The deadline for Maine to start implementing a COVID-19 vaccine requirement for healthcare employees arrived on Friday.
Northern Mild Well being introduced that unvaccinated employees would now not be working at its 10 hospitals as of Saturday. In Lewiston, Central Maine Medical Heart is already in compliance, which means unvaccinated employees members aren’t allowed to work.
MaineHealth, the state’s largest healthcare supplier, stated Friday was the final day for employees to submit paperwork displaying compliance with the requirement. Those that don’t comply will likely be terminated.
Andy Mueller, CEO of MaineHealth, has stated he expects to lose 1.5% to 2% of employees systemwide however that these losses can be offset by fewer COVID-19-related absences.
“We truly suppose we will have extra functionality and fewer shortages in an actual approach by making certain our workforce is vaccinated,” he stated this week.
The vaccine mandate imposed by the administration of Democratic Gov. Janet Mills requires hospital and nursing residence employees to get vaccinated or danger shedding their jobs. The state introduced it might start implementing the mandate Friday.
A lawsuit attacking the requirement was nonetheless pending with the U.S. Supreme Court docket. The Liberty Counsel, which filed the lawsuit, claimed to symbolize greater than 2,000 healthcare employees who do not wish to be compelled to be vaccinated.
State companies vowed to work with hospitals and nursing properties individually to deal with staffing points that may come up from employees who lose their jobs relatively than get vaccinated.
