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COVID-19 Workforce Resilience/Sustainability Resources
Topic Collection
October 6, 2021

Topic Collection: COVID-19 Workforce Resilience/Sustainability Resources

This Topic Collection focuses on plans, tools, templates, and other immediately implementable resources to help with COVID-19 preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation efforts, focusing on workforce resilience and sustainability.

Please refer to CDC’s Coronavirus Disease 2019 webpage for the most up-to-date clinical guidance on COVID19 outbreak management.

If you have COVID-19 promising practices, plans, tools, or templates to share with your peers, please visit the ASPR TRACIE Information Exchange COVID-19 Information Sharing Page (registration required) and place your resources under the relevant topic area. Resources specific to workforce protection and sustainability can be placed under the COVID-19 Workforce Resilience/Protection/Sustainability Resources Topic.

NOTE: inclusion of any reference in this document does not constitute an endorsement, acknowledgment, or suggestion that the reference is the only or best example for that topic. References are included as examples which were provided as suggestions at the time the document was developed.

All guidance posted is accessible to the public, and non-federal resources are noted with an asterisk (*). Linking to a non-federal website does not constitute an endorsement by the U.S. government, or any of its employees, of the information and/or products presented on that site. 

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Education and Training

American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. (2020). COVID-19 Webinars for Occupational and Environmental Health Providers *.
This website has links to multiple webinars explaining how to protect healthcare workers.
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Emergency Nurses Association, the American College of Emergency Physicians, et al. (2020). What Healthcare Providers Should Know.
This webinar, posted 2/19/2020 from the Emergency Nurses Association, the American College of Emergency Physicians, the Association of American Medical Colleges, the CDC and the National Ebola Training and Education Center, provides information for health care providers on COVID-19.
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* National Association of County and City Health Officials. (n.d.). Building Workforce Resilience Through the Practice of PFA- L: A Course for Supervisors and Leaders*. (Accessed 10/30/2020.)
This self-paced 90-minute course was developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the National Association of County and City Health Officials to introduce the concept of Psychological First Aid (PFA) as a leadership tool to build workforce resilience. The course uses scenario-based exercises to teach participants about the core components of Psychological First Aid for Leaders.
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National Emerging Special Pathogens Training and Education Center. (2020). NETEC COVID-19 and Emergency Management Webinar Series.
This series of webinars focuses on personal protective equipment and infection control, emergency management, and patient treatment and care in various healthcare settings. Continuing education credit is available for some webinars.
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National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences. (2020). NIEHS Worker Training Program.
This page contains health and safety resources and multiple trainings for workers who may be at risk of exposure to COVID-19.
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* Nebraska Medicine. (2020). COVID-19 Resources for Providers *.
This frequently updated page includes information on use, donning and doffing, and decontamination of personal protective equipment; protocols and checklists; inpatient, ambulatory, surgical, special patient populations, treatment, and patient transport guidance; and other related resources for healthcare providers.
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NHTSA Office of EMS. (2020). What EMS and 911 Need to Know About COVID-19.
This webinar, recorded on February 24, 2020, explains the latest updates on COVID-19.
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The National Child Traumatic Stress Network. (2020). Skills for Psychological Recovery (SPR) Online*.
Skills for Psychological Recovery (SPR) is a 5-hour interactive course designed for providers to help survivors gain skills to manage distress and cope with post-disaster stress and adversity. This course is for individuals who want to learn about using SPR, learning the goals and rationale of each core skill, delivering SPR, and supporting survivors in the aftermath of a disaster or traumatic event (https://learn.nctsn.org/enrol/index.php?id=535 *).
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Education and Training: Personal Protective Equipment

American Industrial Hygiene Association. (2020). Proper Use of Respirators for Healthcare Workers and First Responders *.
This infographic explains how to properly wear a respirator and includes facts about respirators and COVID-19. It also includes practical reminders for the healthcare workforce.
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American Industrial Hygiene Association. (2020). Ventilation, Surface Disinfection, and PPE Consideration for the Infection Preventionist and Industrial Hygienist *.
This town hall webinar from 3/26/2020 addresses questions about ventilation, surface disinfection, respirators, construction issues, and occupational health and safety during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology. (2015). PPE Do’s and Don’ts*.
These flyers can teach healthcare professionals how to use personal protective equipment in non-surgical settings.
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020). Implementing Filtering Facepiece Respirator (FFR) Reuse, Including Reuse after Decontamination, When There Are Known Shortages of N95 Respirators.
This website provides information about methods used to decontaminate filtering facepiece respirators. While these methods are not approved as a standard of care when personal protective equipment supplies are adequate, they may be considered to ensure continued availability during supply shortages.
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020). Optimizing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Supplies.
This site has multiple links to help healthcare facilities and staff optimize their personal protective equipment (PPE), with specific guidance on the usage of gowns, masks, eye protection, and N95 respirators, PPE decontamination procedures, and responses to frequently asked questions.
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020). Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Burn Rate Calculator. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
This Excel-based calculator allows healthcare facilities and other workplaces to enter the quantity of their current stock of various types of personal protective equipment (PPE) and calculate an average consumption rate (burn rate). Based on the burn rate, they can estimate their remaining PPE supply.
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* Nebraska Medicine. (2020). COVID-19 Resources for Providers *.
This frequently updated page includes information on use, donning and doffing, and decontamination of personal protective equipment; protocols and checklists; inpatient, ambulatory, surgical, special patient populations, treatment, and patient transport guidance; and other related resources for healthcare providers.
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Occupational Safety and Health Administration. (2020). Temporary Enforcement Guidance - Healthcare Respiratory Protection Annual Fit-Testing for N95 Filtering Facepieces During the COVID-19 Outbreak.
These links reference OSHA’s enforcement guidance for N95 respirators and fit-testing during the COVID-19 pandemic. The guidance is intended to be time-limited to the current public health crisis and discusses allowing for flexibility on annual fit-testing enforcement and re-use of disposable filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs).
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U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2020). Emergency Use Authorizations.
This website provides up-to-date links on recently passed Emergency Use Authorizations (EUAs). EUAs may be issued to allow for the use of personal protective equipment decontamination technologies, amongst other things, during times of crisis.
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Guidance

American Medical Association. (2020). Senior Physician COVID-19 Resource Guide*.
This resource page dated 3/28/2020 offers considerations for retired physicians interested in returning to practice to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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ASPR TRACIE. (2020). Staff Absenteeism Resources.
This ASPR TRACIE Technical Assistance response document provides resources specific to healthcare system emergency preparedness planners and healthcare workers to use while preparing for and responding to staff absenteeism related to the infectious disease outbreaks.
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020). Interim Guidance on Management of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Correctional and Detention Facilities.
This guidance provides information specific to law enforcement officers that may experience unique challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020). Interim Recommendations for Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems and 911 Public Safety Answering Points/Emergency Communication Centers (PSAP/ECCs) in the United States During the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Pandemic.
This guidance applies to all first responders, including law enforcement, fire services, emergency medical services, and emergency management officials, who anticipate close contact with persons with confirmed or possible COVID-19 in the course of their work.
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021). Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): Staffing Resources.
This web page provides guidance for state, tribal, local, and territorial health departments on staffing the public health workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Occupational Safety and Health Administration. (2021). COVID-19 Healthcare ETS. U.S. Department of Labor.
This page includes the emergency temporary standard (ETS) to protect healthcare workers from contracting COVID-19. In addition to the ETS, the page includes links to fact sheets, a press release, frequently asked questions, the executive order instructing development of the ETS, and resources to guide implementation of the ETS.
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Washington State Hospital Association. (2020). Expedited Licensing Pathways Available for Health Care Workers in Response to COVID-19*.
This table provides a summary by practitioner type of licensing pathways, the requirements and process, estimated time to receive approval, and applicability to telehealth and virtual care. While intended for healthcare workers in the state of Washington, some of the content may apply in other states.
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Management of Exposed and/or Sick Healthcare Workers

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020). Criteria for Return to Work for Healthcare Personnel with Confirmed or Suspected COVID-19.
This guidance can help occupational health program leaders make decisions about when healthcare workers with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 can return to work.
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020). Interim U.S. Guidance for Risk Assessment and Public Health Management of Healthcare Personnel with Potential Exposure in a Healthcare Setting to Patients with Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19).
This guidance can assist with the assessment of risk, monitoring, and work restriction decisions for healthcare workers with potential exposure to COVID-19.
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Plans, Tools, and Templates

American College of Emergency Physicians. (2020). Checklist for Healthcare Providers *.
This one-page checklist offers planning recommendations for healthcare providers to improve their personal preparedness for COVID-19.
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University of California San Francisco, Department of Hospital Epidemiology and Infection Control. (2020). UCSF Health COVID-19 Clinical Resources*.
These frequently updated guidelines offer: 1) information on personal protective equipment, 2) algorithms, 3) other clinical information and announcements, 4) control plan and testing, 5) signage in multiple languages, 6) forms, 7) staff education materials, 8) provider and staff training resources, 9) patient education, 10) email digests, and 11) external resources.
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Self-Care and Resilience Resources for Responders and Healthcare Workers

ASPR TRACIE. (2018). Disaster Behavioral Health.
Disaster behavioral health (DBH) includes the provision of mental health, substance abuse, and stress management services to disaster survivors and responders (ASPR ABC, 2012). Incorporating DBH into all phases of emergency management can ensure resident and responder preparedness, an effective, compassionate response effort, and a more resilient community moving forward. The resources on this page can help our stakeholders accomplish these goals.
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ASPR TRACIE. (2019). Disaster Behavioral Health Self Care for Healthcare Workers Modules.
ASPR TRACIE has worked closely with ASPR At-Risk Individuals, Behavioral Health & Community Resilience (ABC) interagency/ external partner working groups in every disaster recovery operation for the last four years. One continuous knowledge gap identified during this time has been the need for information for front-line healthcare and social services workers to use prior to a disaster to recognize and reduce their stress levels and maintain resilience during recovery. These modules are designed for healthcare workers in all settings, but primarily hospital-based providers.
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ASPR TRACIE. (2020). Mini Modules to Relieve Stress for Healthcare Workers Responding to COVID-19: Creating a Practical Self-Care Plan in Difficult Times.
This short video can help healthcare providers create self-care plans to minimize stress and boost resilience.
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ASPR TRACIE. (2020). Mini Modules to Relieve Stress for Healthcare Workers Responding to COVID-19: Stress Management Exercise.
This five-minute video and exercise can help healthcare practitioners understand stress reactions and learn how taking just a few minutes to check in with oneself and de-stress can help.
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ASPR TRACIE. (2020). Responder Safety and Health. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Preparedness and Response.
The resources in this Topic Collection focus on safety strategies (e.g., preventing fatigue, ensuring the availability and correct use of personal protective equipment) and maintaining behavioral health (e.g., working through stress and preventing/addressing compassion fatigue).
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Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress. (2020). Coronavirus and Emerging Infectious Disease Outbreaks: How Healthcare Personnel Can Support Military Families and their Health.
This tip sheet describes military life and what makes it unique and explains how to support personnel and their family members.
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Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress. (2020). Fight COVID-19 with Better Sleep Health: A Guide for Hospital Workers.
This tip sheet describes methods that healthcare workers can use to improve their sleep to maintain their health.
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* Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress. (2020). Sustaining the Well-Being of Healthcare Personnel During Coronavirus and Other Infectious Disease Outbreaks.
This one-page tip sheet lists the challenges healthcare personnel face during infectious disease outbreaks followed by “strategies for sustaining healthcare personnel well-being.”
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020). Stress and Coping for COVID-19.
This webpage can help users (including parents, responders, and people who have been released from quarantine) understand and manage their stress reactions to the pandemic.
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COVID-19 Healthcare Resilience Task Force. (2020). Health Promotion to Enhance Healthcare Worker Performance.
This document provides information on policies and best practices to use in the workplace to promote the health of the workforce and subsequently enhance and improve worker performance.
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COVID-19 Healthcare Resilience Task Force. (2020). National Crisis Support Hotlines and Directories for Healthcare Workers Experiencing COVID-19-Related Stress and Burnout.
This one-page document provides national crisis support hotlines and directories for healthcare workers experiencing COVID-19 related stress and burnout.
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National Academy of Medicine. (2020). Resources to Support the Health and Well-Being of Clinicians During the COVID-19 Outbreak *.
This webpage from the National Academy of Medicine includes strategies and resources to support the health and well-being of clinicians providing health care during the COVID-19 outbreak.
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National Center for PTSD. (2020). Managing Health Care Workers’ Stress Associated with the COVID-19 Virus Outbreak: For Healthcare Workers.
Healthcare workers and responders can use the information on this webpage to recognize and manage their stress during and in the aftermath of an infectious disease outbreak.
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National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. (2014). Caring for Yourself in the Face of Difficult Work.
This factsheet provides recommendations for self-care related to sleep, eating, exercise and interacting with others.
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NRCC Healthcare Resilience Task Force. (2020). Death of a Colleague During the COVID-19 Pandemic.
This resource provides recommendations for healthcare workers and leaders to consider for managing grief following the death of a healthcare worker during the COVID-19 response.
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NRCC Healthcare Resilience Task Force. (2020). Grief Following Patient Deaths During COVID-19.
This resource provides tips and general guidance to mitigate the impacts of healthcare provider grief related to patient death and to maintain workforce efficiency and individual well-being.
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Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response. (2021). Compiled Resilience Tips. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
This is a compilation of resilience tips that were shared on a weekly basis to the Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) listserv during the winter and spring of 2021. These tips are evergreen, evidence-based ideas that can help both MRC unit leaders and volunteers build their resilience.
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Region 2 Public Health Training Program. (2020). COVID-19 Resources.
Scroll down on this webpage for a list of hotlines healthcare providers can call for emotional support and to boost resiliency.
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World Health Organization. (2020). Mental Health and Psychosocial Considerations During COVID-19 Outbreak *.
This tip sheet, dated 3/18/2020, provides helpful strategies for the general public and healthcare workers on understanding stress and self-care.
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Supporting Workers

Adams, J. and Walls, R. (2020). Supporting the Health Care Workforce during the COVID-19 Global Epidemic*. Journal of the American Medical Association. 323(15):1439-1440.
The authors address the toll of COVID-19 on the healthcare workforce and discuss risk factors and needs that leaders can address to improve resilience.
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American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. (2020). COVID-19 Resource Center *.
This webpage includes links to COVID-19-related resources on topics including behavioral health and a peer-reviewed list of questions and answers specific to environmental and occupational health.
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American Health Care Association. (2020). Childcare for Health Care Workers During COVID-19 Related School and Daycare Closure *.
This document lists the states which have implemented childcare resources for healthcare workers as of 4/7/2020. It also includes methods administrators can do to ensure healthcare workers have appropriate childcare options during the pandemic.
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American Health Care Association. (2020). Tips on Supporting Staff *.
This guidance from 3/25/2020 details how administrators can prevent burnout and ensure staff feel supported at work during the pandemic response.
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American Hospital Association. (2020). Caring for Our Health Care Heroes During COVID-19 *.
This document from 5/20/2020 offers suggestions for how hospitals and health systems can support the mental health, food access, and housing needs of their workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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American Society for Health Care Human Resources Administration. (2020). COVID-19: Considerations for Healthcare Human Resources and Operational Leaders *.
These strategies can help leaders influence the value, flexibility, and safety for healthcare staff.
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Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress. (2020). Supporting Families of Healthcare Workers Exposed to COVID-19 *.
This tip sheet describes considerations for the families of healthcare workers when that healthcare worker has been or is at risk of being exposed to COVID-19.
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* Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress. (2020). Sustaining the Well-Being of Healthcare Personnel During Coronavirus and Other Infectious Disease Outbreaks.
This one-page tip sheet lists the challenges healthcare personnel face during infectious disease outbreaks followed by “strategies for sustaining healthcare personnel well-being.”
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020). Strategies to Mitigate Healthcare Personnel Staffing Shortages.
Maintaining appropriate staffing in healthcare facilities is essential to providing a safe work environment for healthcare workers and safe patient care. This document gives strategies to maintain workforce capacity.
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* National Association of County and City Health Officials. (n.d.). Building Workforce Resilience Through the Practice of PFA- L: A Course for Supervisors and Leaders*. (Accessed 10/30/2020.)
This self-paced 90-minute course was developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the National Association of County and City Health Officials to introduce the concept of Psychological First Aid (PFA) as a leadership tool to build workforce resilience. The course uses scenario-based exercises to teach participants about the core components of Psychological First Aid for Leaders.
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Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response. (2021). Creating a Caring Workforce Culture: Practical Approaches for Hospital Executives. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Within healthcare settings during COVID-19, staff have experienced increased adverse stress conditions, which have led to increased absenteeism and turnover, lower morale, and decreased productivity. This resource highlights workforce challenges that have emerged during COVID-19 and provides concrete practical approaches that hospital management and executives have utilized during COVID surges to support and retain their workforce. This resource provide common practices that can inform hospital management and executives in workforce retention and resilience strategies.
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Workplace Policies and Human Resources Guidance

American Medical Association. (2020). Teleheath Implementation Playbook *.
During a pandemic, healthcare facilities may need telehealth/medicine capabilities. Telehealth policies help to prevent potential exposure in the workplace, thus limiting the impact to the health of the healthcare workforce. This guide is a resource for administrators to initiate those capabilities.
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Department of Labor. (2020). Workers’ Compensation-Claims under the Federal Employees' Compensation Act Due to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).
This guidance explains that all federal employees who develop COVID-19 while performing duties in their federal job capacity are entitled to workers' compensation coverage.
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