On April 9, based on guidance from the CDC and State of Alaska, YKHC implemented a requirement for employees to wear face coverings or masks upon entry to the workplace. The requirement extends facility-wide, in all patient care and non-patient care areas.

Following new and additional guidance from the CDC, effective immediately YKHC is revising our face covering and mask guidance as follows:

• Cloth masks should only be worn by employees who do not provide direct patient care. “Direct patient care” is defined as those who have to be within six feet of a patient for 5-10 minutes to provide direct care.
• YKHC-made sterile wrap masks are not considered cloth masks and can be worn by employees in lieu of a surgical mask if needed.
• At this time, YKHC has adequate supplies for employees who have the responsibility for performing aerosol-generating procedures to receive one N95 per employee, per day.

Click HERE to access the most up-to-date standard work regarding face coverings and masks in the workplace on Policy Manager.

In addition to being required to wear a mask in the workplace, YKHC staff are encouraged to always wear masks in public spaces, especially where social distancing can be difficult or impossible. As employees of YKHC it is important for us to be leaders in keeping our communities healthy. We can all lead by example by always wearing our masks in public places.