8/15/2023 – Annual Movement of Earned Time (ET) to Extended Sick Leave (ESL)

On September 26, any ET in excess of the annual maximum will automatically be transferred into your ESL account, provided you have less than the ESL maximum balance.

All excess ET must be used by the week ending September 23rd.

Cash-out requests must be received by September 22nd.

Click here to view the maximum annual accruals for 2023

Click here to read about the new MGB PTO/ET Cash-Out program coming in January 2024

7/14/23 – Employee of the Month Winner and Perfect Attendance Raffle

Congratulations to Yacine Zidany from White 7 on being named our Employee of the Month for July 2023!

Congratulations to Abdelghani Gouiti from Ellison 16, who won our perfect attendance raffle! Abdelghani had the choice of an Amazon Fire 10″ tablet, or a 4-course dinner for 2 at Davio’s steakhouse, and ultimately chose the tablet. Congrats!

And thank you to Yonnes St Rose for assisting me with the raffle ticket drawing while working on the new bed deliveries!

6/28/23 – I will be leaving MGH in July – Scott Parsons

Good afternoon all,

After almost 14 years at Massachusetts General Hospital, with the entirety of my career being with Team USA, I will be leaving MGH this July. This has been one of the hardest decisions I have ever made to leave the place that I have called home since 2009, but after discussing with my family, I have an opportunity to further my career outside of the Hospital that I unfortunately cannot turn down. MGH has been an amazing place to work and has offered me the opportunity to grow in leadership, and from that I have developed many great relationships. I will truly miss MGH, especially the Unit Service Associate team, who are truly the backbone of MGH. Without Team USA, we would have no place for our patients to receive their care, and we would never be considered a top Hospital. Thank you all for everything you have done over the years to make this department what it is.

My last day on campus will be 7/14, with my official last day as an MGH employee being 7/30. Our Director George Reardon will be covering my position in the interim, and I will be sure to leave this place in the best possible shape I can before I depart. I thank you all once again for what you have done over the years to help me as I developed as an Operations Manager, and now Associate Director. Working at MGH was truly a dream opportunity for me!

Thank you,

Scott Parsons

6/22/23 – 2024 Benefits Changes Sent To Your Emails Today

MGB has announced an alignment of benefits packages for all MGB institutes, which include standardized healthcare plans, dental, vision, PTO, etc. For the most part, Team USA will likely see increases in PTO (earned time) and lower costs overall, but you will want to review the new information to understand the full changes. The Full Details on all the changes can be found with the following link:

www.askmyhrportal.com/2024benefits.

6/12/23 – Congratulations to Ming Fung on winning this year’s Ricardo Diaz Memorial Award!

Last week during the virtual Support Staff Day event, it was announced that our own Ming Fung was one of the two winners of the Ricardo Diaz Memorial Award here at MGH. The Diaz award commemorates the life of Ricardo Diaz, a loved
and respected Buildings & Grounds employee who died in 2003 as he cleared snow from the sidewalks around MGH. The award recognizes employees who demonstrate the same qualities Diaz exemplified — dedication, hard work, and a strong commitment to the hospital and his co-workers.

Ming could not deserve this award more, so we want to all give him a big CONGRATULATIONS on a well deserved award!

6/6/23 – New Stryker Beds – Informational Video

If you would like to learn more about the new Stryker beds, how to drive them, and other information, see video link below:

6/5/23 – Operations Support Staff day on Wednesday

Hello all, this Wednesday is MGH’s “Operations Support Staff Day.” There will be a virtual event and ceremony for all the different awards and recognition happening, link is included in the document below. As you all know, we celebrate “Unit Service Associate Appreciation Week” in early September, so we look forward to seeing everyone in person for the events of that week as well!

5/25/23 – New Income and Employment Verification Process in Place: “The Work Number”

Contact The Work Number (formerly known as i2Verify) for employment, income, or work history verification, visit employees.theworknumber.com or call 1-800-367-2884. If you had previously used i2Verify, you will need to re-register with The Work Number. Note that fraudulent unemployment claims are on the rise, employees should be wary. 

5/11/23 – PCS Clinical Support Services Takes Over Game 5 at the TD Garden!

On 5/9 the winners of the Celtics/76ers tickets attended Game 5 in the luxury suite at the TD Garden. While the outcome of the game was less than ideal, everyone had a great time! Winners were: Maria Bonasera, Michelle Nation-Cameron, Mohamed Zyade, Derrick Turner, Ovidio Emanuel Loff Barbosa, Toyin Olusekun, Abdelatti Hachloufi, and Matthew Heron:

5/9/23 – CONGRATULATIONS to the 9 PCS Clinical Support Service’s representatives who will be going to tonight’s Game 5!!!

Thank you to everyone who reached out with interest in attending the game. After adding the names into a program to randomly choose, we have our 9 Winners!!!

Maria Bonasera

Michelle Nation-Cameron

Mohamed Zyade

Derrick Turner

Ovidio Emanuel Loff Barbosa

Toyin Olusekun

Tyrone Walker-White

Abdelatti Hachloufi

Matthew Heron

5/5/23 – PCS USAs and EVS Chosen to Receive Free Tickets to this coming Tuesday’s Celtics Game 5!!!

MGH has given Team USA eight tickets to attend Game 5 of the Celtics vs. 76ers series on Tuesday evening 5/9/23, as well as one ticket for an Operations Manager to attend alongside. If you are interested in attending next Tuesday’s game with some of your coworkers, please email me at sparsons2@mgb.org to be entered into the drawing for one of these tickets. On Monday we will draw names at random to determine the 8 USAs who will be attending the game.

FYI: These are single tickets that are non-transferrable, so they cannot be given to family/friends. If you accept one of the tickets, you would need to be the one to attend the game.

Thank you and good luck!

Scott

5/3/23 – Support Service Grant for Education

5/2/23 – Info Desk setup for Workforce Development programs on May 8th

4/25/23 – Changes to Health Insurance, MGB Requiring Dependent Verification

Action needed: Dependent verification for employee benefits   Mass General Brigham is asking employees to verify that their dependents enrolled in our medical, dental or vision benefits are eligible for coverage. Why conduct a dependent verification?Mass General Brigham has a legal responsibility to ensure that only eligible dependents receive benefits. This is one way we keep premiums and out-of-pocket costs to employees as low as possible. What is the process?This process will start on Friday, April 14 and continue through June 30. It will require all employees who have one or more dependents enrolled in one of these plans to provide documentation of their eligibility (e.g., marriage certificate, birth certificate, adoption certificate) We have partnered with Alight Dependent Verification Services to make this a quick and simple process for you and your employees. Employees who have dependents enrolled in our medical, dental or vision plans will soon receive a letter at their home address with a request to provide documentation. We are asking for your help in sharing information with these individuals and encouraging them to provide the necessary documentation within the verification period. How do we know if a dependent is eligible?Eligible dependents under Mass General Brigham’s health benefits are: Legal spouse You and your spouse’s children under the age of 26, including your biological child, adopted child, stepchild or foster child Disabled dependent adult children aged 26 or older Child or children for whom you are permanent legal guardian Grandchildren, if the parent of the grandchild is covered under our Plan as an eligible dependent Additionally, eligibility rules for Mass General Brigham Benefit plans can be found here. How will the dependent verification process work? We have partnered with Alight Dependent Verification Services, a leader in benefits management, to make this process as simple as possible for our employees while also ensuring we achieve our goals. Employees enrolled in our healthcare plans with covered dependents will receive a letter from Alight next week at their home address with additional details and documentation requirements. The Alight Dependent Verification Service customer service center has representatives available to answer questions in English, Spanish and several other languages. We want to be sure to avoid any interruption or cancellation of benefit coverage for dependents; to do so we will need employees to provide the necessary documentation by June 30. Alight will send regular reminders by U.S. Mail and Mass General Brigham email until the necessary documentation is received, or June 30, the end of the verification period. How will employees provide documentation? Comparable to how employees now submit documentation for dental, vision, or flexible spending account reimbursement, Alight provides access to a Dependent Verification portal, which will provide more information about the process and allow the upload of scanned documents. The site is accessible by computer, tablet or smartphone. The Alight team also is available to assist and answer questions. Examples of required documents vary by dependent, but may include: Marriage certificate First page only of 2021 or 2022 federal tax return listing dependents (with financial details and Social Security numbers blacked out) Birth certificate Adoption certificate How can you help? We are asking you to explain the reasons for and importance of the verification process with members of your team to ensure timely compliance. Click here to find a Leader Guide and frequently asked questions. If employees have questions or concerns, please direct them to Alight for help.

Transition to ‘mgb.org’ emails: An update As announced late last year, Mass General Brigham has begun the process of making “mgb.org” the primary email domain for our organization. Those affected by this change are being transitioned in phases throughout 2023. We have recently migrated approximately 300 early adopters and will begin the systemwide change in stages during the coming weeks.   In advance of their email transition date, email users will be contacted by the Digital team with information about how to prepare and what to expect. They also will provide tools and resources to help guide you through the transition, including Frequently Asked Questions. There will be no lost or undelivered messages during this transition. If you receive a new email address, you will continue receiving messages sent to your previous addresses.   Email addresses will not change for those who work in a Harvard-affiliated institution and send from an email ending in one of the following:  bwh.harvard.edu  meei.harvard.edu  mclean.harvard.edu mgh.harvard.edu dfci.harvard.edu mghihp.edu Digital will provide an exception process for those who are contacted about migrating their email, but believe the new address has been incorrectly assigned to them. Please fill out this form for consideration.

4/11/23 – Slavin Fund Continues to Accept Applications. $25,000 of the $50,000 has been awarded so far

The Slavin Fund aims to help employees and community members overcome barriers to health and well-being by providing financial support to individuals who have emergency needs.  In PCS, there is a committee that will oversee and review submissions to this fund.  Unit Service Associate Staff can submit a request to their manager for grants of up to $500 for the following criteria:

• Childcare emergencies
• Automotive Repairs
• Care of an Elderly Parent
• Housing Emergencies
• Funeral Expenses
• Medical Emergencies

Unit Service Associates can submit for one of the categories above and attach a copy of a receipt or documentation of the hardship with this submission form.  The committee will meet monthly to review and approve submission forms in the order in which they were received.  Funds are limited and will be used quarterly, so there is no guarantee that all submissions will be funded.

3/7/23 – Free Tax Prep Offered to MGH USAs Through Our Partnership with JVS

3/1/23 – Rest-in-Peace Franseco Wilson

As some of you may know, Franseco Wilson, USA on Blake 6, passed away over the weekend. Franseco has been a staple at MGH and Blake 6 since starting at MGH in 1979. We were all deeply saddened to hear about his passing. Blake 6 has been hosting daily candlelight vigils in his honor this week.

In Franseco’s memory, we will be hosting a service in the MGH Chapel from 2-2:30 on Wednesday 3/8/23 if anyone is interested in attending.

Please see below for Franseco’s official Funeral arrangements:

I wanted to share the MGH service, as well as the official service information for Franseco.  Please see attached for the service that we will be hosting at the MGH Chapel this Weds at 2pm.  Then, please see below for the official funeral arrangements that you can share with staff:

Franseco will be laid to rest:

Where: Floyd Williams Funeral Home

              490 Columbia Rd Dorchester

When:  3/17/23

              11am – Viewing

              Noon – Burial at Oaklawn Cemetery

Sincerely,

Scott Parsons

3/1/23 – Free Back to Basics Computer Classes

To Team USA:

We are excited to offer some free “Back to Basics” computer classes for Unit Service Associates to assist with some of the work-related tasks needed in the USA role here at MGH.  These sessions will be hosted by none other than our own Chris England in the Austen 3^rd floor computer lab.  During these sessions, you will learn how to:

• Access Healthstream
• Reset your password
• View your benefits/paycheck in Peoplesoft
• Access the Virtual Bulletin Board
• Complete Kronos E-forms
• Etc

If you are interested, please contact your Operations Manager to sign up for any one of the dates below:

Wednesday, March 15, 2023	Thursday, March 16, 2023	Wednesday, March 29, 2023	Thursday, March 30, 2023
2-4pm	9-11a	2-4pm	9-11a

2/24/23 – Heart Health Information Session Available in person/virtual on Monday 2/27

As you may know, February is Black History Month and Heart Health Month.  In a conversation of learning more about what Cardiology has planned for the month, Dr. Malissa Wood, (Associate Chief of Cardiology for Diversity and Health Equity; Cathy E. Minehan Chair, Cardiovascular Disease in Women; Co-director Corrigan Women’s Heart Health Program) and Dr. Oyere Onuma (Director of the Global Cardiovascular Health Program) offered their time (and that of their department) to facilitate informational sessions for staff on the importance of heart health, recognizing signs of an issue, resources, etc

If you are interested in attending a session to learn more about the importance of heart health, feel free to attend the session below in person, or virtual:

Monday 2/27/23, 10am-11am, in the Bigelow Amphitheater located on White 4

Join Zoom Meeting
https://partners.zoom.us/j/81990745876

Meeting ID: 819 9074 5876
One tap mobile
+13092053325,,81990745876# US

Dial: +1 309 205 3325 US

2/15/23 – Information from this week’s USA Forums:

Good afternoon all,

As I mentioned during my forums this week, I would post most of the material from the sessions onto here, the USA Virtual Bulletin Board. Documents can be found to the right, and the remaining information can be found below:

Leave of Absence Instructions:

•Leave requests should be submitted at least 30 days in advance

•For unexpected leaves, employees are required to submit the online leave form and supply the needed physician paperwork within 15 days of a leave starting

•If leave paperwork is not submitted within 15 days, the employee is no longer considered to be on a job protected leave

•Staff should let their managers know 14 days in advance when they are planning to return to work

•Personal medical leaves are handled internally through Unum, and can be supplemented with ET/ESL to get up to 100% pay

•Care of a family member leaves are handled through the State of MA

•ET/ESL cannot be used to supplement or pay you while you await approval.  Staff will go unpaid after week 1, until the state approves the leave and provides payment

•Health and Retirement benefits will go into “arrears” on your paycheck, and will be back-paid on future paychecks

•While on leave, keep in close contact with your manager.  If you will be out of the country, let them know your personal email address or best method of contact

New Employment Verification Website and Instructions:

•Registration information

•Please note: This service is only meant to be used when needed, and it is not necessary to register until then 

1.Visit the i2Verify website and click on “Request a Verification” at the top; alternatively, select “Login” from the top right and follow the prompts to set up an account.

2.Indicate that you are a current employee by answering the question “Which of the following best describes the purpose of the account you’re creating.” with “I am a current or former employee of a company that uses your system.”

3.Follow the registration steps to register and activate your account. Please note, it is recommended to use your personal email address and not your work email address.

•How to contact i2Verify

•If you have any questions, please use one of the following methods to contact i2Verify.

·Website: https://i2verify.com/

·Email: info@i2verify.com

·Mass General Brigham dedicated support line, available Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call 800-674-3280

Retirement Instructions:

MGB has created a retirement checklist for staff to use.
There are steps to take at 6 – 3 – 2 months from retirement date, as well as post retirement

https://partnershealthcarehr.service-now.com/hrportal/?id=ph_kb_article&sys_id=7b494371db8a9890c634591e5e96194b

Free Financial Advising Through Fidelity:

•Through MGH’s partnership with Fidelity, you can meet with a consultant for a 1:1 consultation. Fidelity can help with basic budgeting to complex financial situations. Meet to discuss your goals to help you build a retirement and investment plan that can help you reach them. Schedule a consultation.

Work/Life Wellbeing Tools from EAP:

Mass General Brigham Employee Assistance Program (EAP) (partners.org)

JVS and Workforce Development Offerings:

2/8/23 – Black History Month events and resources from MGH’s Inclusion Campaign

1/27/23 – USA Forums coming in February 2023

1/25/22 – Employee of the Month Winners

With some delays due to leaves, we were able to finally get up to date with our Employee of the Month recipients. See below for our winners of September, November, and most recently, January. Congratulations to Maria Da Silva, Abdelghani Gouiti, and Ilham Hinnach!!!

12/21/22 – Employee of the Month and USA Raffle winner’s update:

Isabel Fernandes was our winner for December’s USA Employee of the Month. While presenting her with her award, we also asked her to pick our raffle winner for the 3rd quarter of this year…

And the winner was…….

Akberet Bahabla from Ellison 10! Akberet had the choice between an Amazon Fire 10″ tablet or a 4 course dinner for two at Davio’s Steakhouse. Akberet went with the tablet this time, CONGRATS!!!

In addition to Akberet, we were also able to present Carlos from Lunder with his raffle prize that we were not able to from a prior drawing. Congrats to Carlos!

12/19/22 – Reminder: “Office Hours” with Scott Parsons is today

Location is Blake 8-851 from 2pm-3:30pm. I have no agenda, just feel free to come by if you have any questions you want to ask, issue you want to bring up, feedback to provide, etc.

12/14/22 – A Message from Dr. Joe Betancourt:

Dear Colleagues,   More than two decades ago, I came to MGH both in awe of the opportunity and inspired by what was possible.   The commitment to excellence, camaraderie, and culture were like nothing I’d ever experienced before, and with incredible passion and humility, I worked with others, committed like me, to lead and advance the important work of diversity, equity, and inclusion at MGH and nationally. A couple of years ago, I was also entrusted to lead our incredible efforts in community health, powered by teams working in the strong and resilient, yet challenged neighborhoods around us.   Stewarding the advancement of all these award-winning and nationally recognized efforts is a responsibility I have taken incredibly seriously.   I have been so fortunate to work with people who listened, who cared, and invested deeply in this work over the years, understanding that if we are to live by the words of our founders—when in distress, every man becomes our neighbor—we must truly do it equitably.   While no institution is perfect, I fell in love with MGH, and gave my blood, sweat, and tears with incredible collaborators, partners, colleagues, and friends to make MGH better every day and to assure that MGH would be a better place when I left it.    I’m so proud of all that we have done together, and after a long and difficult discernment, the time for me to leave, and move on, has now come. I will be ending my tenure as Senior Vice President for Equity and Community at MGH on December 30th, later this month.   Working with you all has been the honor of my lifetime, a seemingly impossible and improbable dream that has made me so proud to come to work every day, knowing every day was a privilege and that I didn’t have to come to work, I got to come to work. I did the job I loved alongside all of you—the best and most diverse team in MGH history.   While our accomplishments have been many, my proudest moments came when we fought every minute of every hour of every day to save lives during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially as it decimated the cherished and vulnerable communities around us.   I will also always remember how we stood up and took action—together as a community—in response to social injustice and the murder of George Floyd. We built new efforts, new initiatives, expanded our teams, and charted a bold course for the future of diversity, equity, inclusion, and community health at MGH. Of this, I am also incredibly proud.   All this work has been accomplished by our incredible teams, and words cannot express how much my mentors, collaborators, and supporters over the years have meant to me.   Uniting our remarkable centers of excellence—the Center for Diversity and Inclusion, Center for Community Health Improvement, and Disparities Solutions Center—to achieve a stronger, more cohesive platform for impact and change was a dream come true.   As I now close one chapter and get ready to open another, I will work with leadership to firm-up our portfolio of diversity, inclusion, equity, and community health so there is clarity and a strong plan for these efforts upon my departure. I am confident that this important work will continue at MGH and look forward to hearing about all the amazing work that is yet to come.    I thank you so much for believing in me and trusting me to help lead this work. I also want to thank my leadership team for all their work and dedication. This has truly been a blessing.   As I say farewell, the thing I will cherish most are memories of working with passionate, humble, committed colleagues, who are genuine and operate with great integrity—and I will cherish knowing that we, together, worked to make a difference for our colleagues, our trainees, our patients, and our communities.   Please stay committed to the incredible work you do every day—it truly makes a difference.   Thank you again, and I wish you all happy holidays and a bright future ahead.   Best, Joseph R. Betancourt, MD, MPH Senior Vice President, Equity and Community Health

12/13/22- Open “Office Hours” with Scott Parsons scheduled for Monday 12/19 on Blake 8

Similar to a few months ago, I will be hosting an open “Office Hours” on Monday, 12/19/22, from 2pm-3:30pm in Blake 8-851. Like before, this is 100% optional to attend, I do not have any agenda to present, and will simply be there to listen/answer any questions you all may have. I will be there for any USA who wants to come, ask questions, bring up topics of concern, provide suggestions for improvement, etc. This session is open to any and all USAs who want to come meet and talk.

Thank you,

Scott Parsons

12/8/22 – Slavin Fund Update for it’s 1st Quarter (Oct-Dec)

Good afternoon all,

As of today, the committee has approved enough submissions to use the full amount of money allocated for the first quarter (Oct-Dec) of this fund. So far, this fund has been able to assist 27 USAs with assistance for medical bills, funeral expenses, housing emergencies, as well as school supplies for kids. We cannot thank the donor enough for these funds that have divided up amongst the support departments.

With the funding, we have now maxed out one category from our original document, which is “School Supplies.” With that allocation maxed out, we will no longer be able to accept requests for that category moving forward, but any submissions we received up to now will be forwarded to January. With those funds being used, the committee has added one additional category to help, which will be for “Automotive Emergencies” to help pay for unexpected automotive repairs on their vehicle.

Please see below for updated criteria and form

• Childcare emergencies
  • Daycare closes and you need alternative arrangements
  • Person who watches your child no longer can and you must make new arrangements
  • Child now requires special needs care
• School Supplies
  • School requires you to purchase laptop/tablet
  • Cost of books or software purchases by requirement of school
  • Cost to replace stolen items like a laptop or tablet
• Care of an Elderly Parent
  • Home nursing care
  • Nursing Home costs
  • Adult day care facility costs
• Housing Emergencies
  • Emergent housing costs due to:
  • Fire
  • Eviction
  • Flood
  • Termite/Insect Damage
• Funeral Expenses
  • Funeral expenses for a family member paid by the employee
• Medical Emergencies
  • Emergency room care
  • Medical bills paid by staff member for their immediate family
  • RX costs for emergency care
• Automotive Emergencies
  • Costs associated with car repair emergencies

12/7/22 – Cell Phones and Belongings in the Sheets:

12/1/22 – Next Round of USA to PCA Program Being Offered

11/18/22 – Computer Classes for Winter Registration is Open:

11/15/22 – Free 1 on 1 Financial Advising and Retirement Planning Available for MGH Staff Through Fidelit

Through MGH’s partnership with Fidelity, you can meet with a consultant for a 1:1 consultation. Fidelity can help with basic budgeting to complex financial situations. Meet to discuss your goals to help you build a retirement and investment plan that can help you reach them. Schedule a consultation.

11/10/22 – One Last Flu Shot Clinic Added to MGH

New flu clinic just added: Nov. 14, 8 a.m.-4 p.m., MGH Occupational Health, 165 Cambridge Street, Suite 404, walk-ins welcome

If you got your flu shot outside of MGH, you can use this link to document:

Flu Vaccine Documentation Submission (partners.org)

11/3/22 – MGH’s Equity and Community Health Dept is Looking for Your Feedback

10/31/22 – Previous Employee of the Month recipients:

Due to vacations/leaves, we have been delayed on presenting our September and October recipients, but wanted to share below our winners from this summer:

July: Egidio Pires – Blake 11

August: Mohammed Tissdoughass – Bigelow 14

10/25/22 – Benefits Open Enrollment starts 10/31 and ends on 11/14

Reminder, if you opt out of MGH insurances, you must opt out each year. If you do not log in to opt out, you will be automatically enrolled in the MGB select plan.

Resources
All enrollment information will be available on the Ask My HR Open Enrollment page: askmyHRportal.com/OE2023. We also will host a series of webinars that will include a short presentation about considerations for 2023, followed by live Q&A. Register for one of the webinars listed below:

• Monday, Oct. 31, noon
• Thursday, Nov. 3, 7 a.m.
• Tuesday, Nov. 8, 3:30 p.m.
• Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2 p.m.
• Friday, Nov. 11, noon

10/25/22 – MGB Offering Online College Preparation Program

10/21/22 – Sign on and Employee Referral Bonuses are still in effect

Good afternoon all, I just wanted to highlight that both the $750 sign on bonus for 20+ hour new hires and the $500 employee referral bonus for USAs are still in effect and available. If you know of anyone looking to become a USA, please share a referral with your manager so we can work with HR to start the interview process. If your referral gets hired and works here for at least 90 days, you are eligible for a $500 bonus per referral!

Please see below for our current list of vacant positions that we are actively hiring for:

10/18/22 – Flu Shot Requirement

Good afternoon all, I just wanted to make sure everyone was aware that the deadline to receive your flu shot this year will be November 14th. You can get your flu shot from a flu shot champion on a unit, from CVS/Walgreens/Etc, or potentially from your healthcare provider. If you receive your flu shot anywhere other than onsite at MGH, you are going to need to go into PeopleSoft and attest that you received your shot.

Below is a list of the remaining flu shot clinics that MGH will be hosting this year:

Massachusetts General Hospital

• Nov. 1, 7-11 a.m., Thier Conference Room
• Nov. 2, 7-11 a.m., Thier Conference Room

Massachusetts General Hospital Offsite Clinics

• Oct. 18, 8 a.m.-1 p.m., 125 Nashua Street
• Oct. 19, 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Mass Eye and Ear Quincy
• Oct. 20, 1-4 p.m., MGH Danvers

Any questions or concerns, please go to this link for more details: Flu vaccination program, Town Hall with Anne Klibanski, MD, Share a memory, National Preparedness Month, Suicide prevention training, BC football tickets – The Pulse – Mass General Brigham

10/5/22 – The Peter Slavin Fund for USA Assistance:

Good afternoon all, we are excited to announce a new fund available to the Unit Service Associate team donated in the name of Dr. Peter Slavin.  The Slavin Fund aims to help employees and community members overcome barriers to health and well-being by providing financial support to individuals who have emergency needs.  In PCS, there is a committee that will be reviewing all submissions to this fund.  Unit Service Associate Staff can submit a request to their manager for grants of up to $500 utilizing the form attached below.  The funds from this donation can be allocated for the following criteria:  Childcare emergencies, School Supplies, Care of an Elderly Parent, Housing Emergencies, Funeral Expenses, Medical Emergencies

Unit Service Associates can submit one request for the year for any individual category listed above.  Please be sure to attach a copy of a receipt or documentation (must be dated after 9/30/22) of the hardship when you fill out and drop off the submission form.  The committee will meet monthly to review and approve submission forms in the order in which they were received.  Funds are limited and will be divided up quarterly, so there is no guarantee that all submissions will be funded.

Uses of these funds are to assist staff with unexpected life costs, not for normal bills/utilities/daycare costs/etc.  All costs must be incurred by the staff member in order to be reimbursed.   Examples of what these could be used for are below:

• Childcare emergencies
  • Daycare closes and you need alternative arrangements
  • Person who watches your child no longer can and you must make new arrangements
  • Child now requires special needs care
• School Supplies
  • School requires you to purchase laptop/tablet
  • Cost of books or software purchases by requirement of school
  • Cost to replace stolen items like a laptop or tablet
• Care of an Elderly Parent
  • Home nursing care
  • Nursing Home costs
  • Adult day care facility costs
• Housing Emergencies
  • Emergent housing costs due to:
    • Fire
    • Eviction
    • Flood
    • Termite/Insect Damage
• Funeral Expenses
  • Funeral expenses for a family member paid by the employee
• Medical Emergencies
  • Emergency room care
  • Medical bills paid by staff member for their immediate family
  • RX costs for emergency care

9/22/22 – Citizenship Class Webinar on 9/28

9/16/22 – MGH Well Being Fair on 9/19

9/16/22 – MGH Celebrates Latino Heritage Month 9/15-10/15

9/12/22 – USA Appreciation Week Recap

This year, we hosted USA appreciation week from 8/29 to 9/2 to celebrate and thank each and everyone of you for the amazing work that you do here at MGH. We had a great week of events, with a kickoff luncheon on Monday, breakfast on Weds, dinner on Thurs, and finished off with an ice cream party on Friday. Thank you all who came and celebrated, for those who were not able to attend, We will be sure to get you this years Unit Service Associate Appreciation Week gift out to you soon!

8/17/22 – JVS Free Class Offerings for the Fall:

8/16/22 – Orange Line Shutdown Parking Option:

In response to the Orange Line shutdown, Mass General Brigham will provide a limited number of temporary parking spaces at the Assembly Row Garage for employees who have a valid MBTA pass and use the Orange Line to get to work. This is a temporary arrangement to help mitigate the challenges around commuting to work during the shutdown. There is a limited supply of parking space and this option is only available to employees who take the Orange Line to work. The Assembly Row Garage will be available to Orange Line employee commuters between Monday, Aug. 22 and Friday, Sept. 16.   Under normal circumstances, Mass General Brigham is prohibited from allowing employees to park at the Assembly Row Garage and taking public transportation into Boston. However, given the 30-day shutdown of the Orange Line, the city of Somerville is allowing this specific population of Mass General Brigham employees who use the Orange Line to park at the Assembly Row Garage and take the MBTA shuttle buses into Boston during the shutdown period only.   Commuters interested in using the Mass General Brigham Assembly Row garage between Aug. 22 and Sept. 16 will need to fill out and sign this parking registration form. The completed form can be emailed to MGBCommuterServices@partners.org. Please note, the form can be filled out and signed electronically, or it can be printed, filled out and scanned.   If you have a Fastlane or EZ pass transponder, the Mass General Brigham Assembly Row garage uses the signal that your Fastlane or EZ pass transponder broadcasts to get you in/out of the garage hands free. In the parking registration form, we will need only the last nine digits of the transponder’s number, which can be found on the back of the transponder.   For those who do not have a Fastlane/EZ pass transponder, you will need to check the “I need a Transponder” box on the registration form, and we will issue you a windshield sticker transponder for you to use just in our garage. After submitting your registration form, Mass General Brigham Commuter Services will contact you via email within 24-48 business hours confirming your access and provide you with further instructions, including information about where the garage is, where to park within the garage and how to pick up your sticker transponder if you requested one. If you need help filling out the form or if you have questions, please email MGBCommuterServices@partners.org.   Mass General Brigham is pleased to be able to provide this option to Orange Line employee commuters. The MBTA has assured us that they fully anticipate having shuttle bus options available at Assembly Row. Shuttle buses will be located very close to the garage. Employees who plan to use the shuttle bus options will need to have a valid MBTA pass.

8/10/22 – A Message from MGH Equity and Public Affairs for Hispanic Heritage Month

In recognition of Latino/Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 – October 15), the Equity and Community Health Inclusion Campaign and MGH Public Affairs are organizing a poster and social media campaign.

We are seeking Latine/Hispanic participants that will respond to a set of questions, linked here. The questions and instructions have been translated into Spanish and Portuguese to increase accessibility and inclusivity. Participants will be asked to submit a headshot photo with their responses by Friday, August 12^th. Their photos and responses will be designed into posters that will be hung around MGH and shared on social media.

We would like you to connect with your team and staff to identify individuals who would be interested in participating in the campaign. If those individuals have questions or would like to speak to someone in person, they can connect with our colleagues for language-specific support:

• English: Pearl Brault (339-221-1157 or email at mpbrault@mgh.harvard.edu)
• Español: Sandra Ordonez (617-724-3830 o manda un email at sordonezpena@mgh.harvard.edu)
• Portugues: Ana Morellato Alcantara (813-407-8487 ou amorellatoalcantara@mgh.harvard.edu)

7/20/22 – USA Appreciation Week coming in August

6/23/22 – Congratulations to our June USA Employee of the Month!

Chimene Bernadeau – Phillips House 22

6/16/22 – Operations Support Staff Appreciation Day

Today was MGH’s Operations Support Staff Appreciation day, where MGH celebrated all members of the support departments around the hospital. This years events were very limited, with virtual events happening sporadically. I wanted to take this time to not only say THANK YOU for everything that each of you do every day, but also to highlight that this is MGH’s day to recognize the staff. Departmentally, we in Clinical Support Services have every intention of bringing back Unit Service Associate Appreciation Week this year as we last did in 2019. We have begun planning for the events and hope to have an exciting week in mid-September this year to celebrate everyone in the Unit Service Associate role. More to come!!!

-Scott Parsons

6/15/22 – Covid Booster Shot Deadline Approaching on June 30th:

For those who need to receive a booster

During the month of June, Occupational Health is offering Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines at Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital, Newton-Wellesley Hospital and Salem Hospital. Workforce members can make an appointment at their desired location here.

Those who need a Johnson & Johnson or Moderna booster are encouraged to visit a location in their local community. There are many sites, including CVS and Walgreens, offering free booster shots. Colleagues can visit vaccines.gov, mass.gov or vaccines.nh.gov to find a convenient location or text their ZIP code to 438829 or call 1-800-232-0233.

For those who need to document a booster

Once an individual has received their booster shot, they must ensure the vaccination is documented appropriately to be considered in compliance with our policy.

• Record of COVID-19 booster shots received at a Mass General Brigham location will automatically be shared with Occupational Health System Services if the individual previously provided consent to share their COVID-19 vaccination information with HR and Occupational Health.
• If they have received a booster at a Mass General Brigham location and have not previously provided consent to share their vaccination information, they can do so now through PeopleSoft. Individuals also may submit their COVID-19 booster documentation directly to Occupational Health.
• If the COVID-19 booster was received at a non-Mass General Brigham location (CVS, Walgreens, etc.), the individual must submit booster documentation directly to Occupational Health for entry into their Occupational Health record. Booster documentation must include name and date of birth.

Timeline for those who remain non-compliant
The corrective action timeline for those who remain non-compliant with the COVID-19 booster vaccine policy is below:

Wednesday, July 13: All noncompliant employees and POIs will be put on unpaid administrative leave.

Tuesday, July 26: Termination letters will be sent by mail to non-compliant workforce members.

Thursday, July 28: Effective date for termination of employees who remain non-compliant. POIs who remain non-compliant will lose their status as a POI.

6/14/22 – New Female USA Scrub Top Option – Fitting Events Coming Up this Month

For many years now I know our scrub tops have been a source of contention with our female USA staff due to it’s “Unisex” fit. Well we finally got the great news that there is now a female-specific scrub top option that we can order. We will be hosting 3 fitting events later this month for staff to come try on the new scrub tops and order. You do not have to change to this new option, if you like your current scrub shirt or polo shirt, you are more than happy to keep wearing those.

6/8/22 – Scott Parsons to begin hosting “Office Hours” around the units, info below:

Starting today, 6/8, I will begin hosting what I am calling “Office Hours” in various locations across the units. The idea for these is to allow time for USAs to come see me and ask me any questions they may have, without the need to make any appointment and come to my office. I will be stationing myself in a conference room or other location near the units and welcome anyone from those specific units to come talk to me if they would like. There is no agenda like the forum, these are simply just an opportunity to come ask me questions if you have anything you want to discuss. The current schedule is as follows (specific locations not determined yet)

Office Hours:

6/8/22 – Allen Roberts and Elvis Perez’ staff

6/17/22 – Denis Bogere and Lorna Kennedy-Plowright’s staff

6/22/22 – Gabriela Montecinos and Matt Heron’s staff

6/29/22 – Charlene Boussiquot and Chris England’s staff

7/6/22 – Angelo Valente and Andrew Fortini’s staff

5/26/22 – Reminder: Ear Buds/Headphones are prohibited while on duty as a USA:

Because USAs must be able to quickly respond and be alert on the job, the use of headphones and earbuds are strictly prohibited while working. Headphones make a person less approachable and less alert in the event of an audible emergency, and therefore should never be used while working on an inpatient unit.

5/26/22 – MGH Need To Know – MonkeyPox

5/24/22 – USA Employee of the Month Winners:

April: Pedro Villafane – Ellison 19

May: Mohammed Alzubaer – Lunder 9

Perfect Attendance Raffle Winners

At our most recent forums, we picked our most recent winners for the perfect attendance raffle. Renel Alcindor from PH21 was in attendance when his name was called (no picture unfortunately), and he chose a 10″ Amazon Fire Tablet as his prize. The second winner was Mavis Pellegrini from White 9, who we met with on her unit, and she chose the 4 course Dinner for 2 gift card for Davio’s Steakhouse. Congrats to both!

5/16/22 – Support Services Grant Available for furthering education

In addition to the Tuition reimbursement program, there is a Support Services Grant that USAs can apply for it further their skills or education. Details below:

2022 Support Services Employee Grant Program:

The 2022 Support Service Employee Grant (SSEG) program awards up to $1,500 to eligible employees seeking to enhance their skills or advance their education.

The deadline for applications is Wednesday, June 1.

The program is open to benefits-eligible, non-exempt MGH employees working in support roles (clinical, administrative, technical or general service) with:

• an effective hire date of September 30, 2020 or earlier at the MGH or other Mass General Brigham affiliate AND
• at least two years of continuous employment at the MGH or Mass General Brigham affiliate

Employees with a bachelor or advanced degree are not eligible. A list of the eligibility criteria and the application can be found on the SSEG page on Ask My HR.

Awards can be used for any costs associated with the pursuit of education or training including books, prerequisites, ESOL, certificate and undergraduate degree programs.

The SSEG program aligns with the system-wide United Against Racism strategy to achieve equity and is part of Mass General’s ongoing effort to recruit and retain a highly-skilled diverse workforce.

This program is sponsored by MGH Human Resources.

Jovita Thomas-Williams
Senior Vice President of Human Resources

5/3/22 – Stephanie LaShoto and Workforce Development at Info Table outside Eat Street tomorrow:

Join the Workforce Development Team for Workforce Wednesday
Employees are invited to visit the Workforce Development information table Wednesday, May 4 from 11 am to 7 pm outside of Eat Street Café to talk to with academic and career coaches to learn more about Workforce Development opportunities, including:

• How to use tuition reimbursement and financial aid, including FAFSA.
• Learn about college and university discounts and grant opportunities for MGH employees.
• Explore Workforce Development programs offered to MGH employees.

Visit Apollo, the MGH intranet, for more information or click here to make an individual appointment to connect with a coach.

____________________________________

Stephanie LaShoto-Westfield
she, her, hers
Workforce Development Specialist, Human Resources

Mass General Brigham

399 Revolution Drive Somerville MA 02145
T: 774-219-5147

Massgeneralbrigham.org

Click here to schedule a meeting with me: https://calendly.com/slashoto/15min

5/2/22 – Ricardo Diaz Award Nomination Portal open

This would be a great opportunity to nominate one of your USA coworkers who you feel is very deserving of this prestigious award:

Ricardo Diaz Memorial Award Nominations Now Open
The Ricardo Diaz Memorial Award was established in memory and recognition of Ricardo Diaz, who worked in Environmental Services and Buildings and Grounds at the MGH between 1991 and 2003. All MGH employees who have worked at the hospital for at least two years and are currently in a general support service/skilled trade job are eligible for the award. Employees in the following departments who are not in a supervisory, clerical/secretarial, professional or technologist role are eligible for this award

• Buildings & Grounds
• Environmental Services
• Materials Management
• Nutrition and Food Services
• Patient Transport
• Police & Security
• Unit Service Associates (USAs)

Learn more and submit a nomination by Tuesday, May 17 using the Ricardo Diaz Award online nomination form. Email MGHHREvents@partners.org for more information or if a paper nomination form in required.

4/21/22 – MGH Chemo Waste Handling Policy:

With Chemo waste handling being a topic of conversation at our recent forums, I thought I would provide everyone with a copy of the MGH policy on safe handling:

4/21/22 – Upcoming Computer and Citizenship classes being offered free of charge to MGH employees:

4/13/22 – Exciting News: New USA Employee Referral Bonus Program offered to Team USA-

4/12/22 – Alternative to Sani-Wipes may appear on your unit. These “Sidekicks” were leftover from our Pandemic alternatives and are being used now before they expire.

3/31/22 – MGH Primary Care Physician Program

If you are interested in finding a Primary Care Physician here at MGH, especially one who may speak your native language, here is information on a new program that the Center for Diversity and Inclusion has started:

3/29/22 – USA to PCA Free Training Program Re-Opening, Info Sessions coming:

If you are interested in becoming a PCA, MGH in partnership with JVS has a free program available to train and certify staff to becoming PCAs, with a guaranteed position here at MGH when training is complete. Flyer attached below:

3/24/22 – New USA Vacation Guidelines

3/24/22 -Free Services Available to USAs

•English for Speakers of Other Languages, Computer, and Citizenship classes offered through JVS and MGH •Stephanie LaShoto-Westfield:  slashoto@partners.org : 774-219-5147 (call or text) •

•Financial Advising and Retirement Planning through Fidelity •Joe Casey: Email: Joe.Casey@FMR.com , Phone: 617-543-4636 •

•MGH PCP Program • If you are interested in getting a Primary Care Physician through MGH that speaks your native language, you can reach out to Scott Parsons to get you in touch with the program leaders

•Tuition Reimbursement •Available through the benefits department •

•Free Tax Prep •Stephanie LaShoto-Westfield:  slashoto@partners.org : 774-219-5147 (call or text)

Do I need to wait 1 hour to clean a covid room?

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