HOLYOKE – The Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke vaccinated 92 percent of all employees against influenza this season, establishing a new record at the home.
The rate is particularly impressive considering that on average, nationwide, a little more than half of all health care providers in long-term care facilities receive flu vaccinations. According to a December report by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (http://www.cdc.gov/flu/news/nivw-flu-vaccine-benefits.htm), 62.9 percent of health care providers are vaccinated. In Massachusetts, which has the highest rate of vaccinations of all states, 58 percent of Massachusetts residents receive influenza vaccines, and 85 percent of acute care hospital workers.
“We are very proud of our success and it really speaks volumes about our employees and their dedication to our health care mission in providing care to the veterans of our Commonwealth with honor and dignity in the safest possible environment,” said Paul Barabani, superintendent of the Soldiers’ Home.
Vaccinations began in September. In addition to employees, the Soldiers’ Home vaccinated 96 percent of all long-term care veteran residents. An outreach campaign that included weekly bulletins, staff meetings, one-on-one discussions with employees, and a robust incentive program helped ensure strong compliance, said the home’s medical team.
Most importantly, staff members at the Soldiers’ Home know that influenza is a serious disease that can lead to hospitalization and sometimes even death. The flu vaccination rate is, therefore, a top patient-safety goal.
“We spent considerable effort to ensure our employees understand how important the influenza vaccination is for not only the health of the veterans we are honored to care for but also for their own health and that of their families,” said Dr. David Clinton, the home’s medical director. “Our entire care team – clinical staff and non-clinical staff – know that influenza can be extremely dangerous for our elder veterans. We take the threat seriously, and I believe that was the key to such a high compliance rate.”
Receiving the vaccine is critical in limiting the spread of influenza since employees at the Soldiers’ Home work in such close proximity to elder veteran residents and can readily spread the infection from patient to patient, said Kris Dziok, a registered nurse and the home’s infection preventionist.
“Our employees know that adults who are 65 years of age or older are more likely to suffer flu-related complications if they get sick from influenza,” said Dziok. “For us, it’s critical for our ability to care for our veterans and the best way for us to prevent the flu from spreading.”
The Soldiers’ Home also offered incentives such as the opportunity for any employee receiving the flu vaccine to enter a raffle drawing for donated prizes.
For reaching 70 percent compliance, each employee who received the flu shot could pick up a Massachusetts lottery ticket. For reaching 80 and 90 percent compliance, vaccinated employees will get a chance to win an Apple iPad and a one-night stay at an area resort. The drawing takes place on Monday.
In addition, the Home’s leadership team decided to allow staff members to opt out of receiving the flu vaccine for ethical or personal reasons, but required that those who did opt out to wear a mask when within five feet of a veteran resident for the entire flu season, which runs through March 31.
The requirement applies to everyone from housekeeping, dietary, and administrative staff to nurses and doctors.
“We pride ourselves in how closely everyone works with our veterans each and every day,” said Dziok. “There is therefore a considerable opportunity for potential exposure to influenza, which is why we take this so seriously.”
The flu resulted in 381,000 hospitalizations across the nation last season, according to the December CDC report. More than 6.6 million illnesses were prevented last season due to the flu vaccine. Typically flu season in New England begins in November, increases in January, and peaks in February or early March. It takes about 10 days for a person who has been vaccinated to develop effective resistance against the flu.
For more information about the flu, visit www.mass.gov/flu.
Established in 1952, the Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke is a state-operated and fully accredited health care facility serving Veterans of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Soldiers’ Home offers veterans quality health care, including full-time residential accommodations, an on-site dental clinic, a veterans’ assistance center, and a multiservice outpatient department.
