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Governor Kathy Hochul gives the weekly COVID-19 update briefing for New York State at the New York governor’s office on Thursday, September 30, 2021. (Kevin P. Coughlin / Office of the Governor)
As the state-imposed deadline passed last week, requiring all healthcare workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19, Gov. Kathy Hochul defended the decision as “the right thing to do.”
“I’m going to stick with this,” she said at a press briefing last Thursday, three days after the end-of-day deadline came into effect on September 27. “It was hard to do though. It’s hard to force people to do something that you would really like them to do on purpose.
Overall vaccination rates among hospital staff climbed 15% from August 24 to September 28, when about 92% of the state’s hospital staff met the deadline with at least one injection.
“You will see that number increase rapidly,” the governor said.
Ms Hochul thanked the healthcare workers who decided to get the vaccine, especially those who were nervous and anxious and recently received it.
“Thank you for doing the right thing,” she said. “Thank you for caring about the people who look to you for their health care, their lives, the care you give them. It really is a profession I have such respect for, especially after seeing what they did last year from March 2020. ”
Before the deadline, the governor presented plans to address potential staff shortages, such as the deployment of the National Guard, which she said was not necessary. The plans also included the arrival of nursing students and recent retirees whose licenses have since expired.
The state has also launched a 24/7 operations center to monitor and resolve staff shortages.
“We have found that no health facility has reported being closed since the mandate took effect,” Hochul said.
The governor said the operations center will continue to operate as the state awaits a court ruling on religious exemptions from the vaccine mandate. She said she “feels very confident” that the state will win in court.
Northwell Health, New York’s largest healthcare provider, laid off 1,400 employees on Monday, a spokesperson confirmed, and added that they had not provided site-specific figures, as with the Peconic Bay Medical Center in Riverhead.
Northwell regrets losing an employee in such circumstances, but as medical professionals and members of the state’s largest healthcare provider, we understand our unique responsibility to protect the health of our patients and each other. others, “a statement from Northwell said Monday. .
Northwell is now “100% vaccinated,” he said Monday, after reporting last week that “most of the team choose to be vaccinated in order to avoid being made redundant.”
The process had no impact on the quality of care, according to the Northwell statement.
“Northwell believes that having a fully immunized workforce is an important step in our duty to protect the health and safety of our staff, patients and the communities we serve,” the statement said.
Stony Brook Medicine allowed employees who had not been vaccinated by the deadline to be suspended first rather than immediately terminated. At Stony Brook Hospital Southampton, 14 full-time employees were suspended without pay for failing to follow state guidelines last Thursday, hospital officials said. These employees can return to full-time work with proof of vaccination within 30 days of termination with cause, officials said.
“Currently, three of our outpatient sites have temporarily reduced a few hours and all will return to full schedules very soon,” officials said.
Over 98% of the hospital’s full-time workforce met the deadline, and 100% of the hospital’s doctors met the deadline.
“Our staff are committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of our patients and our community as we continue to provide the highest level of medical care and offer all hospital services and programs,” officials said.
Stony Brook Eastern Long Island Hospital in Greenport reported similar vaccination rates with 98% of staff vaccinated and 100% of medical staff vaccinated.
“Our management is actively working with staff on our contingency plans to continue to provide a safe environment,” said a statement from officials at Stony Brook ELIH. “We are optimizing preparation and will make personnel adjustments if necessary. “
Officials said the hospital has been working hard over the past few weeks and months “to educate and encourage every member of our family at Stony Brook Eastern Long Island Hospital to get the COVID-19 vaccine, in order to protect our patients, our employees and our community. Our employee health service was readily available for anyone wishing to be vaccinated with multiple PODS vaccines on site. “
The vaccine’s tenure has come under criticism, including from Congressman Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley), a 2022 gubernatorial candidate. The congressman held a press conference last Monday in Hauppauge. the day of the deadline for opposing the mandate.
Mr. Zeldin, who is vaccinated, has spoken out openly against any COVID-19 vaccine mandate. He said employees who did not want to be vaccinated could instead be subjected to improved personal protective equipment and testing requirements.
“Our healthcare workers have been nothing short of heroic over the past 18 months,” he said. “Regardless of the uncertainty, the lack of PPE and other essential resources at times, the grueling hours and the pain, suffering and death around them, they have risen to the challenge again and again. They helped us through some of the darker days of the pandemic and saved lives. We should not be laying off these essential workers. We should thank them for everything they have done for our communities.
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