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A hospital in upstate New York said it would stop giving birth for a period of time later this month after several staff resigned on a COVID-19 vaccine term. At least six Maternity staff at Lewis County General Hospital recently resigned and seven others remain undecided about their future as the state mandate is expected to come into effect. The resignations, coupled with a number of existing vacancies, mean the hospital will be “unable to safely staff” its maternity ward from September 25, said Gerald Cayer, chief executive of the Lewis County Health System, at a press conference. . “The number of resignations we have received leaves us with no choice but to suspend the delivery at Lewis County General Hospital,” Cayer said. Other departments may also see a decrease in services.
The “break” will begin two days before the deadline for healthcare workers to get vaccinated statewide. New York does not allow religious exemptions from its vaccination mandate for healthcare and nursing home workers, although medical exemptions are still allowed. Overall, 30 staff at Lewis County General Hospital resigned during the tenure, of which 20 were in clinical positions, including nurses. 30 other workers have been vaccinated since the mandate was announced at the end of August. At least 464 staff, or about 73%, are vaccinated, Cayer said, adding that he “unequivocally” supported a mandate to vaccinate healthcare workers. “As employees, we have an obligation not to endanger those we care for or our colleagues,” he added.
Cayer expressed optimism that this would only be a temporary situation and not result in the full closure of the maternity hospital. “If we can suspend the service and now focus on recruiting vaccinated nurses, we can re-engage in childbirth here in Lewis County,” Cayer said. For now, however, the hospital is losing staff at a time when COVID-19 cases are on the rise in the region. “Lewis County has the highest seven- and 14-day positivity rates in New York State over the past three days,” said Health System Chief Medical Officer Dr. Sean Harney.
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