The pandemic has been tough for everyone, but it has been particularly difficult for healthcare workers. For those on the front lines of the pandemic, the experience was and continues to be, traumatic. In the beginning, they faced the unknowns of a new disease and over time, having to treat patients through various surges in infection across the country.

Prior to March 2020, telemedicine was a rarely used service. It wasn’t common to video chat with your doctor or receive medical care over the phone or via email. However, since the COVID-19 pandemic began, more doctors are turning to telemedicine in order to stay engaged with patients and provide health care services.

As the mass vaccination effort continues to ramp up across the country, Medicare and Medicaid payers and accountable care organizations are looking for ways to ensure their members get vaccinated as soon as they are eligible. Many Medicare members fall into vulnerable populations due to age, while Medicaid members can be more susceptible to comorbidities, and more making it essential that both populations get vaccinated quickly. Member populations may also require a greater level of education around vaccination due to hesitancy of the vaccine or because they may encounter logistical obstacles as they schedule and travel to their appointments.

Employee Appreciation Day is March 5th and is a great opportunity to show appreciation for employees. For those returning to the office in person, the risks they are taking during the pandemic need to be acknowledged and employers need to ensure employees feel safe in their workplace. For employees who are working from home, there are no more “office perks” that benefit or enhance the employee experience, so it is important for employers to find creative ways to show appreciation for their staff’s hard work and effort throughout the year. Making adjustments like moving certain office perks, like a fitness class to Zoom, can go a long way in strengthening the relationship between the employer and employee. 

It may be a new year, but that hasn’t erased the employee burnout or safety concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Whether a business is operating remotely or managing under new safety protocols to bring back an in-person workforce, employee absenteeism remains a costly challenge to employers.