Winter weather tips for Beacon employees

Not only is winter here, but it’s also likely to stick around a while. So we’ve gathered some materials to help keep everyone safe and informed.

•  If your department will be closing for any reason, including bad weather, managers and directors should inform their scheduled patients and any staff who are scheduled to work about the closing. Then, please let the Marketing Department know about the closing by emailing the information to Marketing@BeaconHealthSystem.org and we will let the media know about the closing when appropriate. Marketing also will contact our amazing operators who take calls from the public and work with Incident Command in the event of a weather emergency.
• ? Battery dead? Security is available to jumpstart your car if needed. Just call 574.523.3289 at Elkhart General and 574.647.3245 at Memorial Hospital to contact security for help.
• ? Wear appropriate footwear during the winter, be aware of the condition of parking lots, sidewalks and building entrances and use caution when walking since surfaces may be slippery. Exercise extra caution when crossing streets as the crosswalks may be slippery and vehicles may not be able to stop quickly. Slow down and use extra caution when driving on the new Smart Streets and roundabouts in South Bend. Everyone is still getting used to the new traffic patterns and they may seem even more unfamiliar when the streets are snow-covered.
• ? Our number one goal is the safety and well-being of our associates. Make sure and leave plenty of extra time when traveling to and from work in inclement weather so you don’t feel rushed. Being in a hurry can lead to bad outcomes on the road. We want everyone to arrive safely at work and home again to your family, so check the weather and leave early if necessary.
• ? If a Snow Emergency is called, please follow your Snow Travel Emergency Plan along with any departmental procedures. Emergency preparation policies are available on the intranet.