COVID-19 Update

September 16, 2021 | 2 min. to read

Today’s issue features the Northwestern Medicine Vaccine Town Hall event, which takes place at noon today. It also includes the recent statement issued by the Federation of State Medical Boards regarding the dissemination of vaccine misinformation by healthcare professionals, as well as reminders to update the NM Workforce app and to continue to complete the NM symptom attestation prior to working on-site at an NM facility.
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VIRTUAL VACCINE TOWN HALL IS TODAY
A live, virtual Vaccine Town Hall is scheduled for noon today, September 16, providing all NM physicians and employees with the opportunity to get answers to questions about COVID-19 vaccines. The 30-minute Teams event will feature NM clinical experts, including Infectious Disease Specialist Michael G. Ison, MD; Pulmonologist and Critical Care Specialist Khalilah L. Gates, MD; and Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialist Emily S. Miller, MD.
 
To join the event, click this link at noon today: Vaccine Town Hall.
 
You can submit questions here prior to the event. Questions also can be typed into the Teams chat during the event, but attendees will not be able to unmute their devices to ask questions.
 
Registration is not required, but attendees will need to be logged in to the NM network to access the event. The session will be recorded and posted to NM Interactive (NMI).

SPREADING VACCINE MISINFORMATION MAY PUT MEDICAL LICENSE AT RISK
In response to a dramatic increase in the dissemination of COVID-19 vaccine misinformation by physicians and other healthcare professionals, the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB), recently issued a statement saying that providing misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccine contradicts physicians' ethical and professional responsibilities. The FSMB statement reads:
 
Physicians who generate and spread COVID-19 vaccine misinformation or disinformation are risking disciplinary action by state medical boards, including the suspension or revocation of their medical license. Due to their specialized knowledge and training, licensed physicians possess a high degree of public trust and therefore have a powerful platform in society, whether they recognize it or not. They also have an ethical and professional responsibility to practice medicine in the best interests of their patients and must share information that is factual, scientifically grounded and consensus-driven for the betterment of public health. Spreading inaccurate COVID-19 vaccine information contradicts that responsibility, threatens to further erode public trust in the medical profession and puts all patients at risk.
 
For additional information, please review the FSMB statement and visit the FSMB web site.
 
NM WORKFORCE APPLICATION UPDATE REQUIRED
Remember to complete the Symptom Check through the NM Workforce app prior to entering any NM facility. To update the app or if you do not have it on your phone or mobile device, click here for instructions to install it.
 
For the latest information about workforce vaccination and updated guidelines, please continue to visit the COVID-19 pages on Physician Forum and NMI (login required). Patient vaccination information can be found on the COVID-19 Vaccines page in the COVID-19 Resource Center at nm.org/covid-19.
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As we await guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regarding booster vaccinations, please continue to inform patients about the importance of vaccination, against both COVID-19 and influenza. ​

Gary A. Noskin, MD
Senior Vice President, Quality
Northwestern Memorial HealthCare
Chief Medical Officer
Northwestern Memorial Hospital ​

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