MHR Newsletter - April 2022

NEWSLETTER TOPICS

Click on the topic below to go to the applicable section:

1. Clients require staff to wear uniforms from April 2022
2. COVID-19 vaccination information
3. Professional council licences due dates
4. Email addresses for administration and payment-related enquiries
5. Make sure your information is up to date on the MHR system
6. What does confidentiality in the unit/department mean?
7. Social media wisdom
8. Clock in and out correctly to avoid payment delays
9. Confirm availability for shifts and keep cellphone switched on for confirmation and cancellation SMSs
10. Self-cancellation of shifts
11. An online hub of wellness resources created especially for you
12. Bravo for brilliance

1. CLIENTS REQUIRE STAFF TO WEAR UNIFORMS FROM APRIL 2022    

Some of our clients, e.g. Mediclinic, require clinical MHR panel members to start wearing uniforms again from April 2022. We also encourage administrative panel members to wear uniforms. Please visit your nearest MHR office to place an order if you do not have an MHR uniform.

Remember, our uniform range is part of our corporate identity. Please share in our pride to have you as part of the MHR team by wearing your MHR uniform when you work at our clients. Refer to our ‘Policies and Documents’ web page for our dress code policy and uniform documentation.

3. PROFESSIONAL COUNCIL LICENCES DUE DATES

Please ensure that you renew your professional council licences before the following due dates:

OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING THE RENEWAL OF PROFESSIONAL COUNCIL LICENCES

• Please ensure that you adhere to the council due dates and renew your licence on time to avoid temporary deactivation of your profile on the MHR system.
• We also urge you to please pay your licence fee in advance to ensure that your details are updated on the relevant council system before the due date.
• Kindly email proof of your renewed licence to your region’s administration email address confirmed below to avoid temporary deactivation of your profile on our system.

4. EMAIL ADDRESSES FOR ADMINISTRATION AND PAYMENT-RELATED ENQUIRIES

You are welcome to use the email addresses below for administration and payment-related enquiries:

• MHR Central Region (Free State, KwaZulu-Natal and Northern Cape): admin.central@mhr.co.za   |  pay.central@mhr.co.za

• MHR Northern Region (Johannesburg, Vaal Triangle and Mpumalanga): admin.north@mhr.co.za  |  pay.north@mhr.co.za

• MHR Tshwane Region (Pretoria, Brits and Limpopo): admin.tshwane@mhr.co.za  |  pay.tshwane@mhr.co.za

• MHR Western Cape Region (Southern and Western Cape locations): admin.wc@mhr.co.za  |  pay.wc@mhr.co.za

Please ensure that you use the ‘pay’ email addresses for payment-related enquiries and the ‘admin’ email addresses for administration-related questions to ensure your email is received by the correct MHR representative.

5. MAKE SURE YOUR INFORMATION IS UP TO DATE ON MHR SYSTEM

5.1 Personal information changes

MHR needs to have an up-to-date profile for you on our system, especially now that we have reached the end of the 2022 tax year. Please notify your local MHR office and not the client if any of the following information has changed:

• Physical or postal address
• Email address
• Contact number
• Banking details
• Next of kin (for emergency contact reasons)

5.2 Employment status changes

NB: Remember to inform your nearest MHR office if you are no longer a moonlighter (permanently employed elsewhere) or have become a permanent employee. Kindly also make sure that you complete a new ‘Personal tax’ form received from your MHR office, to change your tax status on our system.  The correct tax status assists MHR to deduct the correct tax from your earnings.

5.3 Marital status changes

If your marital status changes, please remember to submit your marriage or divorce certificate to MHR if there is a need to change your surname on our system. Nursing panel members, remember to get in touch with SANC to complete a SANC surname change form.

6. WHAT DOES CONFIDENTIALITY IN THE UNIT/DEPARTMENT MEAN?

As mentioned in previous newsletters, the confidentiality of our patients and clients is of vital importance to each of us. Please familiarise yourself with the information below to ensure adherence to patient confidentiality.

Understanding patient privacy

• According to the national Patients Rights’ Charter, every patient has the right to confidentiality and privacy. Patient privacy refers to the right of patients to determine when, how and to what extent their health information is shared with others.
• It involves maintaining confidentiality and sharing protected patient information only with healthcare providers and related professions who need it to take care of the patient.
• Patients have the right to determine how their health information is shared.

What does MHR classify as patient information?

• Clinical information or medical history
• Personal information and contact details
• Medication information and any medical results such as laboratory and radiology, etc.
• Images of a patient in the hospital (Written confirmation must be obtained if a patient is photographed or filmed)

What does this mean in the work environment?

• Keep all discussions with patients private or at a lower volume in shared rooms.
• Store all clinical records safely so that they cannot be seen by anyone passing by (according to the client’s policy).
• All documents featuring patient information are considered the client's property and may not leave the client’s premises without the authorisation of a Senior Manager.
• Clinical discussions regarding patients may not take place in public areas.
• Do not release any patient information to anyone who is not a close family member of the patient. Information may only be shared upon a patient’s consent.

7. SOCIAL MEDIA WISDOM

MHR understands the importance of social media in peoples’ lives, but acknowledges that there are always risks involved - both in a professional and/or personal capacity. Where your connection with MHR or MHR’s clients is apparent, please be mindful of how your behaviour or comments on social media can affect your career. Are you comfortable with MHR or a client representative seeing the content? If the answer to this question is ‘no’, it is probably best not to post it.

Refrain from sharing and posting any information or photos of patients, clients and MHR on social media platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, Instagram, Telegram, Signal, YouTube, TikTok, etc. NB: This includes sharing videos or photos of yourself or colleagues dressed in MHR or a client’s uniform or where MHR or a client’s name or logo is visible in the video or photo.

MHR compiled a social media usage policy to assist panel members in making appropriate decisions when conducting themselves on social media, including conduct outside working hours. Click here to visit our ‘Policies and Procedures’ web page on our website and click on the ‘Cell Phone Usage and Social Media Wisdom’ tab to view this policy. You are also welcome to consult your nearest MHR office for more information.

8. CLOCK IN AND OUT CORRECTLY TO AVOID PAYMENT DELAYS

Please ensure that you sign or clock in and out correctly by adhering to the guidelines below to avoid a delay in payment. The guidelines below apply to clients who use electronic clocking or hand registers.

• Always sign or clock in and out when you work a shift through MHR at a client.
• If you transfer to another unit during your shift, remember to sign/clock out at the previous unit and sign/clock in at the new unit (if it is a requirement of the specific client).
• NB: Sign/clock in and out when your shift starts and finishes. If you arrive early, only sign/clock in when your shift starts. If you remain on the premises after your shift, make sure that you sign/clock out when your shift finishes and not when you leave the premises.

9. CONFIRM AVAILABILITY FOR SHIFTS AND KEEP CELL PHONE SWITCHED ON FOR CONFIRMATION OR CANCELLATION SMSs

We urge you to please confirm your availability with your local MHR coordinator or MHR after-hours call centre. MHR sends out SMSs to reach a larger pool of panel members. After sending SMSs, MHR contacts panel members according to their confirmed availability. If you are available, please reply to the SMS or contact your local MHR coordinator or MHR after-hours call centre to secure the shift. This will also assist us in providing a service to our clients and their patients.

NB: Please do not contact the client to confirm your availability, book, or cancel a shift.

Make sure that your cell phone is switched on, especially at 16:00 and 21:00, to receive confirmation and cancellation SMSs on time.

10. SELF-CANCELLATION OF SHIFTS

Should you wish to cancel your shift, please inform the MHR coordinator or after-hours call centre, adhering to the times below. Please do not contact the client.

• Night duty: At least 3 hours before the shift commences
• Day duty: Preferably the previous night, but not later than 2½ hours before the shift commences

Please consult your nearest MHR office should you require more information.

12. BRAVO FOR BRILLIANCE

It is always a pleasure to recognise the hard work and accomplishments of our personnel (panel members) and teams within our organisation. Click below to view the acknowledgements on our 'Bravo for Brilliance' web page.

How do I recognise an MHR panel member for exceptional performance? Click here to visit our ‘Feedback’ page and enter the panel member’s information and compliment you would like to share.