Perham Memorial Hospital and Home senior leadership are the first to be immunized against this season's influenza. PMHH has launched a campaign "Do No Harm.... Stick Out Your Arm" with the goal to immunize 90 percent of their employees for influenza in order to protect its nursing home residents and patients against the illness.
Despite research demonstrating the benefits of immunizing health care workers against flu, nationally, fewer than 40 percent of health care workers are immunized each year.
"PMHH is committed to patient safety and offering the vaccination demonstrates our obligation to protect patients and residents," said Mary Mayer, Director of Quality Management for PMHH. "Historically, we have a very high percentage of our employees vaccinated against the disease and this year we're aiming for nearly 100 percent. Health care workers come in contact with people who have chronic illnesses and are at high risk for influenza-related complications. We take every measure we can at assuring our patients and residents that we take patient safety extremely serious."
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently published recommendations that call for immunizing all health care personnel in acute-care hospitals, nursing homes and other skilled nursing facilities, physicians' offices, and outpatient clinics against the disease. Also targeted are home health care workers and individuals providing emergency medical services.
