The Duluth-based nonprofit released the following statement: "Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Essentia Health’s patients and communities have counted on us for support, protection and to continue providing the high-quality care they deserve. That responsibility is a privilege, and it demands that we do all we can to keep our patients safe.
"Accordingly, after careful consideration, Essentia will require all staff members to be vaccinated against COVID as a condition of their employment. Vaccination also will be required as a condition of entering our facilities to perform services for Essentia Health. Employees must receive their first dose of vaccine by Oct. 1 and their second dose in a two-dose series by Nov. 1. There will be a process for requesting a medical exemption based on CDC guidelines or a religious exemption.
"This policy affects all of our employees, including remote workers, along with volunteers, students, non-employed medical staff, Board members and others who provide services within our facilities. "
In requiring employees to vaccinate, Essentia will join the ranks of other health providers that have done the same, including the Mayo Clinic, Sanford, Fairview and Allina health systems. Minneapolis-based Children's Minnesota also announced a vaccine mandate for employees Wednesday.
Duluth's second-largest health care provider, St. Luke's, has taken a different approach.
Earlier this week, St. Luke's Chief Medical Officer and Vice President of Medical Affairs Dr. Nicholas Van Deelen responded to a question from the News Tribune about whether his organization also was considering a vaccine mandate: "While we strongly support vaccination for all, especially in light of the resurgence of COVID-19 related to the delta variant, we are not currently requiring employees to get the vaccine. We continue to have strict mask requirements in place along with many other precautions to ensure our patients and staff are safe and are continually monitoring the situation and adjusting these protective measures as necessary."
St. Luke's reports that 78% of all its employees and 97% of its physicians are fully vaccinated.
As for the vaccination rate at Essentia, the health care provider said it estimates that its staff vaccination rate is similar to that of other large health systems around the Midwest. But Essentia has not been tracking vaccinations for its employees since mid-March.
It reported: "At that time, 87% of our physicians and 84% of our advanced practice providers were vaccinated, while 70% of those in other roles who were eligible for the vaccine had been vaccinated. Of course, since that time everyone has become eligible and we have strongly encouraged anyone who can be vaccinated to do so, especially health care workers whose duty it is to protect vulnerable, elderly and critically ill patients in the communities we serve."
Essentia's Wednesday announcement concluded with the following statement: "Our patients entrust their care to us in some of the most vulnerable times in their lives. They depend on us to be vaccinated to help keep them safe. Thus, vaccination is especially important for our health care workers whose duty it is to protect vulnerable, elderly and critically ill patients. We believe it’s an important way for our colleagues to live our mission of making a healthy difference in the communities we serve."
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Duluth-based Essentia Health to mandate that employees be vaccinated - Pine Journal
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