An exterior view of Columbus Regional Hospital in Columbus, Ind., pictured, Tuesday, March 31, 2020. Mike Wolanin | The Republic
COLUMBUS, Ind. — One day after the deadline for thousands of local health care workers to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or submit an approved exemption under a federal mandate, two hospitals in the Columbus area say they are in full compliance.
The federal mandate requires health care facilities that receive funds from the federal Medicare and Medicaid programs to ensure all employees are vaccinated, a measure that will affect millions of health care workers across the country, including more than 3,850 in the Columbus area.
Health care workers in Indiana who work at facilities that participate in the federal programs were required by Tuesday to be fully vaccinated or submit an exemption due to a sincerely held religious belief, certain medical conditions or a recent COVID-19 infection.
Health care facilities that do not comply with the federal requirement risk possible denials and termination from the Medicare and Medicaid programs, though the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services says it plans to begin enforcement with encouragement rather than a heavy hand.
Columbus Regional Health said about 88% of its roughly 2,750-person workforce was fully vaccinated, with the remaining 12% — some 330 workers — filing exemptions, claiming that the shots were against their religion or that they had a medical condition that prevented them from getting vaccinated, hospital officials said.
Fewer than 10 members of CRH’s workforce received a temporary deferral, meaning that did not need to immediately get vaccinated because they recently had COVID-19, a monoclonal antibody treatment or are dealing with some sort of temporary medical condition that a doctor says warrants not getting vaccinated for the time being.
CRH’s workforce includes about 2,200 employees, as well as a few hundred contractors, volunteers and non-employed providers who have medical rights to treat patients at the hospital.
“We’re pleased with that number,” said CRH spokeswoman Kelsey DeClue, referring to the 88% who are fully vaccinated. “It reflects what we’ve seen, especially in our area of the nation. We seem to be benchmarking or on par with other health systems.”
Schneck Medical Center in Seymour, which has about 1,100 employees, said it was in full compliance but did not reply to questions about what percentage of its workforce had filed exemptions.
For the complete story, see Friday’s Republic.
