Key information
Documentation of Vaccine Status team member questionnaire
COVID-19 vaccine exemption form
COVID-19 vaccine FAQs for UofL Health
Checklist to prepare physician offices for COVID-19
Universal mask guidelines (updated July 8, 2020)
Expanded mask policy (effective July 26, 2021)
Discontinuation of COVID-19 isolation policy (inpatient adults)
Vaccination and booster information
Pfizer vaccine earns FDA approval
As of Aug. 23, the FDA has provided full approval of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. This is a monumental announcement as we push to get more Kentuckians and our staff vaccinated against COVID-19. As a condition of employment and medical staff privileges, everyone will need to show proof of at least initial vaccination by Sept. 15, 2021. Vaccines can be scheduled at UofLHealth.org/Louisville-Covid-19-vaccinations/. Also, if you have had a vaccine, please be available for questions from our staff who may not have yet gotten vaccination and be a champion for this life-saving intervention in your neighborhoods and communities.
You can find your nearest vaccine location using the state of Kentucky’s Where Can I Get Vaccinated webpage.
Do I qualify for a COVID-19 booster shot?
Booster doses for immunocompromised patients and staff are available for scheduling at locations across UofL Health.
This includes people who have:
- Been receiving active cancer treatment for tumors or cancers of the blood.
- Received an organ transplant and are taking medicine to suppress the immune system.
- Received a stem cell transplant within the last two years or are taking medicine to suppress the immune system.
- Moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (such as DiGeorge syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome).
- Advanced or untreated HIV infection.
- Active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids or other drugs that may suppress your immune response.
Patients should talk to their healthcare provider about their medical condition, and whether getting an additional dose is appropriate for them. We will expect to have more information about booster vaccines for other patients by mid-September.
Update on what to do if you’ve lost your vaccine card
If you’ve lost your vaccination card, there are resources you can use to obtain your proof of vaccination.
To find out if your immunization records are in the Kentucky Immunization Registry, please complete the KYIR Release of Immunization Record and fax it to the registry’s helpdesk at 502-564-4760.
The COVID-19 card you received at the time of vaccination is issued by the CDC. It cannot be replaced with another card.
For more information on immunization records, visit https://chfs.ky.gov/agencies/dph/dehp/idb/Pages/kyir.aspx.
Other vaccine information
- COVID-19 vaccination is available at the Jackson Street Outpatient Center Outpatient Pharmacy, as well as at all UofL Health – Urgent Care Plus locations. Please visit UofLHealth.org/Urgent-Care to schedule your COVID-19 vaccination at any of our five convenient locations.
- Please respond to the Human Resources survey, sent via UltiPro, regarding staff vaccination status. This is a simple but effective way for us to assess the vaccination status of all our staff and providers. If you have not received the survey or would like to change your vaccination status, please reach out to your facility’s HR business partner or email HRFYI@UofLHealth.org.
- If you are seeking a medical or religious exemption from the mandatory vaccination requirement of all UofL Health staff by early September, please contact Employee Health and arrange a meeting to discuss requests or provide documentation for your employee health file.
- Beginning Aug. 2, Infection Prevention & Control teams are now rounding on units to offer COVID-19 vaccine information, and to help non-vaccinated staff get scheduled for an appointment.
- If there are several employees on the same unit that would like to be vaccinated or would like to discuss vaccination, please contact your facility’s Infection Prevention director to arrange specific times to meet with staff.
Surgery information
Limiting elective surgery
Our organization has had to reduce the number of elective procedures requiring inpatient admissions occurring in our facilities over the past week. We will continue this for the week of Labor Day (Sept. 5-11) as well and have begun rescheduling some of these cases. We will continue to monitor this closely and as we see further progression/remission of COVID-19 cases we will adjust the schedule. We appreciate everyone’s support and patience as we move forward.
Pre-operative patient testing schedule
Effective Aug. 30, our organization now requires testing for all procedures and operations, regardless of inpatient or outpatient status or if the patient is vaccinated or unvaccinated. COVID-19 testing for pre-operative patients will be scheduled by staff at the facility where the patient is scheduled for surgery.
Mary & Elizabeth Hospital and Shelbyville Hospital are scheduling and testing their own patients for COVID-19. Our drive-thru site is open for all other facilities.
The schedule for pre-operative testing is below:
| OR/Procedure | Schedule test |
| Thursday | Monday |
| Friday | Tuesday |
| Saturday | Wednesday |
| Sunday | Wednesday |
| Monday | Thursday |
| Tuesday | Friday |
| Wednesday | Friday |
Treatment protocols and information on ivermectin and azithromycin
We have received several questions about current COVID-19 treatments. Kristine Krueger, M.D., interim chair of Medicine and chief of staff at UofL Hospital is currently leading a group of physicians to help streamline our outpatient treatment protocols. However, we have had a number of questions on treatment availability.
A couple of key points:
Regeneron: anti‐spike protein monoclonal antibodies (casirivimab+imdevimab; Regen‐Cov) are not available for inpatient use. This is approved of use in high-risk exposures even if initial test is negative. Please see further information below.
Remdesivir: is only recommended for hospitalized patients requiring lowflow, highflow or non-invasive ventilation.
Tocilizumab: (anti-L6 monoclonal antibody) is recommended for select patients requiring escalating oxygen needs and signs of systemic inflammation. It is currently on backorder due to high demand with no anticipated date of resolution.
Ivermectin: an anti-parasitic, is not currently recommended. A recent pre‐print study on ivermectin for COVID‐19 was retracted due to concerns over dataset anomalies.
Azithromycin: an antibiotic, provides no benefit in the treatment of COVID‐19 in hospitalized patients.
Regeneron (Regen-Cov) has shown tremendous benefit for COVID-19 positive patients as an outpatient treatment. We are providing this treatment in the infusion centers across the system including Medical Center East, Shelbyville Hospital, Medical Center Southwest and Mary and Elizabeth Hospital. The infusion is a four-hour infusion, but significantly reduces admission of at risk patients.
Eligibility:
- Patients age 12+ (at least 40 kg) who are at high risk.
- Unvaccinated high-risk patients with known COVID-19 exposure.
Use the current order set in Epic or the paper order set in eForms to prescribe.
Team member information
Human Resources COVID-19 update
- An employee who tests positive for COVID-19, is symptomatic or believes to have been directly exposed to COVID-19 should promptly contact Employee Health at OCCMed@UofLHealth.org (UofL Physicians team members) or EmployeeHealth@UofLHealth.org (UofL Health team members).
- Under recently updated OSHA regulations, UofL Health will pay 100% weekly base salary up to $1,400 per week, less usual and customary taxes and withholding, to employees who test positive for COVID-19, regardless of where the employee contracted the virus. Human Resources (HR) and/or Employee Health will direct timekeepers to use the “COVID100” pay code.
- This pay benefit will continue for the period of removal from the workplace, or until the employee otherwise meets return to work criteria as outlined by applicable CDC guidance, a licensed health care provider, or state or local public health authority. Other leave and workers’ compensation policies and programs may apply.
- An employee is eligible for COVID100 pay if the Employee Health team removes the individual from the workplace for COVID-19 testing, infection, quarantine or isolation, and the position cannot be performed remotely for the period of removal.
- Employees who test negative or otherwise meet the return to work criteria, but choose to remain off work for quarantine or other reasons, are not eligible for COVID100 pay and may use paid time off (PTO).
- As has been the general guidance throughout the pandemic, we will not apply occurrences under the attendance policy when HR and/or Employee Health removes an employee from the workplace for COVID-19 testing, infection, quarantine or isolation.
Performance reviews update and guidance
Thank you for the work you’ve already put into your FY21 performance evaluations. Given our busy schedules and volume impacts due to staffing and potential and real COVID-19 volumes, we are extending the deadlines for the various phases of performance review deadlines to the following:
- Manager Assessment and Manager II Acknowledgement — Sept. 15
- Administration Acknowledgement/Human Resources review — Sept. 30
We hope this extension will allow ample time to complete this process. If you have questions, please email HRFYI@UofLHealth.org.
Team member resources for self-care
Employee Assistance Program
UofL Health has an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for your use. Call 877-890-0273 for confidential support or information any time, day or night. You may also visit www.achievesolutions.net/hpg2.
You can find more information about our EAP under Employee Benefits on the Benefits and Wellness page of our employee intranet. To login to the intranet, visit UofLHealthNow.org.
Meditation Wednesday
Meditation Wednesday is back! Take a break and listen to a guided mediation or mindfulness session from your office or home. These mini-sessions occur every Wednesday from noon-12:20 p.m. via Zoom and are led by Nevia Greenwell, activity therapy manager at UofL Health – Peace Hospital. Nevia is a licensed professional art therapist with more than 20 years of experience in therapy and meditation practice.
What is meditation? Meditation is a technique such as mindfulness or focusing the mind on a specific object, thought or activity. Meditation helps one achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm and stable state.
What is mindfulness? Mindfulness is a process of bringing one’s attention to experiences occurring in the present moment without judgment.
Zoom information
- Link: https://uoflhealth.zoom.us/j/94031644693
- Meeting ID: 940 3164 4693
- Dial-in: 646-558-8656
UofL Health Emotional Support and Resource Line
Are you dealing with feelings of stress, anxiety, sadness or depression related to work? We’re bringing back the UofL Health Emotional Support and Resource line, which is available for all UofL Health team members and providers from 8 a.m.-10 p.m. daily.
One of Peace Hospital’s master’s prepared therapists will answer your call to provide emotional support through active listening and will help identify and connect you with resources.
Please call 502-861-5920 to speak with someone on the Emotional Support and Resource line.
Other resources
Coping with anxiety, depression and stress during the COVID-19 pandemic
Employee Health updates
Assessment and triage of staff exposed to SARS-Cov-2
Screening log for team members (Excel file)
COVID-19 symptom and exposure flowchart
Infection Prevention checklist for ambulatory and or outpatient areas
Employee Health contact information
- Jewish Hospital – 502-587-4240
- Mary & Elizabeth Hospital – 502-361-6430
- Medical Centers (East, Northeast, South and Southwest) – 502-587-4240, ext. 4
- Peace Hospital – 502-479-4169
- Shelbyville Hospital – 502-647-4167
- UofL Hospital – 502-562-3207
- UofL Physicians – 502-588-0376
Testing
Brook/Liberty Street Drive-Thru location is now open
Out of an abundance of need for testing, we have once again opened our Brook/Liberty Street Drive-Thru testing location. To date, this site is for employees and pre-procedural testing patients. This location is not open to the public. If someone from the public needs a test, please send them to one of our UofL Physicians – Urgent Care Plus locations and many of our UofL Health – Primary Care locations. Click here to view our locations.
Team members
Step one
If you (a team member) are symptomatic, follow this flow chart.
If you (a team member) are exposed to COVID-19, follow this flow chart.
Step two
If the flow chart leads you to contact Employee Health, please do so. We have established a call line for those who have questions related to Employee Health and COVID-19. Please call 502-217-1881 to ask someone about your COVID-19 Employee Health concern. You can also email us at Employee.COVIDResponse@UofLHealth.org.
Please note that the phone number is a voicemail online line. Someone will call you back after you’ve left a voicemail. If you call after 4 p.m., you will not get a call back until the next morning.
The voicemail box and email inbox are monitored from 8 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday through Friday. If a concern arises after these hours, speak with your supervisor or call the employee nurse on call at 502-361-6575.
Pre-operative patients
Effective Aug. 30, our organization now requires testing for many invasive and/or surgical procedures, regardless of inpatient or outpatient status or if the patient is vaccinated or unvaccinated.
Mary & Elizabeth Hospital and Shelbyville Hospital are scheduling and testing their own patients for COVID-19. Our drive-thru site is open for all other facilities.
The schedule for pre-operative testing is below:
| OR/Procedure | Schedule test |
| Thursday | Monday |
| Friday | Tuesday |
| Saturday | Wednesday |
| Sunday | Wednesday |
| Monday | Thursday |
| Tuesday | Friday |
| Wednesday | Friday |
To schedule an appointment for testing pre-operative patients at this site, please schedule an appointment in Epic.
There is not an on-site scheduler for the Brook/Liberty Street Drive-Thru location. Therefore, there is not a phone number employees can call. Please reach out to Cindy Lucchese via email for assistance.
What is the address for this location?
The address of the Brook/Liberty Street Drive-Thru testing location is 499 S. Brook Street.
What are the hours for this location?
We are testing 8 a.m.-3 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Does the Brook/Liberty Street Drive-Thru location have an on-site scheduler?
There is not an on-site scheduler for the Brook/Liberty Street Drive-Thru location. Therefore, there is not a phone number employees can call. Please reach out to Cindy Lucchese via email for assistance.
Pre-operative patient testing schedule
Effective Aug. 30, our organization now requires testing for all procedures and operations, regardless of inpatient or outpatient status or if the patient is vaccinated or unvaccinated. COVID-19 testing for pre-operative patients will be scheduled by staff at the facility where the patient is scheduled for surgery.
Mary & Elizabeth Hospital and Shelbyville Hospital are scheduling and testing their own patients for COVID-19. Our drive-thru site is open for all other facilities.
The schedule for pre-operative testing is below:
| OR/Procedure | Schedule test |
| Thursday | Monday |
| Friday | Tuesday |
| Saturday | Wednesday |
| Sunday | Wednesday |
| Monday | Thursday |
| Tuesday | Friday |
| Wednesday | Friday |
Other testing information
- We have reimplemented mandatory COVID-19 testing for all inpatient admissions regardless of vaccination status. Our organization is seeing a higher number of positive tests even among vaccinated patients. While these cases are usually mild, they still present a risk of exposure to patients and staff that have not yet completed their vaccinations.
- We are not currently testing those who are having outpatient procedures or tests unless they present with risk factors or symptoms.
- Repeat testing is not recommended within 90 days of infection except in select circumstances.
- Please continue to monitor patient signs/ symptoms throughout hospitalization. If the patient develops new or worsening symptoms, please notify the provider, as COVID-19 testing may be indicated.
Guidance for COVID-19 quarantine for vaccinated team members
Vaccinated persons who are exposed to a COVID-19 positive person are not required to quarantine if they meet the following criteria:
- Are fully vaccinated
- Greater than two weeks following receipt of the second dose in a two-dose series
- Greater than two weeks following receipt of one dose of a single-dose series
- Have no symptoms since the current COVID-19 exposure
- Are not patients or residents in health care settings (e.g., skilled nursing facilities)
- Please refer to the following website for additional information: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/infection-control-after-vaccination.html.
- Quarantine is no longer recommended for residents who are being admitted to a post-acute care facility if they are fully vaccinated and do not have known exposure.
Persons who do not meet all of the above criteria should follow quarantine guidance after COVID-19 exposure:
- (Strongly recommended) Quarantine for 14 days; especially if you are going to be around people at high-risk, such as the elderly or those who co-morbidities.
Vaccinated persons who do not quarantine after exposure should continue to do the following, even as possible in the work setting:
- Monitor for symptoms for 14 days following exposure
- Stay at least six feet away from others
- Wear a mask
- Avoid crowds and poorly ventilated spaces
- Cover coughs and sneezes
- Wash your hands often
Visitation policies
UofL Health Emergency Department visitor policy update (Aug. 17, 2021)
The last few weeks have been difficult ones regarding COVID-19 for many communities across the United States. We continue to see an increase in the number of positive cases, and we have seen a significant spike in hospitalizations across our region of the US. Within Kentucky this week, we have seen a doubling in the total number of positive COVID cases, and, as a result, more and more patients are seeking treatment at our Emergency Departments and Urgent Care Plus locations. This high number of visits and increasing numbers of patient holds in our emergency departments has led to crowding in these areas making patient care difficult and putting patients and staff at risk as social distancing has become problematic.
Due to these issues, we will be closing UofL Health Emergency Departments and Urgent Cares to visitors beginning today (Aug. 17). Specific policies on how we will communicate with our patients’ families and designated contacts are attached to this email. Additionally, we will still allow a guardian or parent to accompany all pediatric patients and will allow nursing staff to make accommodations for a visitor under extreme circumstances.
We sincerely hope these changes will be temporary, and we are not changing our current visitation policy for our inpatient facilities. We appreciate your patience as we continue to provide care to this fourth wave of the pandemic.
UofL Health visitor policy information
Effective April 2, 2021, for the entire UofL Health system until further notice, visitors are allowed to visit those in the hospital during visiting hours. Children supervised by an adult are welcome and not restricted by age. Good judgment and level of maturity should be considered for children under the age of 12.
We now offer both English and Spanish translations of the visitor policy and patient handout. You can print the visitor policy by clicking the links below:
English translation
Spanish translation
If you would like professionally printed versions of the visitor policy, please contact the Copy Center at CopyCenter@UofLHealth.org. Please be sure to provide the following information in your email:
- Cost center number
- Delivery information
- Quantity of posters and handouts to print
The Copy Center will only laminate items upon request. If you would like your items to be laminated, please be sure to add that to your order request email to the Copy Center.
COVID-19 Resources
Kentucky COVID-19 Hotline: 800-722-5725
University of Louisville faculty, resident and student information
Contact information
The following individuals are available to answer immediate questions concerning our team members, policies and procedures:
Cindy Luchesse, MBA, BSN, RN
Chief nurse executive and vice president of Patient Experience
Office: 502-588-4215
Email: Cindy.Lucchese@UofLHealth.org
Dr. Kris Bryant
Medical director, Infection Prevention and Control for UofL Physicians
Email: Kristina.Bryant@louisville.edu
UofL Health Infection Prevention & Control (after hours)
Office: 502-361-6575
We have established a call line for those who have questions related to Employee Health and COVID-19. Please call 502-217-1881 to ask someone about your COVID-19 Employee Health concern. You can also email us at Employee.COVIDResponse@UofLHealth.org.
Please note that the phone number is a voicemail online line. Someone will call you back after you’ve left a voicemail. If you call after 4 p.m., you will not get a call back until the next morning.
The voicemail box and email inbox are monitored from 8 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday through Friday. If a concern arises after these hours, speak with your supervisor or call the employee nurse on call at 502-361-6575.
