Ascension to require COVID-19 vaccinations for employees

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Joining a increasing fig of wellness systems nationwide, Ascension announced connected Tuesday that it volition necessitate COVID-19 vaccinations for its associates, whether they attraction for patients oregon not.

The genitor of Ascension St. Vincent’s successful Riverside and Clay County posted the caller argumentation connected its website, saying the alteration is based connected its work to support its patients, employees and the communities they serve.

“Ascension conducted a thorough motivation and ethical investigation arsenic portion of the decision-making process. This determination is rooted successful our Mission committedness to starring with prime and safety,” the connection says. “As a healthcare supplier and arsenic a Catholic ministry, ensuring we person a civilization of information for our associates, patients and communities is foundational to our work.”

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The goal, Ascension says, is to person its associates afloat vaccinated by Nov. 12, astir the aforesaid clip it requires yearly flu shots.

On Monday, the Mayo Clinic, American Medical Association and dozens of different wellness attraction organizations called for wellness attraction providers to make COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory among their employees, citing a surge successful infections, hospitalizations and deaths linked to the highly transmissible delta variant, which has rapidly go the ascendant strain of COVID-19.

“Tens of thousands of Ascension associates person already been vaccinated with the disposable vaccines, arsenic person millions of radical crossed the state and the world. But we indispensable bash much to flooded this pandemic arsenic we supplier harmless environments for those we serve,” Ascension’s connection says.

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The wellness strategy said the caller argumentation applies to each associates, nary substance if they supply nonstop diligent attraction oregon not, oregon whether they enactment astatine 1 of its facilities oregon remotely. The argumentation covers associates who are employed by its partners, physicians and precocious signifier providers, and immoderate volunteers and vendors who sojourn the wellness system’s facilities.

But Ascension noted determination is simply a process successful spot for exemptions based connected aesculapian conditions, spiritual beliefs and corporate bargaining agreements reached betwixt the wellness strategy and unions who correspond its associates.

“Together, we volition enactment this pandemic down america truthful that we tin proceed to absorption connected gathering the needs of those who travel to america for care.”

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