One of the most important decisions employers will need to make by the December 6 effective date for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)’s COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) is whether to allow all (or if an employer desires, only certain classes of) employees to wear an approved face covering and produce a negative COVID-19 test at least weekly in order to return to a company worksite. read more

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) posted an Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) mandating that all private employers with 100 or more employees ensure their employees are COVID-19 fully vaccinated before entering the employer’s worksite. Alternatively, at the employer’s choice, employers may allow  unvaccinated employees to come to the worksite if they wear an approved face covering and produce a negative COVID-19 test at least weekly. read more

New benchmarking survey on marijuana screening, time to visit clinic and retention data now on Resources page.

We may not be at a tipping point yet, but there has definitely been a shift in employer attitudes toward vaccine mandates. We just closed a survey on this topic, and of the 372 US employers responding, 14% require (or plan to require) all employees returning to their worksites to be vaccinated, with another 15% requiring vaccinations for certain job functions such as business travel or customer contact. Just three months ago, in a survey of 425 employers that closed in May, only 3% of respondents planned to require employees to be vaccinated and only 8% were even considering it. CLICK HERE to read more.

We want to bring you up-to-date on the status of the NAWHC annual forum in Chicago on September 9 and 10th. We intend to conduct this program in-person and provide for all the COVID-19 precautions set up by the City of Chicago and the MidAmerica Club. 

As of yesterday, the city of Chicago has indicated that travelers from 12 states will need to be vaccinated or be quarantined -see the announcement here: https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/sites/covid-19/home/emergency-travel-order.html. Also, the city is recommending, but not requiring, masks for inside activities. We will be providing masks at our registration desk, if needed.

We will be exploring virtual options for the event should circumstances get much worse, but at this point we only intend to have an in-person format.

We currently have over 100 registered for the program, with no registrant cancellations to date. If your plans change due to your concerns about personal safety, please let us know. We plan to have a safe and enjoyable event and hope you will be able to join us.

Thank you for your participation and support of NAWHC.  We look forward to seeing you in Chicago!

CLICK HERE to learn more.

The National Association of Worksite Health Centers is pleased to invite your firm to participate in our 9th Annual Forum, September 9-10, 2021, at The Mid-America Club in Chicago.

The event will have formal and roundtable sessions on: The direction of employer centers in post-COVID-19 world; Planning and design of worksite health centers; Operations, staffing and management of worksite health centers; Legal and regulatory aspects of worksite health centers; The impact of COVID-19 on center services; Measuring the health center performance; Increasing utilization and engagement; Pharmacy services; and Digital services.

In March 2020, the National Assn. of Worksite Health Centers (NAWHC) conducted a benchmarking survey of employers and unions on the impact and challenges of COVID-19 on their onsite and near-site health centers, the centers’ services and staff. In March, states were requiring or recommending most businesses close or have their employees work remotely to avoid spreading the virus. To see how the situation has changed as people get back to work and employers adjust to the imminent arrival of vaccine, NAWHC conducted a survey in November 2020 to update the earlier results.  Results can be viewed here.

A new report by the Center for Workplace Health and Performance coauthored by IBI and the National Association of Worksite Health Centers examines multiple care goals and effective approaches for patients with MSK and pain.

CDC continues to update its COVID-19 guidance and resources for the private sector. Your organization can use the following resources to 

• prevent and reduce transmission among employees,
• maintain healthy business operations, and
• maintain a healthy work environment.

Resources can be found at: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) | CDC

Premise Health, the largest direct health care provider, today announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire CareHere, a leading operator of wellness centers for self-funded organizations. CLICK HERE to learn more.