Family Care Health Centers

Family Care Health Centers

Policy C011 Community Health Employee Safety

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FAMILY CARE HEALTH CENTERS

POLICY NO.:C011

Subject:Community Health Employee Safety

Department(s):Clinical

Effective Date:January 1994

Revised Date:January 2003

Reviewed Date:October 2012

Revised Date: September 2017

PURPOSE: To promote the safety of the Community Health Employees in the community.

POLICY: For employees that are required to be in the community, providing home visitation, this policy is provided as a guideline to enhance employee safety in the community.

DEFINITIONS:

PROCEDURE:

Training

All employees will receive training about safety in the community upon hire and annually thereafter. Employees are expected to act according to the training they receive.

Car

All employees must follow state laws while driving their vehicle including but not limited to registration of vehicle, wear seatbelts, and maintain a valid driver’s license. A copy of driver’s license must be submitted to the Human Resources Director.

Cell phone

All employees must carry a cell phone with them while working in the community. Family Care Health Centers offers a cell phone stipend to employees who work in the community to promote communication between employees and the health center.

Employees shall not talk on their cell phone while driving their car during work hours.

Home visits

Notify supervisor of any safety concerns as soon as they arise.

If there is uncertainty about the safety of employees in patients’ environment then arrangements will be made for employees to visit in pairs or visits may be suspended in the community for identified patients. This will be evaluated on a case by case basis.

Employees should consider the time of day they schedule home visits. Appointments earlier in the day and before dark are strongly encouraged.

Employees should be prepared for the purpose of the visit and have all supplies needed for each visit.

Privacy

Upon arrival, employees should ask about other people who may be in the home to safeguard patients’ rights to privacy within the home environment.

Employees should only take documentation with patient PHI on it into the community if it is necessary for the purpose of the visit.

Employees should protect documentation with patient PHI on it while in the community. This includes the employee carrying the documentation with them at all times. Before and after the patient appointment occurs, employees shall place the documentation in a secured space if at home or locked trunk (out of sight) if in the employee’s vehicle. Family Care Health Centers recognizes that employees need access to PHI while in the community in order to provide services, and the employee should take every step indicated to protect PHI.

Any documentation with PHI on it that is lost or stolen should be reported immediately to supervisor.

Any FCHC devices should be protected by the employee at all times while in the community and reported immediately to supervisor if lost or stolen.