Lexington VA isn’t letting staff work from home in response to COVID-19
The Lexington VA Medical System is not giving staffers who could work from home any flexibility to do so in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, despite contrary directives from Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, according to internal emails obtained by the Herald-Leader.
Despite Beshear’s strong urging and repeated recommendations from state public health officials for as many people to work from home as possible, an internal email on Friday, March 20 informed Lexington VA primary care department, which includes administrative staff: “For now we do not have authorization to send anyone home on telework.”
This lack of authorization applies to the many non-health care providers who work in administrative or outpatient departments and do not directly serve veteran patients seeking medical care.
Kentucky VA staff are just a fraction of the millions of federal employees across the country who are awaiting telework authorization since the outbreak of novel coronavirus.
That policy was still in place locally early this week, though a spokeswoman for the Lexington VA said Tuesday morning they were “in the process of granting” these applications “when appropriate to the duties” of the employee.
When asked Monday during his daily Capitol news conference whether federal policies prohibiting telework should supersede his recommendations and mandates, Beshear said, “That’s something I’ll have to look at. They certainly do fall under federal regulation, but I don’t think that necessarily means that they shouldn’t at least be following our guidance.”
The U.S. Veterans Health Administration is the largest integrated health system in the country. About 2,500 people in Kentucky are employed by the VA health care system, a spokeswoman said. Spread between about half a dozen locations, the VA operates a hospital in Louisville, and outpatient clinics in Berea, Hazard, Morehead and Somerset.
The Lexington VA Medical Center is split between two locations: the Franklin R. Sousy Campus off Leestown Road, and the Troy Bowling Campus off Veterans Drive.
In an email circulated to staff on Thursday, March 19, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs told all employees at both Lexington campuses that “mass cancellations of outpatient appointments is NOT authorized.” Outpatient refers to a service or procedure that doesn’t require spending the night.
Beshear has not explicitly asked for the cancellation of these appointments, but many outpatient services, medical and otherwise, often fall within the category of elective, or non-emergency, procedures. Last Wednesday, Beshear asked that the medical community delay these procedures as yet another step to tamp down the inevitable spread of COVID-19, which has so far infected at least 163 Kentuckians and contributed to the deaths of four. The governor made his recommendation as a formal mandatory executive order on Monday.
With the subject line, “Primary Care Leadership COVID19 service level plan,” the email tells employees, “We understand that [Kentucky Hospital Association], the Governor’s office, etc. is providing recommendations, however we are a federal entity and must take our directions from VA Central Office through the [Veterans Integrated Service Network], through our incident command center.”
While any surgeries and clinical procedures “deemed to be elective/non-emergent are being postponed,” the email said, generally, “If you receive guidance from another entity that has not been vetted and approved through this incident command center, you are not allowed to follow it.”
For appointments that aren’t canceled, VA officials are encouraging telehealth — a virtual visit, either by phone or video — unless a veteran chooses to visit a VA provider in person: “We are encouraging all other face-to-face appointment to be converted to telehealth, where clinically appropriate. Face-to-face appointments will continue if clinically indicated, or the Veteran chooses to be seen face-to-face at this time.”
Though patients and providers are being asked to keep their distance through virtual visits, non-essential staff aren’t.
The lack of telework authorization at this federal agency as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic seems to be a trend nationwide. On March 13, a day before Beshear asked medical providers to delay elective procedures, ProPublica reported that the head of the U.S. Veterans Health Administration in a memo asked all VA locations to “immediately” stop all authorizations allowing administrative employees to telework.
“Telework is not to be authorized for administrative staff at this time,” the memo from Dr. Richard A. Stone said.
When asked why employees aren’t being granted telework authorization, the Lexington VA in a statement said, “While we do encourage telework, we also must ensure our providers and their support teams are on hand to care for our patients in-house and ensure they have what they need to perform telehealth appointments with Veterans.”
Not all VA employees, including medical providers, would be able to work from home if given the chance, but many likely could.
Since it’s unclear when telework will be authorized, VA staff have to rely on workplace social distancing, which can be challenging when surrounded by hundreds of employees.
Both Lexington VA Medical Center locations began last week screening all visiting veterans and their guests who entered, asking them whether they have a fever or flu-like symptoms, have traveled to an area with widespread COVID-19 outbreak, or whether they’ve been exposed to someone with a confirmed case.
In addition, supervisors and managers have been asked to “screen your employees every day,” according to an internal email.
To help maintain space in clinics, “Some clinics have used tape on the floor to limit check-in to 6-feet distance,” the March 20 email said.
If a Lexington employee is sick and needs to take leave, supervisors were told, “do not give full 14 day work excuse, [but] give as you follow up, as [their] condition may change.”
Citing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, the email reminded staff that “asymptomatic employees” are required to “come to work.”
But asymptomatic doesn’t necessarily mean one isn’t carrying the virus, Beshear and Department for Public Health Commissioner Dr. Steven Stack have repeatedly said this month. In another email obtained by the Courier Journal last week, Louisville VA Medical Center staff were directed to continue coming to work even if they’ve been possibly or certainly exposed to COVID-19 “as long as they are not symptomatic.”
Even though it isn’t being currently granted, Lexington VA staff were still encouraged to apply for telework authorization.
Employees were urged to connect, through steps outlined in the March 20 email, to the internal server from their home internet. “Test it at home and make sure you can get access,” the email said.
This story was originally published March 24, 2020 at 12:19 PM.
