Mike Wolanin | The Republic Clinical Pharmacy Coordinator Chris Soedel shows the COVID-19 vaccine sticker she handed out to people who received the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at a Columbus Regional Health facility in Columbus, Ind., Thursday, Dec. 17, 2020.
Columbus Regional Health has resumed its COVID-19 vaccine mandate for employees after the U.S. Supreme Court last week allowed the Biden administration to proceed in the U.S. mandate for most health care workers.
In November, CRH and Schneck Medical Center in Seymour announced in a joint statement that all employees, medical staff, students, volunteers and contractors will be required to be fully vaccinated to comply with the mandate.
The federal mandate requires health care facilities that receive funds from the Medicare and Medicaid programs to ensure all employees are vaccinated, a measure that will affect 17 million workers across the country, including 3,300 in the Columbus area.
Health care facilities that do not comply with the federal requirement risk possible payment denials and termination from the Medicare and Medicaid programs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
But just days before the first deadline in the mandate, CRH paused its vaccine requirement as a legal challenge brought by several states, including Indiana, made its way through the federal court system.
On Thursday, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the mandate for health care workers, despite blocking a similar vaccine requirement for businesses with at least 100 employees.
“We have been watching the developments very closely,” CRH President and CEO Jim Bickel said. “We intend to achieve compliance with the CMS rule and regulations on the mandate. We have, as of this morning, resumed those efforts to achieve compliance in that regard.”
A Schneck spokesperson previously told The Republic that “we will follow the regulations that are set forth by CMS. Whatever they decide is what we will follow.”
CRH, which employs about 2,200 people, previously said about 70% of its staff was fully vaccinated as of Nov. 15. Schneck, which employs about 1,100 people, said about 70% of its staff was fully vaccinated as of the end of September.
The vaccine requirement for health care workers does not include an option for regular testing in lieu of vaccination.
However, some exemptions exist for workers who provide proof of a “sincerely held religious belief,” as well as certain disabilities and medical conditions, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
“The majority of patients served by Columbus Regional Health and Schneck Medical Center are covered by Medicare or Medicaid,” the two hospitals said in a statement in November. “It is imperative our organizations remain a provider in these programs so we can continue to provide care to our communities.”
