The health system that owns St. Mary Medical Center announced all staff, contractors, and others conducting business in their facilities will have to be vaccinated for COVID-19.
Trinity Health, which has more than 117,000 employees in 22 states, is requiring vaccinations “effective immediately.”
Advertisements
The statement from the not-for-profit Catholic-based Trinity Health said the requirement is to “stop to the spread of the virus and keep all patients, colleagues and the broader communities safe.”
The three COVID-19 vaccines that are approved and easily accessible across the nation have been found to be safe and effective in nearly all cases.
Trinity Health said in a statement that they estimate nearly 75 percent of employees have received at least one dose already.
Advertisements
Employees at Trinity Health are required in most cases to submit proof of vaccination by September 21. The organization will offer exemptions for religious or health reasons, but they must be formally requested, documented, and approved.
Employees who do not get vaccinated will have their employment terminated.
Advertisements
The Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry said that in the fourth quarter of 2020, St. Mary Medical Center was the fifth largest employer in Bucks County.
Credit: St. Mary Medical Center
“Safety is a core value at Trinity Health; part of our mission as caregivers is to protect the people we serve,” says James Woodward, president and CEO of Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic, which runs St. Mary Medical Center in Middletown Township. “Vaccination against COVID-19 is part of our multifaceted strategy to help stop the pandemic and protect our communities.”
“The science is clear – vaccination against COVID-19 is saving lives,” said Dr. Sharon Carney, the chief clinical officer for Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic. “It’s the right thing to do. As a healthcare system and as caregivers, it is our responsibility to provide a safe environment for our colleagues, patients and communities.”
Advertisements
Nearly 56 percent of Americans have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Last month, 99.2 percent of COVID-19 deaths were of people who were unvaccinated, according to federal data.
“No vaccine is perfect. But when you talk about the avoidability of hospitalization and death … it’s really sad and tragic that most of these are avoidable and preventable,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, said in a TV appearance this week.
Advertisements
Case rates have fallen as vaccinations have increased, but some places with low vaccination rates are seeing upticks in cases.
The federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) said in guidance issued last month that employers are legally allowed to require COVID-19 vaccinations.
Advertisements
The Wall Street Journal reported this week that many hospitals see mandatory vaccinations as a way to protect their workers as patients, while some worry requiring the shot could alienate some workers.
Report a correction via email | Editorial standards and policies
