Hospital offering cash to its employees in exchange for COVID-19 vaccine

One of the largest hospitals in Houston is offering a bonus of $ 500 to employees who receive a COVID-19 vaccine.

The notification of the bonus comes as health systems across the country have reported difficulties in convincing health workers to get vaccinated before their patients.

ABC News reported that Houston Methodist is part of several health care systems in the United States that offer financial incentives to encourage employees to get vaccinated to reduce the risk of COVID-19 outbreaks in facilities. The bonus, viewed as a “hope bonus” by the company’s CEO, was revealed to staff earlier in January in a letter obtained by ABC.

“This bonus is a thank you for your perseverance throughout a difficult 2020, as well as something to look forward to, to give hope, over the next two difficult months,” wrote CEO Marc Boom. “Eligibility criteria will include vaccination against COVID-19, fulfilling our obligation as healthcare workers to lead the community.”

A county-run nursing home in Northampton County, Pa. Has a similar program, according to ABC: Nursing home workers will receive $ 750 for being vaccinated.

Some health workers have resisted taking a vaccine that is considered in some circles to be under-tested. A survey of nearly 6,000 employees of the Jackson Health System in Miami, Florida obtained by The New York Times indicated that hundreds of people did not intend or desire to receive the vaccine at all. Thousands of employees at a Michigan company that operates six hospitals in the state have said the same.

“What we heard as we started to prepare our employees for vaccinations was that there would be great resistance to being vaccinated,” Northampton County Director Lamont McClure told ABC News.

A CDC tracker said Thursday afternoon that just over 10.2 million Americans received the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, with a total of 29 million doses distributed.

Some healthcare systems have taken the reverse approach to ensure that employees are immunized. Atria Senior Living and Juniper Communities, two chains of long-term care homes for the elderly, told The Times that their employees could be laid off if they were not vaccinated.

“For us, it wasn’t a difficult decision,” Juniper CEO Lynne Katzmann told The Times. “Our goal is to do everything possible to protect our residents, our team members and their families.