Nursing News Now: Nursing town hall and enroll in benefits
Dear Colleagues,
I would like to express my unending gratitude and respect for the work you have done throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. While the high numbers of COVID-19 patients in our facilities have declined significantly over the past few months, we anticipate that this virus will likely continue to be a part of our lives and work for the foreseeable future.
Up to this point, we have encouraged our colleagues to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and made vaccines readily available, but we have not mandated them. As you may know, the Biden administration recently issued regulations requiring COVID-19 vaccinations for the great majority of healthcare workers and workers in other industries. Given that development, HCA Healthcare will now require all colleagues who do not qualify for an exemption to have their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine by December 5 and be fully vaccinated by January 4, 2022.
I understand, and appreciate, the implications this mandate may have for some, but I hope you understand our need to comply with federal healthcare regulations and our desire to keep all of our colleagues safe. In the coming days, you will receive more information about vaccine efficacy, vaccination clinics, possible exemptions, and how to provide proof of vaccination from your respective divisions.
We will do our best to implement this requirement as easily as possible, but please understand everyone will need to be responsive and flexible. Thank you, again, for your unwavering commitment to our mission and your dedication to caring for others.
Sincerely,
Sam Hazen
CEO
HCA Healthcare
Q4 All nursing town hall
BRAVE conversations
New BRAVE (bold, relevant, authentic, valuable and educational) Conversations resources allow leaders to be prepared for and to have effective BRAVE Conversations. Review the step-by-step toolkit for leaders, videos, and branded templates. Inspire dialogue within your team through these resources.
Recordings:
- Honoring our Veterans
- La Esperanza: A Celebration of Hispanic Heritage and Hope Featuring Sonia Manzano
- Celebrating PRIDE and Advocating for Change
- Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month: Solidarity and Celebration
- Igniting Change Three Part Series
Annual benefits enrollment
The deadline for annual enrollment is November 19. To view your online enrollment kit, including pricing and the virtual benefits fair, go to HCAhrAnswers.com, click HCA Reward and select Benefits Enrollment.
Frequently asked questions:
- Do I have to enroll? You should take action every year to review your options and complete the Nicotine-Use Affidavit (if applicable). If you do not enroll, you will receive default coverage, you WILL NOT receive the nicotine-free discount and you will pay $650 more for your medical coverage. In addition, if you do not enroll, you will be automatically enrolled in the same medical, dental, vision, life, long-term disability and CorePlus coverage you had in 2021. Your flexible spending account election does not automatically carry over, so you must re-enroll every year.
- Do I have to complete the Nicotine-Use Affidavit if I completed it last year? Yes. If you do not complete the affidavit, you WILL NOT receive the nicotine-free discount, and you will pay $650 more for your medical coverage.
Fertility and family building benefits available starting Jan. 1
Starting January 1, HCA Healthcare will partner with Progyny, a leading fertility benefits solution, to provide an inclusive family building benefit for unique paths to parenthood. Full-time and part-time colleagues and their covered spouses/domestic partners enrolled in the Essential, Well Care, Out-of-Area and Prime medical plans have access to comprehensive treatment coverage, personalized guidance and access to premier specialists. The benefit, which pays a percentage of the cost of services, varies depending on the plan you choose. To learn more, go to HCAhrAnswers.com, click HCA Rewards, select Benefits Enrollment Center and choose the Virtual Benefits Fair. Then, click Medical and Progyny.
Note: This does not apply to PRN colleagues and may not apply in certain markets to colleagues in a collective bargaining agreement due to union contracts.
HCA Inspire enhancements
The HCA Inspire app will be expanded as a communications tool for all HCA Healthcare colleagues with a 3-4 ID. The app, which is available for download on both Apple and Google Android phones, offers a unique user experience for nurses and non-nurses. Nurse Experience (Nurse, PCT & LPN)
Feed and posting capabilities:
- Notifications
- Profile
- Schedule feature with Facility Scheduler integration (Note: As long as the user has a Facility Scheduler account)
- Career Pathways
- Mentorship
- Leaderboard
- Badges
- Job board
- Nursing blog
Career opportunities
New leadership opportunities posted regularly for internal applicants.
Know someone who is perfect for HCA Healthcare? Ask them to go to Careers.HCAhealthcare.com and enter your name in the field for “were referred to this job by an employee.”
Did you know?
In 2020, HCA Healthcare provided charity care, uninsured discounts and other uncompensated care at a cost of approximately $3.4 billion.