Wv hospital staff face new vaccination mandates

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Health systems that cover hospitals in many communities in West Virginia announced vaccination mandates for workers on Monday after the final approval of the Pfizer vaccine by the Food and Drug Administration.

The announcements, which include WVU Medicine and My Health System, came shortly after a statement from the West Virginia Hospital Association supporting vaccination mandates for workers.

WVHA President Jim Kaufman said that despite the potential negative impact on the workforce, the policy will keep healthcare workers and patients as safe as possible.

“We’re very concerned about the workforce, in fact it’s one of our biggest challenges,” Kaufman said. “At the same time, we know that getting our healthcare teams vaccinated will allow us to serve all West Virginia people and protect our staff.”

WVU Medicine and Mon Health announced that their workers must be vaccinated by October 31. Another major system, CAMC, had yet to make a decision on compulsory vaccination for workers, according to CAMC spokesperson Dale Witte.

WVU Medicine President and CEO Albert Wright said the growing number of Delta variant cases and the current rise in hospitalizations has forced them to take action to stop the spread, improve outcomes and ensure that when community members need care, there will be someone to do it.

“It is essential that we have a workforce that can come and take care of the patients who depend on us and I believe and our management team believe that the only way to do that is to have our workforce vaccinated. “Wright said.

There are 16 hospitals in the WVU system, including those located in Wheeling, Fairmont, Bridgeport, Parkersburg, Moundsville, Summersville, Martinsburg, Keyser and New Martinsville.

My Health Systems president and CEO David Goldberg said the vaccine was the best strategy to limit the spread, improve outcomes, and hopefully keep people from going to the hospital.

“Reduce the threat of transmission, mitigate the spread, and do our part to get us out of this situation as we see rates rising here in West Virginia,” Goldberg said.

Active cases of the virus have increased by more than 10,000 after falling below 1,000 in early July. The state’s Department of Health and Human Resources added nearly 2,500 new cases over the weekend, increased the daily positivity rate to 11.44% and nearly half of the 55 counties in the State are in red on the statewide coronavirus state map.

“The virus has really become rampant, which means COVID is everywhere now,” Wright said. “We’re not going to be able to eradicate it because we’re not going to see a shutdown of society or organizations, or full mask mandates again – the only way out is through vaccination. “

Vaccination exemptions will be offered for medical and religious reasons, but according to Goldberg, this will be handled the same way as annual flu shots among staff.

“We will provide testing to those who meet this exemption,” Goldberg said. “For those who don’t, we’ll do everything we can to get them vaccinated, but we expect our staff to be vaccinated as we’ve been doing with the flu for years in the state.”