 833-275-9644 (833-ASK-YNHH). They will be connected with Occupational Health, which will arrange testing.
• Employees who experience symptoms at home should NOT come to work, but isolate themselves immediately and call the COVID-19 Call Center.

For more information and employee resources, visit the COVID-19 pages on the YNHHS intranet.