SHC Tri-Valley Visiting Observer Program

Stanford Tri-Valley Hospital is pleased to offer a visiting observer opportunity through our Compliance Department. Observers must be 18 years or older and have a host to apply for this program. 

Steps Involved in the Visiting Observer (VO) Program

  1. Potential VOs must reach out to a member of the Tri-Valley workforce to be their Host. Important to note, the Compliance Department does not match potential VOs and Hosts. It is the VO’s responsibility to find a Host and obtain their agreement.
  2. Once a Host has agreed to host a potential VO, they should reach out to VisitingObserverTV@stanfordhealthcare.org to request the link to the intake form. If they already have the link to the intake form, they may proceed with completing it.
  3. The Compliance Department review intake forms and provide the Host with a packet containing all paperwork necessary and detailed instructions on what steps both the Host and the potential VO must do in order for the visit to be approved. Those steps include:
    • The Host must sign an attestation acknowledging their responsibilities and listing the dates of observation. Additionally, the Host is responsible for obtaining the signature of their Clinical Department Head. If any observation will occur in the OR/Cath Lab/ASC, the Host must obtain the signature of the Nurse Manager for the space they plan to bring the observer.
    • The VO must do the following:

  i.      Review our Code of Conduct and HIPAA Privacy Slides
ii.      Sign a VO Attestation acknowledging their responsibilities
iii.      Provide a photo for their badge and a copy of a current government ID
iv.      Be medically cleared by Occupational Health

4.  Once all of the paperwork has been completed, the Compliance Department will approve the visit and contact HR/Security Services to issue a badge to the VO.     The VO must pick up the badge in Dublin prior to the first day of observation.
5.  During the observation, the Host is responsible for having each patient whom the VO would like to observe first review and sign the Patient Authorization form.  Patients must give their written permission to be observed before observation occurs. If a patient does not sign the form, the VO cannot observe them. After the observation, the Host must retain a copy of the Patient Authorization form for 6 years (it is recommended that this form be uploaded to the “Media” tab of the patient’s chart in Epic).

 

Timeline and Expectations:

  • Hosts must submit their intake form a minimum of 2 weeks before the first proposed day of observation. 
  • VOs are limited to 30 days of observation within a twelve-month period. These days do not have to be taken consecutively.
  • If the potential VO is a member of the Stanford workforce, there is an expedited medical clearance process.

 

Intake form link:

The intake form can be found here. Alternatively, Hosts can always reach out to VisitingObserverTV@stanfordhealthcare.org to request the link to the intake form.

FAQ

Who can be a Visiting Observer?

VOs can be any individual who is at least 18 years of age who is interested in watching patient care at Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley. Note that VOs may not participate in any patient care activities. If a prospective VO is enrolled in a class for continuing education purposes, they cannot participate in the VO program for purposes of gaining credit for that class.

 

Who can be a Host?

Hosts can be any member of the Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley workforce, whether that is a member of the staff or a physician who has privileges and practices at Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley. Please note, the Corporate Compliance Department only processes requests for observations taking place at Tri-Valley locations. There are different points of contact for the VO programs at SHC/SMCH and LPCH

 

Additional FAQs can be found in the document linked here, or for further questions please reach out to VisitingObserverTV@stanfordhealthcare.org