Memorial Health employees will have to wait until Friday afternoon to find out the details of the system’s COVID vaccine mandate.
In an email to staff Wednesday afternoon, Memorial CEO Chip Hubbs said recent decisions by other health systems in central Ohio prompted the move.
“Our desire has long been to act in collaboration with our central Ohio colleagues, and that is what you see now,” Hubbs wrote. “Every health system in central Ohio will be mandating vaccines and it is likely that many political and non-health care industries will follow.”
The email indicates that Memorial purposely took a “wait and see” approach to the mandatory vaccination idea because of the highly sensitive nature of the topic.
“We were never going to be the first organization to require mandatory vaccinations,” Hubbs said in the email. “We also cannot be the only hospital/health system in central Ohio that doesn’t mandate vaccines.”
The correspondence indicates that Memorial leadership has been meeting to pin down specifics of the mandate. Officials pledged to reveal such details as timing, exemptions and consequences by 4 p.m. Friday.
The email indicates that the topic of mandatory vaccinations was recently raised during a bi-monthly staff meeting, but the answers given quickly became outdated when OhioHealth, Ohio State and Nationwide Children’s health systems all mandated vaccines. Mount Carmel announced weeks ago that it would be mandating vaccines.
“Of course, we wish we had known this information before the Town Hall meeting so we could have factored it into the discussion,” Hubbs wrote.
The email indicates that late Tuesday afternoon Chief Medical Officer Dr. Jason Russell informed system officials that Memorial would be mandating vaccines for staff.
The email indicates that health system officials are aware that the move will be seen by some staff members as infringing on personal freedoms.
“While the issue of COVID vaccinations is hardly unique to Memorial, we know that many of you have very strong feelings on this topic,” Hubbs wrote. “We respect those feelings, but also must do what is best for Memorial.
“As an organization that appreciates its team members like Memorial does, it is bothersome to make decisions that may put the organization at odds with some of the team members we value so much.”
In the end, Memorial’s role as a leader in the discussion of local health prompted the move.
“As a hospital/health system, we have an obligation to protect our patients, portray an image of safety to the community, to inspire confidence, and to lead by example on important matters of health care,” Hubbs wrote.
Reached for additional comments on the mandate, Memorial Health officials declined the opportunity until after staff members were fully informed, due to the personal nature of the matter.