Important Update COVID-19
4.9.2020
Valley Health Employer Health

Partnering with Businesses to Keep Employees Healthy and Productive

COVID-19 Telehealth Consultations for Employees
Our Professionals are Here to Help You and Your Employees
We are all in this together, and the Valley Health Employer Health team is determined to help your business through these unprecedented challenges by keeping your workforce safe and well during this pandemic. 

We are offering COVID-19 Telehealth Consultations for Employers , exclusively for your employees experiencing COVID-19 symptoms or who believe they have been exposed to the virus. Our providers are available to evaluate your employees who call in sick or develop symptoms at work that you think might be COVID-19, such as fever, coughing and shortness of breath.

  • Call for an appointment: 540-536-2201, Option 1
  • $99 flat rate billed to employer
  • Medical determination based on current CDC guidelines
Guidance on OSHA’s Respirator Standard for all Workers
Enforcement Guidance for Respiratory Protection and the N95 Shortage Due to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic
This memorandum pr ovides additional guidance on enforcing OSHA’s respirator standard for all workers, including HCP. In light of the essential need for adequate supplies of respirators, this memorandum will take effect immediately and remain in effect until further notice. This guidance is intended to be time-limited to the current public health crisis. Please frequently check OSHA’s webpage a t www.osha.gov/coronavirus for up dates.
IMMEDIATE: Suspension of Audiometric Tests
Valley Health Employer Health will suspend all Audiometry Surveillance Tests until further notice. 
The Council for Accreditation in Occupational Hearing Conservation (CAOHC) recognizes that the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted routine ambulatory and elective surgical healthcare delivery across the nation.

As such, CAOHC recommends audiometric evaluations be suspended indefinitely. Most routine occupational hearing conservation audiometric examinations are not medically essential and, given the high infection rate of COVID-19, CAOHC believes suspension of this medical surveillance examination will protect healthcare workers, consumers, and conserve the supply of personal protective equipment.
Suspension of BAT and Spirometry Tests
Valley Health Urgent Care and Employer Health Services will suspend performance of Breath Alcohol Test (BAT) and Spirometry Tests until further notice.
Valley Health remains committed to maintaining staff and customer safety, while continuing care operations effectively during the current national public health emergency.

By the nature of their performance (forced exhalation), both Breath Alcohol Test (BAT) and spirometry expose health care staff and others in near proximity to respiratory droplets and aerosols from asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic individuals.

During the current outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) believes it is prudent to suspend spirometry testing in the workplace, unless it is determined to be clinically essential, due to the significant risk of transmitting COVID-19.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has issued guidance for carriers seeking to comply with 49CFR Part 382 . Please click on the button to find recommended actions for FMCSA-regulated employers unable to conduct:
  • Random Testing
  • Pre-Employment Testing
  • Reasonable suspicion testing
  • Return-to-duty (RTD) testing
  • Follow-up testing


Outpatient Care Services
COVID‐19 Respiratory Care Phone Line
Valley Health has developed a new service for people who have fever, cough, or other respiratory symptoms and need evaluation.

Community members may call our dedicated phone line at 540‐536‐0380, Monday‐Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. and Saturday, 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. ( note update of Saturday hours ) and be triaged to their primary care provider or a Valley Health Family Medicine or Urgent Care office for a telehealth visit.



Healthcare Provider's Note for Employees
The Virginia Department of Health recently published a Considerations for Businesses and Employers memo which offers more guidance to area businesses.

In alliance with the Virginia Department of Health memo, Valley Health is asking local business leaders not to require a healthcare provider's note either for employees who are sick with acute respiratory illness to verify their illness or as a requirement to return to work.
Employer Health Contacts
We are here to help you stay safely in business.
Let us know how we can further assist you. Contact your designated liaison.
West Virginia

Mary Kathryn Robinson
Program Manager, Business Relations
Employer Health – North Region

681.247.1105 Direct
304.350.3240 Fax

Virginia

Karen B. Helm
Program Manager, Business Relations
Employer Health – Central/Southern Region

540.536.4155 Direct
540.536.2206 Fax

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