November 25, 2021
Incident Command #211: Labor Pool Needs, In-House COVID Testing
Labor Pool: St. Cloud Hospital and Willmar Care Center Seeking Nursing Assistant Help
St. Cloud Hospital and Willmar Care Center are seeking Nursing Assistant help for patient and resident care. Individuals with clinical backgrounds including nursing assistants, RNs, and LPNs are encouraged to apply through the Labor Pool.
Visit the Labor Pool pages on the COVID-19 Resource Center to learn about shifts available, training offered, and an overview of the help needed. Labor Pool employees are provided information and support to succeed in their new assignment.
Extra shifts, including those picked up through the Labor Pool, may be eligible for scheduling incentives including Emergent Need Pay, Exempt Extra Pay, Advance Shift Commitment Bonus (if signed up), and other applicable premium pay policies.
To sign up, simply fill out the Labor Pool Intake Form which asks for basic information including which departments and locations you are interested in working, your availability, your supervisor’s name, and your contact information. Once you submit the form, it is sent to the departments you indicated interest in. If your availability matches a need in their area, they will contact you directly to talk through details and next steps. You will then work with the departments to find shifts that help meet their needs and match your availability.
If you signed up for the Labor Pool and have not been contacted, or you have additional availability, please fill out another Intake Form for each new department you are interested in.
Join the more than 1,700 employees who have jumped into the Labor Pool to help care for our patients, residents and communities.
Emergency Department Wait Times Temporarily Removed From Websites
As we work together to decompress our Emergency Departments and help patients choose the right level of care, we understand Emergency Department wait times posted on our website may be conveying an inaccurate expectation to our patients. As our Emergency Departments become busier and busier, online wait times often appear significantly lower than the actual time a patient may be waiting for care. When patients compare their wait time with those posted online, it can lead to questions, concerns and dissatisfaction with their experience. Some patients, who could be more appropriately cared for in a different setting, may choose to visit the Emergency Department because online wait times suggest quick, easy access.
At this time, we temporarily removed Emergency Department wait times from the CentraCare and Carris Health websites. This temporary measure should help lessen the dissatisfaction patients experience when posted times do not match actual wait times; it may even encourage patients who are not experiencing medical emergencies to consider other appropriate care options including e-clinic, same-day clinic appointments or urgent care.
Removing online wait times is a small test of change that we will continue to monitor and adjust as appropriate.
Boosters Available for All Employees
COVID-19 vaccine boosters are available to all employees 18+. Walk-in clinics available for the Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer single-dose boosters at any of the employee vaccination clinics.
Please check with Employee Health Services (EHS) before planning on a Moderna booster as it will not be widely available at all employee clinics.
Boosters are available at CentraCare South Point on a walk-in basis. Please identify as an employee to staff and do not schedule an Epic appointment. Walk-in hours are from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays at CentraCare South Point for employees and the community ages 5+.
Boosters are not part of the employee vaccine requirement. If you choose to get the booster vaccination through an outside entity such as a community pharmacy or your primary care provider, please provide proper documentation to EHS.
In-House COVID-19 Testing Changes
Effective today for both the Carris CCE ED COVID Ordering Panel and for the CentraCare ED and IP Order Panels, the in-house Cepheid COVID single test (LAB0001931) will be discontinued and replaced with the Cepheid Influenza A, Influenza B, RSV and COVID/SARS-CoV2 (4-plex) in-house test (LAB0002000).
This change is due to the manufacturer discontinuing the single test and replacing with the 4Plex test during flu season. This does not affect any other testing platforms at St. Cloud Hospital, regional hospital, Carris sites or those COVID tests referred out to Mayo and MDH.
Refer to the CentraCare COVID Testing Criteria on the COVID Resource Page for details on all COVID testing criteria.