August 12, 2021
Do No Harm
We found our way to healthcare because of a desire to help people. Not one of us thought we would face a pandemic in our lifetime, but here we are facing another COVID surge — this one from a variant that requires us to act.
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to ravage our communities, state, country, and the world. Yet we remain committed to our purpose — to be here for you “because health means everything.” Our commitment to our patients, team members, clinical partners, and the broader community is centered around safety and decreasing the spread of the virus. Thank you for your commitment. We recognize and deeply appreciate your efforts in the fight, and realize the battle is not over.
Our work is informed by science and best practice, and a moral conviction that each of us must be accountable to ourselves and to each other as we prioritize the common good.
Our work is informed by science and best practice, and a moral conviction that each of us must be accountable to ourselves and to each other as we prioritize the common good. Public health measures that we have been using for almost two years (masking, social distancing, hygiene) are proven effective in protecting us, but this approach by itself is not enough. Vaccination is central to the management of viral diseases and the Delta variant has demonstrated that point — vaccination is essential to protecting us all.
The science clearly demonstrates that all three COVID vaccines are highly effective and safe. Like all medications, they carry some risk. However, continued studies demonstrate their ability to decrease viral spread, decrease the incidence of covid disease, and decrease severe complications and death. They are truly life-saving.
While the majority of you are already vaccinated, the current vaccination rates in our communities — and even within our walls —are not enough to protect our patients and each other. That’s why CentraCare has made the decision to make the COVID-19 vaccine a requirement for all employees and clinicians of CentraCare.
CentraCare had made the decision to make the COVID-19 vaccine a requirement for all employees and clinicians at CentraCare.
Thank you to those of you who are already vaccinated – and thank you to those who will be making an appointment soon. We know the ongoing pandemic has tested all of us and yet we will persevere in the days ahead. Our communities are counting on all of us.
We welcome comments from CentraCare and Carris Health employees. Please include your name and CentraCare/Carris Health email when submitting your comment.
I would really like this to be mandated. there is freedom to and freedom from. I think it is important for there to be freedom from sickness, illness, death, being spread by people who are only considering themselves.
Tesa, your first sentence resonates with me — all of us at CentraCare and Carris have a desire in our hearts to help people and live a life of service to others. I will also say that we value every single person in our organization and their voices are heard. Every day in our organization, team members go the extra mile – overtime, wearing PPE, getting vaccinated in order to work in healthcare, appropriate training, continuing education – and the list goes on. Self-sacrifice in service to others.
While it is laudable to choose a middle ground where everyone is free to choose, this is not an option. This is a catastrophic worldwide pandemic. We have met other challenges like this over the years (polio and smallpox, for instance) by wide acceptance of the two tools we have to win such wars: vaccination and public health measures.
As we evaluate a vaccine requirement for our employees, we are paying attention to the reasons why some have chosen not to become vaccinated already. While respect for one another is a core value of ours, this is not a question of respect. The Delta variant is targeting unvaccinated people. While some vaccinated people can also become infected, the data show overwhelmingly that the vaccine is keeping approximately 97% of vaccinated people from severe Covid and hospitalization. And that is a key point for those healthcare workers who are not vaccinated. Unvaccinated people who contract the virus are much more likely to get severely sick and require hospitalization and spread the virus. We are already running out of beds and people. That means that our non-COVID patients who require care for strokes, heart attacks and other acute conditions are less able to receive the care they need.
We do not want a divide among our employees. We value every one of you. However, if you are an unvaccinated healthcare worker, you are knowingly putting the lives of others at greater risk than if you were vaccinated. Freedom comes with responsibility as does our profession’s code of ethics: Do no harm. The vaccine is safe and effective. While there may be religious or medical reasons for some individuals not to become vaccinated, it is time for the rest of us to vaccinate — for our own health and the health and safety of others. Let’s end the pandemic and resume our normal lives.
Please continue to provide education regarding the vaccine and debunk any myths that your are able to. I still have several colleagues that are choosing to not get vaccinated and I know mandating would cause quite a controversy. I am hoping with continued education and facts regarding the vaccine and hopefully full FDA approval that some opinions will change. Thank you for all your efforts to keep us safe during these uncertain times.
While I truly believe that all healthcare workers are here to help people and they have a desire in their hearts to live this life of service to others, I hope and pray that this company looks at the big picture and understands that having healthcare workers is the biggest picture and that a vaccine mandate that allows for nobody to decline and forces healthcare workers out of a job and away from continuing to care for patients when we already have a staff shortage would be detrimental to our community. I know many HCWs who chose to vaccinate and many HCWs who chose it wasn’t right for them. I can see both sides and how passionate each side is. This is a time when we need to all come together and find a way to work together despite our different views while still respecting each other’s views as we were able to do before this pandemic. Now is not the time to force a divide between our HCWs. Stay safe everyone, we have made it this far, and we SHINE!!!!