We’ve been in peak flu season for a couple weeks now, so we’ve had some time to see how our updated influenza vaccination policy is working. I probably don’t need to tell you that it’s brought unique changes and challenges to the work life of some of our employees.

The updated policy said that if you don’t get a flu shot you would be required to wear a mask at work during peak influenza season. End of story. This process is one thing while you’re debating whether or not to get a flu shot; it’s an entirely different concept once you see it in practice. The faces of many staff we’re used to seeing every day are now covered by a mask.

Let me be clear: It’s definitely OK that their faces are covered (not because I don’t want to see them, oh geez, I might have just dug myself a hole here). It’s OK because they’re following our guidelines to not only keep our patients well but to keep themselves healthy too. That’s what’s important here.

So where am I going with this? It’s come to my attention that some of these staff members who are now wearing masks are being met with taunting and ridicule by other non-mask-wearing employees. Folks, that’s simply unacceptable. We’re all here to do a job: take care of the patients who come to us for help. We do that in a variety of ways, but our patients are always the focus. Let’s keep our eye on the ball.

Our staff who opted out of the flu shot did so for a reason—medical, ethical, religious or moral. That is their choice and as coworkers—members of the Good Samaritan family—we must respect those choices. I can’t imagine that wearing a mask for the entire time they’re at work is anywhere near comfortable or convenient, so let’s have a little bit of empathy.

To test this comfort theory, I donned a mask myself.

Disclaimer: The census data featured in this photograph may have been altered for dramatic purposes.

As I suspected, it is neither comfortable or convenient. But I stand by those who are wearing masks—and those who aren’t—and thank you for work. We’re all in this together.

Mike

After a little more than a year-and-a-half, my blog is going big time—straight to the World Wide Web! So long intranet! A Husker Rising is becoming a public blog where anyone can read my thoughts.

I’d like to think that it’s because our intranet has become too small to contain my thought-provoking…thoughts. But, really, it’s because the info and the stories I share on my blog are suitable for anyone to read. I’ve had requests from board members or other staff at our sister ministries for a link to my blog. And there have been some really fun entries I’ve wanted to share with my family and friends. Unfortunately, because the blog has resided on our intranet, only people on site with appropriate log-in credentials were able to read it.

After some thoughtful…thinking about it, and upon the agreement from Administrative Team (they also agreed to help me out by writing some guest entries from time to time), we decided to move the blog to our external website at www.gshs.org. You can still read it the way you always have from our intranet, but now you can ALSO get to it when you’re on the road (I know, the first thing you want to do when you’re on vacation is read my blog!) or when you’re at another facility, or if there’s something you want to share with someone, now you can do that.

Well, you can do that as soon as the IT part of it wraps up. Which will be soon. Until then, stay tuned.

And, as always, thanks for reading.

Mike