Person Receiving Services, Greg, recently voted and was so excited for the opportunity after originally feeling like he couldn’t due to a recent change in address. He also started a new job at Ross. His team is SO proud of him!
In this COVID-19
communication we will cover the following:
COVID-19 variant updates
Support, Inc. vaccine clinic
COVID-19 Operating protocol update
COVID-19 variant updates
As of December 2021, the Omicron variant is the main variant spreading in Colorado. This variant likely spreads more easily than the original COVID-19 virus. Data is showing that vaccine effectiveness against infection for two doses of an mRNA vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna) is approximately 35%. A COVID-19 vaccine booster restores vaccine effectiveness against infection to 75%. The COVID-19 vaccine decreases the risk of severe disease, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19. Getting vaccinated and getting boosted is the best way to protect yourself, the individuals we support and our community.
2. Vaccine updates & vaccine clinic
Support, Inc. recognizes the importance of the COVID-19 vaccine for the individuals we serve, providers, families, and employees to ensure we have access to all the tools to protect ourselves throughout the pandemic. Last year we hosted two vaccine clinics at our Aurora office. We are excited to announce we will be hosting another clinic on Wednesday January 26th. This clinic will offer first, second and booster dose appointments of both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine. The clinic will be by appointment only. Your Residential Program Coordinator or supervisor will contact you over the next week to two weeks to provide you more details and schedule appointments for those who are interested.
3. COVID-19 Operating protocol update
The CDC updated their COVID-19 exposure and isolation
guidance this week. We will be updating our operating protocol and procedures
accordingly and will communicate these changes within the next week.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to myself or your supervisor. We will continue to provide updates through email, our website and our Facebook page.
In this
communication we will cover the following:
COVID-19 vaccine updates
Preparing for flu season during COVID-19
COVID-19 operating protocol updates
1. COVID-19 vaccine updates
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends certain
people to get a COVID-19 vaccine booster dose including those who received
Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson/ Janssen COVID-19 vaccines.
Individuals who received the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine: the
following groups are eligible and recommended to get a booster shot at 6 months
or more after their initial vaccine series.
People aged 65 and older
People aged 18-64 at high risk of severe
COVID-19
Medical conditions that may put people at higher
risk of severe COVID-19
Cancer
Chronic kidney disease
Chronic lung disease including COPD, asthma
(moderate to severe), interstitial lung disease, cystic fibrosis, and pulmonary
hypertension.
Stroke or cerebrovascular disease which affects
blood flow to the brain
Substance use disorders (alcohol, opioids
cocaine use disorders)
People aged 18-64 whose frequent institutional
or occupational exposure to COVID-19 puts them at high risk. Occupations at
increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission include front line
essential workers and health care workers
Since risk can vary across settings and based on
how COVID-19 is spreading in a community, people aged 18-64 years who are at
increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission because of occupational
or institutional setting may get a booster shot.
Individuals who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine: anyone over
the age of 18 who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is recommended to
get a booster dose two months or more following the initial vaccine.
Individual’s may choose which vaccine they receive for their
booster dose. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease
Control (CDC) allow for ‘mixing and matching’ the booster dose vaccine type.
Side effects of the booster shot are similar to the side effects after the
second dose series. The most common side effects are fatigue and pain at the
injection site. Most side effects are mild to moderate. To relieve side
effects, use or exercise the arm you got the shot in, drink plenty of fluids
and apply a cool washcloth to the injection site.
If you or someone you support is eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine booster, speak with the primary care physician to determine when and where the person can receive their booster dose.
2. Preparing for flu season during COVID-19
It is important to get a flu vaccine because COVID-19 and
the flu may be circulating at the same time, and they cause similar symptoms.
You can get the COVID-19 vaccine with other vaccines, including the flu vaccine,
during the same visit.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) amended the emergency
use authorization for Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine to allow for a single booster
to select populations. The booster dose is to be administered at least 6 months
after completion of the primary two dose series. The following individuals, if
they were initially vaccinated with Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine, may get a
booster shot at this time.
People
aged 65 and older
People
aged 18-64 at high risk of severe COVID-19
Medical
conditions that may put people at higher risk of severe COVID-19
Cancer
Chronic
kidney disease
Chronic
lung disease including COPD, asthma (moderate to severe), interstitial
lung disease, cystic fibrosis, and pulmonary hypertension.
Stroke
or cerebrovascular disease which affects blood flow to the brain
Substance
use disorders (alcohol, opioids cocaine use disorders)
People
aged 18-64 whose frequent institutional or occupational exposure to
COVID-19 puts them at high risk for serious complications of COVID-19
including severe COVID-19.
Occupations
at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission include front
line essential workers and health care workers in the following
positions:
First
responders (healthcare workers, firefighters, police, congregate care
staff)
Education
staff (teachers, support staff, daycare workers)
Food
and agriculture workers
Manufacturing
workers
Corrections
workers
U.S.
postal service workers
Public
transit workers
Grocery
store workers
At this time only the above individuals who received the
Pfizer vaccine are eligible for a booster dose. The decision to get a booster
dose should be made between the individual and their primary care physician.
Over time, we may see additional populations being recommended to receive a
booster dose as more data becomes available. People in the recommended groups
above who received Johnson & Johnson or Moderna may need a booster in the
future, more data on the effectiveness of booster doses with these manufactures
is being conducted. The need for a booster dose doesn’t mean the COVID-19
vaccines aren’t working. Current data continues to show all three COVID-19
vaccines are working to prevent severe illness, hospitalization, and death even
against the Delta variant. However, public health experts have started seeing a
reduced protection, especially among certain populations, against mild to
moderate disease.
If you or someone you support received the initial two dose
series of the Pfizer vaccine AND meet the criteria for a booster above, please
contact their primary care physician to discuss eligibility criteria and to
schedule a booster dose.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to myself or your supervisor. We will continue to provide updates through email, our website and our Facebook page.
Thank you, Laura Viers Associate Director of Quality Assurance
To all Support, Inc. Staff, Providers and Families:
We continue to
monitor the spread of COVID-19, including the Delta variant, in our
communities. We have updated our operating protocol to require all employees, providers,
and participants to wear a mask or face covering. Please continue reading for
more information.
In this communication we will cover the following:
The Delta variant is the predominate strain of the COVID-19 virus circulating in the United States. This prompted the CDC to give updated recommendations regarding mask wearing for all people, regardless of vaccination status, in areas where there is substantial to high transmission rates. The CDC was prompted to make these changes as the United States 7-day moving average went from 12,000 reported cases in late June to 60,000 reported cases the week of July 27th. Additionally, new data began to come out showing the Delta variant is more infectious which leads to increased transmissibility even among those who have received the COVID-19 vaccine.
The Delta variant is
spreading faster and more easily between people than the variants we have seen
thus far throughout the pandemic. This
variant is nearly twice as contagious as previous variants of COVID-19. Early
data suggests the Delta variant causes more severe illness than other variants
of COVID-19 in those who are unvaccinated. As we have discussed in previous
communications, most vaccines, including the COVID-19 vaccines authorized in
the United States, are not 100% effective. This means even a fully vaccinated
person can contract COVID-19, including the Delta variant, these are called
break through infections. However, evidence continues to show the COVID-19
vaccine to be highly effective, , in preventing severe disease and death from
COVID-19 including the Delta variant. Breakthrough cases in fully vaccinated
people happen much less frequently than infections in unvaccinated people. Unvaccinated
people are far more likely to contract and spread COVID-19 including the Delta
variant. Fully vaccinated people are likely less infectious for less time than
unvaccinated people.
Previous variants of
COVID-19 produced less virus (or a lower viral load) in the body of infected
people who have been fully vaccinated. In contrast the Delta variant seems to
produce the same high amount of virus in both unvaccinated and fully vaccinated
people. However, the viral load produced by Delta breakthrough infections in
fully vaccinated people also goes down much faster than infections in
unvaccinated people. Individuals infected with the Delta variant including
fully vaccinated people with symptoms can transmit to others. The CDC is
working to assess if fully vaccinated people who are asymptomatic are able to
transmit the Delta variant to others. The greatest risk of transmission is
among unvaccinated people who are much more likely to contract COVID-19 including
the Delta variant and therefore are more likely to transmit the virus as well
as experience severe illness and hospitalization.
The COVID-19 vaccine
continues to provide the strongest protection against serious illness and
death. Vaccines have played a crucial role in limiting the spread of COVID-19
and minimizing severe disease and strain on hospital systems. Low vaccination rates
in some communities have caused rapid surges in cases associated with the Delta
variant. This also increases the chances that new and even more concerning
variants could emerge.
If you haven’t received the COVID-19 vaccine, it’s not too late to do so. There are many opportunities across the state to get the COVID-19 vaccine. If you need assistance finding or scheduling your COVID-19 vaccine, please reach out to your supervisor or residential program coordinator to help.
Beginning Monday August
16th our updated COVID-19 operating protocol goes into effect. Masks
or face coverings are required by all employee’s, contractors, and individuals
in our office, during in-person visits and during day services. Administrative
office staff will continue to work from home when possible. We will continue to
do symptom screening prior to service delivery or in-person contact.
This update will allow us to continue to operate and provide our essential services including day program, in-person home visits and pother in-person contacts while ensuring the health and safety of our employees, individuals served and providers.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to myself or your supervisor. We will continue to provide updates through email, our website and our Facebook page.
Hi Everyone! Our Day and Clinical Services Team wanted
to send out a quick message say thank you for allowing us to continue to serve
you throughout the pandemic. Although our operational capacity has been
limited, we’ve been fortunate to have been able to support many people through
both our Day Services (on-site, virtually and in-home) and our Clinical
services (both virtually and limited in-person). As you may have seen,
Support, Inc. has updated operating protocols, following the most recent
Colorado Public Health and Colorado Medicaid regulatory and licensing
guidelines. In accordance with that, we want to let everyone know that we
are thoughtfully opening up our Day Services to greater capacities and options.
First, with increased capacity, we are able to offer
additional spots to anyone interested in attending our site-based services at
our Aurora location. We understand that it can be an important decision
to make, and encourage you to talk with any of our team members, or your
Residential Program Coordinator to have an IDT to discuss coming back. If
you’re interested, we would love to talk through our safety protocols,
infection control measures, and fun things we have planned!
Second, with the warmer weather we will be planning,
announcing and offering more outdoor events. All our events will be
announced via email or our website and will have an RSVP contact. This
will allow us to approach each event and each person who would like to attend
individually to ensure an optimal experience for all involved. Group
sizes will be kept relatively small and appropriate for the activity and the
location to allow for social distancing. If you’re interested in any
events we have to offer, please let us know via RSVP.
Third, for those who are interested and more comfortable
with 1:1 services with a Direct Support Professional, we would love to hear
from you! There are so many options of activities that our DSPs can
support to help people get out of the being cooped up inside and experience the
community once again.
Some things that we have been doing won’t change.
You’ll still see our staff wearing masks and we will continue to encourage
everyone to wear a mask or face covering, even though many of our staff are
fully vaccinated. We’ll still do symptom screenings prior to in-person
contact and we will continue to be mindful of social distancing as we plan out
activities.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact
me, Gwen Bonilla, your RPC, or one of our staff directly.
To all Support, Inc. Staff, Providers and Families:
Over the last 4 months, we’ve been talking a lot about the COVID-19 vaccine. If you are still looking for an appointment or have questions before making the decision to get the vaccine, please reach out to us, we are here to help. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control) created the attached guide illustrating how safe activities are if you have or have not received the COVID-19 vaccine.
As more Coloradoan’s
are getting the vaccine and COVID-19 transmission across the state decreases
counties are now able to determine their own level of ‘openness’.
Additionally, Colorado has lifted the state wide mask mandate in many settings.
We have received updated guidance from HCPF (Health Care Policy and Financing)
regarding our service delivery. As we receive new guidance, we continually
review our COVID-19 operating protocol to ensure it still aligns with Federal,
State, licensing and County guidance. We have updated our COVID-19 Operating
Protocol for all employees and contractors. This protocol outlines how we will
be operating our offices, day services, and in-person visits. Please take a
moment to look over these changes. Please keep in mind that our protocols will
be different than what is being communicated to the general public due to
restrictions by our licensing agencies and the characteristics of the
population that we serve.
In many cases, it’s
been a full year of relying on virtual technology for home visits and other
in-person services. We are excited to start getting back to in-person visits
including in-person monitoring and expanded in-person day program services.
Over the next month, your Residential Program Coordinator will be reaching out
to schedule a monitoring visit in your home. We’ve created a ‘what to expect
during in-person visits’ document which is also attached to this email.
Also, if you and your individual in services is interested in participating
more with in-person day program or other services, please discuss this with
your Residential Program Coordinator or a member of the Day Services team.
If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to reach out
to myself, your supervisor or your Residential Program Coordinator.
Thank you, Laura Viers Associate Director of Quality Assurance Laura.Viers@supportinc.com
In this communication we will cover the following:
Colorado COVID-19 vaccine update and where to get a COVID-19 vaccine
Support, Inc.’s COVID-19 vaccine clinic
Looking ahead
Colorado Vaccine Update
Beginning today, Friday April 2nd, 2021 Phase 2 of Colorado’s distribution plan opens. In this Phase, anyone over the age of 16 is eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Colorado expects anyone who wants the vaccine should be able to get the vaccine within the next 2 months, this may change however based on vaccine supply and the increased demand.
There
are many options to schedule a vaccine appointment across the state. Click on
any of the locations listed below to be directed to the sites appointment
registration system.
Vaccine Spotter is a
tool to help you find COVID-19 vaccine appointment openings at Colorado
Pharmacies. The website is updated every minute.
We
are here to help you access the vaccine! Please reach out to your supervisor or
Residential Program Coordinator for assistance finding a vaccine appointment.
2. Support, Inc.’s COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic
On Wednesday March 17th we hosted a first dose COVID-19 vaccine clinic at our Aurora office. With the support of CDPHE’s (Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment) Vaccine Support Team we were able to administer 165 doses of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine to our individual’s receiving services, employee and contractors.
Hosting
this clinic was important to our organization. This is a big step in supporting
all our employees, contractors and individuals receiving services to get access
to this critical vaccine. Navigating community-based vaccine clinics can be
frustrating and time consuming. Hosting this clinic allowed us a simple avenue
for our constituents to access the vaccine. People with intellectual and
developmental disabilities have often been overlooked in both National and
State pandemic response. This population also faces challenges in accessing
quality medical care in the community. By hosting this clinic, we were able to
offer our constituents access to the COVID-19 vaccine at a familiar location,
with support staff around they recognize and know by name and most of all we
were able to administer the vaccine in a flexible and safe environment that
allowed us to support each person and family’s unique needs.
If
you attended the clinic, your Residential Program Coordinator or Supervisor
will assist you to schedule your second dose appointment.
3. Looking Ahead
We continue to work under our current COVID-19 operating protocol including limiting in-person visits to homes, limited office use by appointment only and limited on-site day services. Everyone, regardless of vaccination status, should continue to follow all infection control practices including social distancing, washing your hands frequently and wearing a mask when in public or having contact with people who don’t live with you.
There
continues to be on-going research into the COVID-19 vaccine. We know the
vaccine is highly effective at protecting the recipient from getting COVID-19
and will also protect you from getting seriously ill if you do contract the
virus. We do not know yet how well the vaccine prevents you from spreading the
virus to others. We are also still learning how effective the vaccines are
against new variants that cause COVID-19.
As
vaccination rates increase, research data is released, and we get additional
guidance from the CDC (Center’s for Disease Control) and CDPHE’s (Colorado Department
of Public Health and Environment) we will update our operating protocol and
communicate any changes to you.
Be sure to never
miss our correspondences, follow us on Facebook, be sure you are on email and newsletter
distribution lists and check out website for on-going updates about COVID-19 and other happenings around
the organization.
Support, Inc. is preparing to host it’s first vaccination clinic on March 17th from 10:00a.m.-4:00 p.m. The clinic is hosted in partnership with CDPHE and is offered to clients, staff, providers, and family caregivers who meet the criteria based on the phase we are in. For more information, please see the flyer below, or contact your RPC or supervisor to get signed up as quickly as possible.
Support, Inc. is offering insight into the vaccination process as documented by our Director of People Operations. Read below to learn more about the vaccination process from Nick’s perspective as he received his first dose in the Denver Metro Area.
Hello All,
I am Nicholas Manning, the Director of People Operations at
Support, Inc. I currently oversee our Human Resources Department, and have been
with Support, Inc. since May of 2015. If you know me, you most likely have met
me in my former role as an Associate Director in the Denver/Metro Area.
I would like to share my experience getting the COVID-19
vaccine with all of you. Now, you may or may not assume that this choice was
easy for me, it was not.
I am a person of color and identify as a member of the Black
community. I have always had concerns about vaccines due to generational trauma
and a general desire to not go to the doctor for anything other than a medical
emergency. From the infamous Tuskegee Experiment to the misrepresentation of
the voices of POC on medical boards, etc., feeling comfortable being on the
front line of receiving medical treatment is not something I feel terribly
comfortable with.
However, I found it important for me to receive this
vaccination , like no other time before.
Here is a bit about my journey.
The reasons:
Black, Hispanic, and Native American people are about 4
times more likely to be hospitalized and nearly 3 times more likely to die of
COVID-19 than white people. Yet African Americans have nearly the lowest rates
of vaccination among any ethnic group. In fact, white Americans are being
vaccinated at a rate 3 times higher than Black Americans. New CDC figures show
that of those who have received at least the first dose of a vaccine, 5.4% are
Black people, compared to 60% who are white people. According to recent Kaiser
Family Foundation poll, about 35% of Black Americans said they don’t plan to
get the vaccine, citing fears about safety and concerns that the vaccines.
As I have stated, these concerns are rooted in distrust
over time and I hope that my story can help provide insight on the vaccine from
someone you can connect with personally, not simply a stat on a website.
Additionally, I felt that being a person from my community who decided to
receive the vaccine, I could share my experiences with others in hopes of
supporting others regardless of whether or not they decided to also.
How:
First, I
utilized a link connecting me to Tri-County for an appointment. Now, this
process has been frustrating, and many of us can understand how and why. There
are a lot of people wanting it (about 80% of the adult population) and the
system itself has not caught up to the demand. However, after some time and
support I was able to access to an appointment. However, things came up, as
they do with most of us so I had to change it. I was scared, and hoped that I
would not lose the opportunity. I was successfully able to move my appointment
to Wednesday 17th, 2021.
I was sent an email with clear directions. I was instructed to sit in my car and await a phone call before entering the Tri-County East Aurora location.
I
received the call and was instructed to head inside. I was a bit nervous and
also excited. I am hopeful this will protect me, the people I care for both at
home and our Support, Inc. Community.
I headed in with my official leader from our CEO Bentley Smith, that is available to us.
I got to
the doors and moved through the secure building. People inside were respectful
as I checked in.
As I
awaited for my appointment, I filled out a single page document. Questions we
are used to as of now. Have I been exposed to COVID-19? Have I traveled outside
of the United States in the last 14 days? Etc. I gave the desk clerk my paper
and sat down. Within minutes I was asked to come back.
Alecia,
a data collector and registered nurse was my Shot Giver for the day. Alecia sat
me down and reviewed my form with me. She asked me about my experiences and
educated me on how my answers mattered. She also provided me the attached PDF.
She was transparent and discussed that the CDC wants to help us stay healthy as
well as gain important information from us individual to track the success of
the vaccine. She offered to answer any questions I had before she even prepared
the shot. She stated that she wanted to make sure I felt comfortable with the
information before moving forward. Alecia shared information about the trend of
data to how effective I can expect the vaccine to be. Though early signs
suggest the vaccine is effective, I was still encouraged to wear a mask
following my second dose to ensure the safety of our community. She informed me
that I was to remain in the waiting room for 15 minutes to ensure I do not have
an allergic reaction. She also explained I would most likely feel some ache in
my arm and the best way to ensure it was minimal was to use it and frequently.
She informed me that Tylenol and Ibuprofen were fine to use even though some
social media reports said otherwise.
She prepared my arm and I received the shot. It felt the same as most shots, no real pain outside of the assumed pinch. (I was not allowed to record the actual shot, I tried). I received my vaccine dose, thanked her for her time and headed to the waiting room. I waited 15 minutes and did not feel adverse effects so I stood up, got a drink from the vending machine and went home.
My arm
ached about 48 hours after with some slight swelling (thought it was my
muscles, but nope… just swelling). It has subsided in day 3. I have had no
illness reactions as of now. No fever, no cough, no headache.
My
experience may be unique. I also believe that many of us read so much on the
internet that may influence us to be more or less willing to move forward and
having a person who they can interact with share their experience may be more
meaningful. I also understand that my privilege of not have any health risks,
nor planning on being pregnant/breast feeding, is a benefit I have that many
who may read this do not.
Currently,
data does not show adverse risk to those who are pregnant or have moderate
health risks as the information is still very new, but also remains positive to
date.
If you have any personal or general questions about my experiences, please reach out to me directly at Nicholas.Manning@supportinc.com. I do not mind talking with you personally.