Cleveland Clinic latest Northeast Ohio hospital to require COVID-19 vaccines for workers
The Cleveland Clinic has set a deadline of Jan. 27 for its employees to comply with a federal mandate to have at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
The Crystal Clinic Orthopedic Center and University Hospitals also said they would be in compliance by the updated deadlines.
The U.S. Supreme Court last week ruled the COVID-19 vaccine mandate issued by the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare (CMS) is allowed to move forward for U.S. health care workers. Health care systems face hefty fines for any unvaccinated employees once the mandate is in place.
A separate federal mandate to require employers of more than 100 people to require COVID vaccinations or weekly tested was struck down by the Supreme Court.
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The Cleveland Clinic, which operates Akron General, Mercy Hospital in Canton and Medina Hospital, had been strongly encouraging its employees to get vaccinated but did not issue a mandate while the federal mandate was in the court system.
Several other area hospitals, including Summa Health and Akron Children's Hospital, instituted vaccine mandates before the federal mandate.
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In a statement, the Cleveland Clinic said it is requiring all employees to receive their first dose of the two-dose Pfizer or Moderna COVID vaccines or their one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine by Jan. 27 and the second dose by Feb. 28.
"Those who do not receive their vaccinations and who do not have an approved exemption will be placed on an unpaid leave of absence," the Cleveland Clinic said in its statement.
The Cleveland Clinic had said last week that about 85% of its employees were vaccinated against the virus.
"We are proud that the majority of our caregivers are already vaccinated, and we are encouraging those who are not yet vaccinated to receive their vaccine as quickly as possible," the health system said.
Ohio is among 24 states in which hospitals must have their employees receive at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by Feb. 14 and the second dose by March 15, said John Palmer, spokesman for the Ohio Hospital Association. Several other states are part of a separate legal action that was not struck down by the Supreme Court and have until Jan. 27 and Feb. 28 to meet the original deadlines. (Editor's note: an earlier version of this story had the incorrect dates. A reporter was provided with incorrect information).
In August, the Ohio Hospital Association board of trustees adopted a policy encouraging all Ohio hospitals to independently adopt COVID-19 vaccine policies.
"OHA will be supporting our members who will be working in good faith to meet this new policy, as with any other policy issues by CMS," Palmer said Monday.
Other hospital policies
A University Hospital spokesman said the hospital is reviewing its policy.
"We believe, consistent with the scientific consensus, that COVID-19 vaccines and boosters are the most effective way to protect our caregivers, patients and community from severe illness resulting in hospitalization and death," UH said in a statement. "Since the vaccine became available in late 2020, University Hospitals has encouraged our caregivers to get vaccinated, educated them on the benefits of vaccination and made vaccines readily available to them. The overwhelming majority of our caregivers are vaccinated and we are grateful to them all for their service during this challenging time. We are reviewing the most recent ruling to ensure compliance with federal requirements."
The Cleveland-based health system with operations in Summit and Portage counties has not said how many of its employees are vaccinated.
Bath-based Crystal Clinic Orthopaedic Center, with operations throughout Summit County, on Monday said it "will abide by all CMS mandates."
The orthopedic hospital has 87% of the employees in compliance, Chief Nursing and Operations Officer Holly Cholley said.
A spokesman for Western Reserve Hospital in Cuyahoga Falls on Monday said there was no update to the hospital's policy, which encourages its caregivers to get the vaccine. The hospital has said 91.4% of its employees are vaccinated against the coronavirus.
Summa Health was the only Akron-area hospital last fall to require its employees and contractors be fully vaccinated or face termination. The deadline was Oct. 31 and Summa allowed its employees to continue working while going through the disciplinary process.
Seven Summa employees were fired in late November or early December for refusing the vaccine, Summa CEO Dr. Cliff Deveny said at the time.
Last week, Akron Children's Hospital placed an unknown number of its employees who had not gotten the vaccine on a 30-day unpaid leave. The hospital had set a Jan. 11 deadline for its employees to get the first vaccination or face termination.
A hospital spokeswoman on Monday said there were no further updates about the process.
Beacon Journal staff reporter Betty Lin-Fisher can be reached at 330-996-3724 or blinfisher@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow her @blinfisherABJ on Twitter or www.facebook.com/BettyLinFisherABJ To see her most recent stories and columns, go to www.tinyurl.com/bettylinfisher
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: COVID-19 vaccine mandates for Ohio healthcare workers
