September 7, 2021
Ken’s Blog: I Want You All to Stay
We are a work family. We care about each other, and we all care deeply about the patients we serve. We are people serving people and we’re united in that purpose. So, why have we as an organization made a COVID vaccination a requirement of employment?
Let’s put aside for a moment our natural human inclination to push back. Instead, let’s look at why we think vaccination against COVID is necessary.
We are a medical, scientific organization. We follow the science and practice of medicine based on data and best practices.
Being Unvaccinated Is Unsafe
We answer to our communities and the patients we serve. Their health and safety are our mission. The data continue to overwhelmingly demonstrate that being unvaccinated is unsafe. Take a look at this slide show from The Joint Commission for a perspective on the numbers:
We are a medical, scientific organization. We follow the science and practice of medicine based on data and best practices. The vaccine is effective at keeping people safe from severe COVID, hospitalization and death.
Safety Risk to Others
If you are unvaccinated, you might understand the safety risk to others by looking at the Marin, California elementary school teacher who let down her mask as she read to her class of students. Unknowingly, she infected 27 others including 18 students as well as members of their families. I am sure she would never have intended that to happen. But it did. And it can happen here to us and to our patients, too.
All of us who are employed by CentraCare or Carris Health are already vaccinated. We have to be vaccinated in order to be hired. We have the Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine and others. We have our Tetanus shots updated every 10 years. And there are other requirements like certifications, degrees, continuing education and more. All of this because of our duty in healthcare to protect others and provide care.
Last week, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), whose mission it is to defend civil liberties, stated that “far from compromising civil liberties, vaccine mandates actually further civil liberties.” They went on to state, “Vaccines are a justifiable intrusion on autonomy and bodily integrity. That may sound ominous, because we all have the fundamental right to bodily integrity and to make our own health care decisions. But these rights are not absolute. They do not include the right to inflict harm on others.”
The ACLU came to the conclusion that requiring Covid-19 vaccines is permissible for the following reasons, “…the disease is highly transmissible, serious and often lethal; the vaccines are safe and effective; and crucially there is no equally effective alternative available to protect public health.”
An Act of Love
Even the heads of the world’s major religions—from Islam to Judaism as well as Christians including Catholics and Protestants alike—have endorsed the vaccine. The Pope called getting the vaccine an act of love. A loving act to keep yourself safe and to safeguard those around you.
By now, we’re all tired. We didn’t expect this tragedy in our lives. If any animosity exists between us, we know it doesn’t serve us well. What we need is to give each other a bit of grace. And to unite as a work family using the tools we know will end the pandemic — vaccination and public health measures, like masking.
Let’s act to end the pandemic together.
Ken Holmen, MD, is the CEO of CentraCare.
This is going to be really sad when CC looses many good employees, because they have no right to say NO to this injection. Years of experienced employees will be lost and many patients will feel it…sadly. (I am guessing this will not be posted as other comments I have made were never posted either. I wonder who screens these and why….????)
As Mona said above, there is a natural immunity that comes with covid 19 that is being ignored. Some of the other required vaccines needed to work here, we have always had the ability to see if we have antibodies to them, to avoid getting the vaccine. Now that is NOT appropriate??
Dr. Smith, above, talks about covid bringing the US Healthcare System to its knees…that will be nothing compared to the employees that will be forced out due to the mandatory injection and the hole that will leave for CentraCare and the patients!
This is not like any other vaccines we have been given in the past, this one has never been given to humans prior to covid.
Thank you, Ken. The ACLU statement and the Joint Commission slides are very helpful to put coronavirus in context of how dangerous it is to all of us unless we get vaccinated to protect ourselves and others.
Thanks for posting this. Just another note to add, there is nothing new about vaccination requirements nor conditions of employment. Indeed, just the other day I was filling out paperwork to indicate that my daughter has all of her required vaccines for school.
Thank you for so eloquently saying what so many of us feel.
I feel like the group of patients that have already had COVID and survived and have antibodies are not represented in any of these slides. Is there any data on that you could share? I am not advocating getting COVID to gain natural immunity in any way, but I think there needs to be some credit given to those of us who have natural antibodies, that are concerned about the vaccine. Thank you.
Mona, natural immunity is a normal human response. The natural immunity after having had Covid has been studied extensively – and it is highly variable in effectiveness and duration as the virus mutates. And that is why the CDC recommends, and the scientific consensus concurs, that vaccination is a better, long-term solution to achieving the levels of immunity necessary in a population to manage the pandemic and keep individuals safe.
Well said Ken. We all do the vaccination for the greater good of the very fragile world we all live in.
Thank you for the informative post. The slides certainly send a message.
“Embracing our vulnerabilities is risky but not nearly as dangerous as giving up on love and belonging and joy – the experiences that make us the most vulnerable. Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light.”
-Brene Brown
We all have that light inside us. During these challenging times, brings a new level of vulnerability. If what we all do in life is a fulfillment of passion, love, and purpose, getting vaccinated is a risk that’s ok to take. Thank you Ken for your trusting stories.
Thank you for posting this. I wholeheartedly agree.
This should not be required. It is a violation of my freedom.
Paula,
We understand that some people see this vaccination requirement as an affront to their personal freedom. We would humbly ask you to consider your heart and your purpose. You chose healthcare because you are committed to service.
When we’re called to serve in different ways and in different fields, different things are required.
For those who serve in healthcare, certain vaccinations and health testing are required to ensure the safety of those we serve and the people who serve with us. This vaccination is one of those things.
The COVID vaccination is being required in more settings and circumstances because it has been demonstrated to be safe and effective and is key to harnessing the rampant spread and mutation of the COVID virus, which has killed more than 650,000 Americans and is currently bringing the U.S. healthcare system to its knees. It is being required so we can not only save the lives of COVID patients and prevent the devastation of long haul COVID but to save the lives of people suffering from heart attacks, strokes, cancer, sepsis, and other conditions who are not currently getting the care and attention they need and deserve.
We are asking you to make this choice and to help us continue serving these people who need us so desperately in this devastating time.
Cindy Firkins Smith, MD
Vice President Rural Health
Thank you Ken for this heartfelt message. The illustrations in the Joint Commission slides are very powerful.