Occupational Health, Safety, & Immunization Requirements

This page contains information for medical residents, medical fellows, and dental residents only.  All sections apply to medical residents and fellows; only the respirator requirements apply to dental residents as indicated within each section. If you are not a medical resident, medical fellow or dental resident, please refer any questions to University Health and Safety-Occupational Health (UHS-OH).

Your health and safety, as well as the health and safety of your patients, is important to us.  The University of Minnesota Academic Health Center, Biosafety and Occupational Health Department (UHS-BOHD), and Boynton Health have set policies and processes related to the following requirements for medical residents and fellows.

 

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Seasonal Influenza Vaccine

Annual Flu Requirement for All Residents and Fellows

ALL University of Minnesota medical residents and medical fellows must complete the GME Influenza Vaccination Reporting Form each year in the fall between August 1 to October 24.

The AHC Dean's Council mandates that all residents/fellows are required to provide documentation of receiving an influenza vaccination. Trainees requesting a medical exception to the flu shot must provide documentation from a current health provider to the reporting form. Requests for personal or religious exceptions are not accepted.

Any residents/fellows who fail to provide valid documentation to the reporting form will be removed from clinical duties beginning on November 1. Residents/fellows on non-clinical rotations must still receive and report their flu vaccination or be reported to their program as delinquent in completing this institutional requirement.

Detailed information about the flu shot reporting requirement.

When is Flu Season

Residents/fellows must complete the GME flu shot reporting form between August 1 and October 24. GME learners that complete the reporting form after October 24 will be reported as late in completing this annual requirement.

Where to Receive a Flu Shot:

More information is available on the GME Compliance Flu Shot Reporting site.

How to Report Your Flu Shot Status

Residents/fellows must provide their own copy of their flu shot documentation.

  • The GME office does not have access to your health information kept by M Health Fairview, Boynton Health, or any other affiliate sites.
  • Take a photo of the documentation or screen/monitor to save your flu shot information. Nurses often incorrectly state that the flu information will be accessible or provided to the UMN GME office.

Documentation must include (1) your name, (2) the date of the vaccine, (3) the vaccine information, and (4) the location, provider or clinic name.

  • Some sites will not provide paper documentation. A photo of the ipad/computer monitor/other tracking device the four required items will suffice as documentation.
  • If you lose or don’t get a copy of your documentation at the time of your shot, you can

Residents/fellows must submit documentation to the GME flu shot reporting form to be compliant.

  • Residents/fellows must upload proof of a flu shot to the UMN GME Flu Reporting Form to be considered compliant with the University of Minnesota’s AHS Vaccination & Immunization Policy. Having the flu shot on file at an affiliate site does not meet the reporting requirement.
  • Getting a flu shot at Fairview or Boynton Health will not mark the trainee as compliant with the UMN requirement. Flu shot information is NOT shared with the GME office, despite what the nurse might say.

Non-compliant residents/fellows will be removed from clinical duties beginning November 1. Department and program leaders will be informed that the trainees who have not submitted their flu shot documentation or medical declination documentation to the reporting form must be pulled from service on November 1.

Questions


Detailed information is available at Graduate Medical Education - Flu Shot or email [email protected]. We appreciate your support of this important patient safety initiative.

Immunizations & Tuberculosis (TB) Testing

Immunizations

All medical residents and medical fellows must remain compliant with the UMN Academic Health Center immunization requirements throughout the duration of their training.  Log in to your immunization portal to view your immunization compliance.

Reporting your Immunization/TB Test: Upon start of a new GME residency/fellowship program at UMN, trainees are required to fill out this immunization form (external immunization records are not accepted), and upload to your RMS checklist.  An updated immunization form must be provided each time you receive an immunization throughout your GME training, so your record can be updated.  There is a 10 business day turnaround time to input immunization information into the system, so please do not re-send duplicate immunization forms. New to UMN medical residents and medical fellows are provided detailed instructions on how to complete the immunization requirement via their UMN-GME central onboarding checklist in RMS.

Boynton Health contact information:

Tuberculosis Testing

Tuberculosis Screening: Baseline TB testing is required for all AHS learners. Annual testing is not required. Either a TB blood test (QuantiFERON TB-Gold or T-SPOT) OR a Two-Step TB skin test are acceptable.

If you have questions on what type of TB test you are required to receive, e-mail [email protected], and include your UMN 7 digit ID number.

Immunization & Tuberculosis Testing Information

Immunization and TB Tests

(see immunization form for more details)

 Cost/Coverage Additional Information

Hepatitis B Titers

 No cost  
MMR Titers No cost  
Tuberculosis TST No cost

Can either make an individual TB skin test appointment, OR attend a walk-in clinic via Boynton Health
Tuberculosis IGRA No cost  
Treatment for Latent TB No cost  
Tuberculosis Chest X-Ray No cost  
Varicella Titer No cost  
Diphtheria Tetanus (Pertussis) Your own health insurance If you do not hold the UMN health insurance offered to Medical Residents and Medical Fellows, you may incur costs or have to fully pay for services. Please consider out-of-network costs (if applicable)as you receive services.

Hepatitis B Vaccinations

(3 Doses)

 Your own health insurance
MMR Vaccinations Your own health insurance

Varicella Vaccination

 Your own health insurance

 

Where to receive immunizations

Boynton Health (BH)

You are strongly encouraged to receive services at BH (MUST identify yourself as a UMN Medical Resident or Medical Fellow):

Boynton Health East Bank Clinic
410 Church Street S.E.
Minneapolis, MN  55455

612-625-3222 Appointments

Reporting: You do NOT need to submit an Immunization form if you receive services at BH.

HealthPartners Occupational & Environmental Medicine Clinics (HPOEM)

You may also receive services at HPOEM (MUST identify yourself as a UMN Medical Resident or Medical Fellow):

St. Paul Clinic
205 S. Wabasha Street
St. Paul, MN

952-883-6999 Appointments

Reporting: You do NOT need to submit an Immunization form if you receive services at HPOEM.

IF you receive immunizations anywhere besides BH or HPOEM:

Reporting: You are required to submit an Immunization Form to update your UMN Immunization Portal IF you receive services somewhere other than BH or HPOEM. If you do not submit an Immunization form, your record will not be updated, and you will be considered non-compliant.

Respirator Fit Testing and Medical Clearance

This section applies to medical residents and fellows, and dental residents.

Overview:

Achieving respirator fit testing compliance is comprised of three required components:

Requirement More information
1. Viewing an online Respirator Protection Education module Issued to new to University of Minnesota (UMN) residents/fellows via their onboarding checklist in RMS.  If you are a new medical resident or medical fellow and have specific questions regarding your fit test, please contact [email protected]
2. Completing an online medical evaluation / clearance
  • New residents/fellows receive this requirement via their GME-issued New Innovations RMS onboarding checklist.
  • Continuing residents/fellows will receive information in their GME-issued RMS advancement checklist.
3. Receiving an in-person mask fitting through GME or your program, OR by making an individual appointment Receiving a mask fitting is required for ALL residents/fellows at the onset of starting their initial GME residency or fellowship training program at UMN and then annually until graduation.  See GME Compliance - Fit Test for more information on where to receive a mask fitting and how to update your compliance.

 

Respirator Fit Testing

Respirator fit testing is required for new/incoming GME residents and fellows during onboarding and then annually for all continuing residents/fellows.  The UMN Office of Occupational Health and Safety states that "Employees will be fit tested at their time of initial assignment" (section 4.2).

 

Not able to attend an open fit test session offered during orientations?  Make your own appointment:

For information about scheduling in-person fit testing at another time, please visit the GUIDE: Scheduling an In-Person Mask Fitting with HPOEM

 

If you receive a Fit Test outside of the UMN or HPOEM:

If you have completed a Fit Test at another site, you must submit either:

http://z.umn.edu/gmefittesthttp://z.umn.edu/gmefittesthttp://z.umn.edu/gmefittesthttp://z.umn.edu/gmefittest

Exemptions:

If you wear a beard, have religious beliefs or a personal or medical situation that does not allow fit testing, you are still required to complete the Fit Test Clearance Form, stating at step #5 on the form, that you were not tested.

  1. Circle “NO TEST” and state why you were not tested (e.g. have a beard), and what your action will be (e.g. will wear PAPR).
  2. Submit your completed form to http://z.umn.edu/gmefittestupload.
  3. Once you’ve submitted your completed form to http://z.umn.edu/gmefittest, there is nothing else for you to complete.

Helpful Links

Contact

If you are a medical resident or fellow and have questions about immunizations or health services, contact:

Heather Woeste
[email protected]