Statement of HHC President Alan D. Aviles Regarding NY State Decision to Require Masks for All Health Care Employees Who Have Not Received a Flu Vaccination
Apr 12, 2013
“The New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation welcomes the new State Department of Health requirements for mandatory face masks for health care workers who have not been vaccinated against influenza. We stand ready to implement and enforce this practice across our hospitals, nursing homes and community-based health centers.”
“For too long, health care organizations in New York and across the country have struggled to increase influenza vaccination rates among their workforce. Employee education campaigns, programs that offer incentives and ready access to free flu shots have simply not been enough to persuade many staff to take this necessary precaution to protect themselves and patients from the potentially life-threatening dangers of the flu virus. The new requirements are a sensible and fair approach that will better protect our patients from the flu virus as we continue to urge all staff to accept vaccination to protect themselves and their families.”
Contact : Ian Michaels (HHC) (212) 788-3339
About HHC
The New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) is a $6.7 billion integrated healthcare delivery system with its own 420,000 member health plan, MetroPlusHealth, and is the largest municipal healthcare organization in the country. HHC serves 1.4 million New Yorkers every year and more than 475,000 are uninsured. HHC provides medical, mental health and substance abuse services through its 11 acute care hospitals, four skilled nursing facilities, six large diagnostic and treatment centers and more than 70 community based clinics. HHC Health and Home Care also provides in-home services for New Yorkers. HHC was the 2008 recipient of the National Quality Forum and The Joint Commission’s John M. Eisenberg Award for Innovation in Patient Safety and Quality. For more information, visit www.nychhc.org/hhc or find us on facebook.com/NYCHealthSystem or twitter.com/NYCHealthSystem.