The Need for a Revised Employee Health Policy for Public Health, District 5-2, Georgia

Abstract

Background: The Georgia Department of Public Health is the lead organization in disease prevention, health promotion and disaster preparation and response in Georgia. It is for this reason that infection control and disease prevention are of utmost importance to those employed by the agency. More specifically, for those who serve the community such as county health department nurses that see patients and other public health staff that provide community outreach services. To address this, North Central Health District (NCHD) leadership identified that an update to the employee health policy was necessary to ensure that the policy outlined specific exclusion criteria in areas that could result in spreading illnesses amongst other staff and community members.

Methods: A district team was organized to discuss the current health policy. A review of the health policy identified gaps in coverage of several key areas that were important in infection prevention. Three main areas were selected to be addressed. Research was done into the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations and included within the policy update in these areas. They were then added to the health policy and prepared for approval from the district policy committee.

Results: After the health policy review, the NCHD added exclusion criteria for specific illnesses as well as general exclusion criteria based on symptoms and employee hand hygiene, all in compliance with the most recent recommendations from the CDC.

Conclusion: In conclusion, the updates for health policy exclusion criteria were very important in the district’s efforts in infection control and prevention of infectious diseases within the county health departments. Outlining the appropriate timeframes for sick leave and specific procedures for hand hygiene increases the workplace safety for employees and ensures the health and wellness of the community looking to the department for healthcare needs.

Keywords

Infection Prevention, Employee Health Policy, Exclusion Criteria

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The Need for a Revised Employee Health Policy for Public Health, District 5-2, Georgia

Background: The Georgia Department of Public Health is the lead organization in disease prevention, health promotion and disaster preparation and response in Georgia. It is for this reason that infection control and disease prevention are of utmost importance to those employed by the agency. More specifically, for those who serve the community such as county health department nurses that see patients and other public health staff that provide community outreach services. To address this, North Central Health District (NCHD) leadership identified that an update to the employee health policy was necessary to ensure that the policy outlined specific exclusion criteria in areas that could result in spreading illnesses amongst other staff and community members.

Methods: A district team was organized to discuss the current health policy. A review of the health policy identified gaps in coverage of several key areas that were important in infection prevention. Three main areas were selected to be addressed. Research was done into the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations and included within the policy update in these areas. They were then added to the health policy and prepared for approval from the district policy committee.

Results: After the health policy review, the NCHD added exclusion criteria for specific illnesses as well as general exclusion criteria based on symptoms and employee hand hygiene, all in compliance with the most recent recommendations from the CDC.

Conclusion: In conclusion, the updates for health policy exclusion criteria were very important in the district’s efforts in infection control and prevention of infectious diseases within the county health departments. Outlining the appropriate timeframes for sick leave and specific procedures for hand hygiene increases the workplace safety for employees and ensures the health and wellness of the community looking to the department for healthcare needs.