Update Regarding Measles and Employee Protection

To all Cook Children's employees and team members,

In light of recent measles outbreaks, including the tragic loss of a child in West Texas, we understand you may have questions and concerns. Your safety is our top priority, and we are committed to providing you with proactive support and comprehensive resources.

To that end, our Corporate Communications team has developed a dedicated measles resource page on Connect Newsroom. 

Just like we did during our COVID-19 response, this dedicated resource page is designed to offer accurate, current information and robust protection protocols. We will continually update this page to address your potential questions and provide a comprehensive overview of our measles protection strategies, in hopes of alleviating any anxieties you may have. 

We want to assure you that we are actively monitoring the situation and taking all necessary steps to safeguard our teams. We encourage you to visit the Connect Newsroom resource page for the latest information and guidance.

In addition, our Command Center Operations and System Preparedness teams are convening Monday morning, and you can expect to receive more information next week.

Here’s a summary of our proactive measures from an Occupational Health perspective:

1. Vaccination and Immunity:
   • Our Occupational Health department utilizes Enterprise Health to maintain accurate employee medical records, including MMR vaccination and titer results. You can access your records through: https://cchcs.enterprise.health
   • We follow CDC guidelines regarding MMR vaccination and titers. Upon hiring, all employees provide proof of two MMR vaccines or undergo a titer test that checks if you are immune to the disease.
   • Two MMR vaccines provide 97% effectiveness against measles and are considered lifelong protection. There is no need for additional MMR vaccines or repeated titers if you have a positive titer or documentation of two vaccines.
2. Respiratory Protection:
   • Employees providing patient-facing care, as well as those in EVS, facilities, and biomed, are enrolled in our Respiratory Protection Program and are fitted for N95 respirators.
   • Given that measles is airborne, N95 respirators are crucial for protection when interacting with suspected or confirmed measles cases.
   • Please remember that facial hair can compromise the seal of an N95 respirator, making it ineffective.
3. Comprehensive Protection:
   • Through vaccinations, proper ventilation, and the correct use of N95 respirators, we are confident in the protection of our employees.

Over the last few weeks, Occupational Health has been diligently addressing inquiries via walk-ins, calls, emails, and event reports. We want to thank our Occ Health staff for their dedication to our staff.

We understand that news like this can be unsettling. Please remember that we are here to support you. If you have any further questions or require additional information, please do not hesitate to contact Occupational Health. We are committed to providing a safe and supportive work environment for everyone.

If you have questions outside of Occupational Health matters, please email InternalCommunications@cookchildrens.org.

Just like we did during our COVID response, we will work through this issue together always living by our values (SAFETY, COLLABORATION, KINDNESS, RESPECT, GENEROSITY AND IMAGINATION).

Thank you for your dedication and commitment to our Promise.

 Note: Image from the CDC