Growing number of hospitals, healthcare systems mandating COVID-19 vaccinations for HCWs

Editor's Note

The number of hospitals and healthcare systems mandating COVID-19 vaccinations for their healthcare workers (HCWs) is growing, the June 29 Becker’s Hospital Review reports.

In chronological order, the organizations that have announced mandates as of June 29 are:

• Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, will require its workforce of more than 33,000 people to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by September 10, including team members, students, volunteers, and contractors.
• SSM Health, St Louis, will require its nearly 40,000 employees, providers, and volunteers to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by late September unless they have an exemption.
• Medical University of South Carolina Health, will require its 17,000 employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by June 30 unless they have a medical or religious exemption. As of June 25, there were 2,000 exemptions and 24 employees who were not compliant.
• Mass general Brigham, Boston, will require its 80,000 employees to be vaccinated once one of the three vaccines is fully approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Employees will be able to request exemptions if they are pregnant or intend to become pregnant and for medical and religious reasons.
• Beth Israel Lahey Health, Cambridge, Massachusetts, will require all physicians and staff to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and the flu as a condition of employment. Flu vaccination will be required later this year and COVID-19 vaccination will be required once one of the three vaccines is fully approved by the FDA.
• Wellforce, Burlington, Massachusetts, which includes Boston-based Tufts Medical Center, will require COVID-19 vaccination for employees after full FDA approval of one of the vaccines.
• Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, will require employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 once one of the three vaccines is fully approved by the FDA.
• Connecticut Hospital Association adopted a consensus, statewide policy to implement mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations for employees and clinical staff.
• BJC HealthCare, St Louis, will require employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by September 15 or receive a medical or religious exception.
• San Francisco will require personnel in high-risk settings such as skilled nursing facilities, acute care hospitals, homeless shelters, and jails to be vaccinated against COVID-19 once one of the three vaccines is fully approved by the FDA.
• University of California Health will require COVID-19 vaccinations for faculty, staff, academic appointees, and students at its campuses this fall.
• NewYork-Presbyterian, New York City, says all employees, physicians, students, clinical rotators, volunteers, and vendors must receive their first COVID-19 vaccine dose by September 1. For two-dose vaccines, the vaccination process must be completed on the prescribed timeline. New hires also must follow a vaccination or exemption process.
• Community Health Network, Indianapolis, is requiring employees, vendors, contractors, and volunteers to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by September 15 unless they have religious or medical exemptions.
• District of Columbia Hospital Association, says that hospitals in Washington, DC, signed a consensus statement to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for their workers. Each of the 14 hospitals will set their own deadlines.
• Maryland Hospital Association, says hospitals and health systems in the state signed a consensus statement to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for their workers. Each organization will set its own deadline.
• Indiana University Health, Indianapolis, will require employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by September 1 or obtain an exemption.
• University of Louisville Health, Louisville, Kentucky, will require team members and providers, including residents, fellows, and rotating students to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by September 1.
• RWJBarnabas Health, West Orange, New Jersey, will require supervisors and employees ranked above them to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by June 30, and it plans to extend the mandate to all employees.
• University of Pennsylvania Health System, Philadelphia, will require all employees and clinical staff to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by September 1. New hires must provide proof of at least one dose 2 weeks before beginning work.
• Benefis Health System, Great Falls, Montana, will require all employees working in senior services to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by July 1, unless they have an exemption.
• Houston Methodist, required managers to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by April 15 and employees by June 7. As of June 8, there were 24,947 workers fully vaccinated. A total of 153 employees either resigned or were terminated June 22 for not complying with the vaccine mandate.

This list will continue to be updated as organizations announce mandates, the report says.