Sanford Health to make COVID-19 vaccination mandatory for all employees on November 1

Bill Gassen, chief executive officer of the Sioux Falls, South Dakota health system, and chief medical officer Dr. Jeremy Cauwels, told employees, who number about 48,000.

“You deserve a safe environment when you come to work. Those who seek care with us expect the same,” they wrote.

All employees, including those at Good Samaritan Society sites in the healthcare system, will be required to report their immunizations by November 1, all new employees as of September 1 will need to be immunized, and all employees immunized within the past 12 months have met the requirement, the administrators.

Sanford Health is a large regional health system with large medical centers in Sioux Falls, Fargo and Bemidji, Minnesota, and over 200 clinics. The healthcare system includes more than 200 Good Samaritan Society senior care centers in 26 states and 10 countries.

More than 90% of Sanford Health clinicians and 70% of nurses have already been vaccinated, according to the email.

“Almost all new COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths are in unvaccinated people, and overwhelming data confirms that vaccines are not only safe, but the best and most reliable way to prevent transmission of the virus. “Cauwels said in a newspaper. release emailed later Thursday.

As with other vaccines, Sanford Health will allow certain exemptions for medical or religious reasons, it said in the press release. In their email to employees, Gassen and Cauwels pointed out that Sanford Health already has a mandatory flu vaccination policy in place. The exemptions allowed for the COVID-19 vaccine would be similar to those for the flu vaccine, they said.

The American Hospital Association on Wednesday announced its support for hospitals and healthcare systems that implement mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policies for healthcare workers, Sanford Health noted in its press release on mandatory vaccinations. .