NOTE: This message was emailed to all Ballad Health team members on Thursday, Nov. 4.
Dear Colleague:
This morning, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a new rule which mandates COVID-19 vaccines for any hospital, home health agency, long-term care facility and certain other health care providers. We are in the process of evaluating the rule and the impact it may have on Ballad Health.
Upon initial review, it is clear the only exceptions to all team members, students, residents and anyone contracted with Ballad Health being vaccinated are for medical or religious reasons. The mandate is very far-reaching, and will impact our partner colleges and universities as well as vendors and others who have contact with our facilities.
Prior to establishing our policy, we will be consulting with our Regional Ethics committee, which includes individuals from various backgrounds, including physician, clergy, nursing and community members. It is important we receive input from these experts prior to developing our policy.
We will communicate our policy to you as soon as we have developed it.
I know this is a potentially contentious issue for many, but it is important we all understand the significance of the Medicare Conditions of Participation. With more than 70 percent of our health system’s patients being covered by federal programs like Medicare, Medicaid and other programs to pay for care for low income populations, the failure of Ballad Health to comply would be devastating to our region, as our hospitals would not be able to remain open.
I fully understand there is also a risk of losing some staff who do not wish to be vaccinated, also potentially risking our capability to serve the region during a period of national staffing shortages. We will simply have to do the best we can do, and we will adjust accordingly as we strive to optimize our ability to serve our region.
Ballad Health has resisted doing any mandates related to the COVID-19 vaccines, in large measure due to some of the concerns expressed by some team members who felt they needed more time to evaluate their personal choice. We have publicly expressed our concern about ensuring we have the appropriate staff in place during a major national shortage of staffing, and we have urged that this mandate not occur at this time. In my testimony to Congress two weeks ago, I again expressed our concerns about the impact a mandate could have.
But this policy has now been implemented by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and it is clear they intend to enforce it. I do want to be clear that our decision not to impose a mandate for COVID-19 vaccines did not place patients in jeopardy, as we do require universal precautions and the use of PPE. With that in mind, this decision has been taken out of our hands.
I want to thank those of you who have chosen to vaccinate, and I am proud that more than 63% of our team members chose to vaccinate, while more than 95% of our affiliated physicians have also made this choice. Each of us has had our own reasons for choosing to become vaccinated, and I do believe the evidence shows that introduction of the vaccine has reduced death and suffering in our region. I know our nurses, doctors and support staff on the front lines understand this, as well.
We will provide more information to you as we learn more about the new rule, and once we have received input from our Ethics Committee. As we currently understand it, the requirement for being vaccinated includes a deadline for ensuring our team members are fully vaccinated, and that deadline appears to be in early January. So, we will work hard to get our policy in place as soon as practical.
Thank you for the incredible work you do.
Alan
