Georgia public health officials and the CDC said they don’t track vaccination rates for frontline workers in hospitals and nursing homes.
DiscoverHow hospitals are dealing with the coronavirus pandemic
Vaccine resistance among health care workers is no surprise, said Dr. Harry Greenspun, Chief Medical Officer of Guidehouse, a management and consulting firm based in Virginia.
“People forget that healthcare workers are people,” Greenspun said. “We tend to appropriately praise our frontline workers and there is a lot of heroic work going on. But basically health workers are human and we shouldn’t be surprised that there are still many who need to be reminded to get vaccinated and have attitudes that are reflected in the communities they come from. “
“Protect those under our care”
The mandate debate is taking place amid an abrupt surge in new coronavirus infections. Georgia’s seven-day moving average of probable and confirmed coronavirus cases is at its highest level since February 20, when the state’s recent surge subsided and a growing number of trouble spots have emerged in rural counties where vaccination rates are shockingly low.
Caption
Nicole Baker, left, nurse and emergency room manager at Emory University Hospital, was the first Emory employee to receive Pfizer BioNTech vaccination last December. CONTRIBUTED.
Nationwide, only 40% of the population is fully vaccinated, compared to 50% across the country.
But when the recent upward trend hit, some Georgia health care providers took action.
Deke Cateau, chairman of the board of AG Rhodes, an Atlanta nonprofit that operates three nursing homes, gave a mandate this week: Employees must be vaccinated by October 1st. Cateau had hoped to avoid such dictation, but only 60% felt uncomfortable with the staff who voluntarily took the vaccine.
DiscoverFull coverage of COVID-19 in Georgia
“It has become an ethical and moral imperative to take action because we can’t go back to what happened last year,” said Cateau, referring to the widespread deaths in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. “We are all tired. We are all on the brink and we just can’t go back to it. . . . We must protect those who are under our care. “
PruittHealth, one of the largest nursing home chains in Georgia, announced Tuesday that effective October 1, all health services administrators and directors, as well as other managers and employees of the company, must be vaccinated. CEO Neil Pruitt said the company will meet with other employees before deciding on a company-wide mandate.
Caption
Georgia Department of Health officials created several posters encouraging health care workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19. (Georgian Ministry of Health)
“Low vaccination rates are fueling the current wave of COVID-19 our country is experiencing and we need to trust the science that has been developed to protect us,” said Pruitt.
Atria Senior Living decided in January to vaccinate its 10,000 employees at assisted living centers across the country, said John Moore, chairman and CEO. Of the company’s 215 employees in Metro Atlanta, Moore said 98.6 percent were vaccinated.
Piedmont Healthcare, one of the largest healthcare systems in Georgia, requires its doctors and other providers, including nurses, managers and new employees, to be vaccinated by September 1. near future ”, said Piedmont this week.
“It has become an ethical and moral imperative that we take action because we can’t go back to what happened last year.”
– Deke Cateau, CEO of AG Rhodes, an Atlanta nonprofit that operates three nursing homes
Richard Gerakitis, an Atlanta labor law attorney, said it was only a matter of time before more health care providers took over the mandate.
Most want to wait for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to fully approve the vaccines, he said. So far, the FDA has only granted emergency approvals to vaccines manufactured by Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson.
“Employers could make it mandatory now, but I think they prefer to have a full use permit,” said Gerakitis.
Caption
Atlanta-based Piedmont Healthcare announced Tuesday that its doctors and other providers, including nurses and nurses, as well as executives and new hires, must be vaccinated by September 1. Other employees will need to be vaccinated in the “near future,” said this week. (Christine Tannous / christine.tannous@ajc.com)
Photo credit: Christine Tannous / Christine.Tannous@ajc.com
Photo credit: Christine Tannous / Christine.Tannous@ajc.com
Mixed reaction
Some hospitals feared an abrupt mandate could spark a backlash among staff while fear of the gunshots is at an all-time high. This is especially true outside of the urban areas of the state, said Jimmy Lewis, CEO of HomeTown Health, an advocacy group for rural hospital providers.
Other providers informed the magazine constitution that they are still weighing their options.
Wellstar Health System said in a statement that it “is actively evaluating the latest guidelines from health authorities and clinical experts.” However, no vaccination is currently required for employees.
At Emory Health officials said the hospital had strongly recommended vaccination for employees, but not yet mandated it, “as we previously announced that we would plan to vaccinate once FDA approved it.”
However, due to the increase in cases, “we are currently reviewing this plan and will notify our team members of any changes first.”
Caption
Dr. Gayla Dillard (left) and Dr. Sakina Peregrino-Brimah (right) received her vaccines at Piedmont Healthcare’s first vaccination event in December. (Courtesy photo of Piedmont Healthcare)
In the meantime, health care providers may need to get creative to convince vaccine objectors within the profession, said Greenspun, Guidehouse’s chief medical officer.
Ad campaigns and raffles wouldn’t work for them, he said.
“These health care workers are not influenced by the American Hospital Association,” he said. “They are much more interested in their church and community leaders and what other people have to say. Obviously, that’s the kind of public relations that needs to be done.
“Also, employers need to take advantage of this self-interest in people and tell them, ‘Look, you are endangering your parents, you are endangering your children.'”
