UPDATE: Late Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2021, a federal court issued an order enjoining the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services from enforcing its vaccination mandate for healthcare organizations. This latest ruling suspends any enforcement of the CMS rule pending the outcome of the litigation. As of Dec. 1, 2021, Ballad Health has suspended the Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccine Policy implemented and first communicated to you Nov. 11.
The Dec. 5, 2021, deadline for receiving your first shot is therefore suspended. This suspension is pending the ultimate outcome of the litigation. As always, Ballad Health seeks to comply with properly promulgated rules and laws, and will act accordingly in such cases.
Click here to read Alan Levine’s email to all Ballad Health team members, sent on Dec. 1, 2021.
We continue to urge all team members to consider the vaccination, particularly if you are at higher risk of serious illness. The number of hospitalizations is increasing, and we continue to see that the overwhelming majority of people who are dying or suffering significantly are NOT vaccinated. It is clear the vaccination does not prevent the spread of the virus, although it may slow it down. The evidence strongly shows that those who are vaccinated, and who get the virus, largely do not wind up being hospitalized or seriously ill.
Because many people have concerns and questions about the vaccine and COVID-19, Ballad Health has put together this vaccine resource page for our team members. We’ll keep it filled with key information about the COVID-19 vaccine, the CMS ruling, our vaccine policy, vaccine PODs and availability, and much more.
Information on the CMS mandate
Here is Alan Levine’s email from Nov. 11, laying out the CMS vaccination mandate that has now been suspended:
Click here to read Alan Levine’s email to all Ballad Health team members, sent on Nov. 11, 2021.
Frequently asked questions
Click here to see our extensive list of FAQs, covering:
- COVID-19
- Delta variant
- Vaccines
- COVID-19 PODs
POD schedule
To administer the vaccine, we’ve established PODs (points of dispensing) with five hospital locations. NOTE: Second-dose schedules are subject to change, due to the suspension of the CMS mandate. Please check with Infection Prevention for any schedule changes before planning to get your second dose.
Click here to see the PODs schedule.
Facts and myths
We’ve put together a list of common myths and misperceptions about COVID-19, along with some frequently asked questions that dive deeper into some of the myths.
Click here to see the Facts and Myths as a PDF.
COVID-19 vaccines and pregnancy
Do you want information about getting the COVID-19 vaccine for someone who is pregnant? Here are two articles that offer expert clinical insight and evidence about the vaccine’s safety and benefit for pregnant women.
Peer-reviewed scientific commentary:
This Practice Advisory from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists is an overview of currently available COVID-19 vaccines and guidance for their use in pregnant, recently pregnant, and nonpregnant individuals:
If you have questions about the vaccine or the CMS mandate, you can also contact our Corporate Emergency Operations Center at CEOC-Vaccines@balladhealth.org.