A nonprofit publication of the Kentucky Center for Public Service Journalism

Eleven hospital systems, including St. E Healthcare, to require vaccinations for health care workforce


Hospital executives from 11 health care systems in the Commonwealth — including St. Elizabeth Healthcare — have announced that they are requiring their health care workforce to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

The executives are taking following pledge:

“The health care facilities below are committed to the health and safety of our patients and employees. In support of this commitment, we will all require our health care workforce to initiate a complete COVID-19 vaccination series no later than Sept. 15, 2021.”

The systems include: Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH), Baptist Health, CHI Saint Joseph Health, King’s Daughters Health System, Med Center Health, Norton Healthcare, Pikeville Medical Center, St. Claire Healthcare, St. Elizabeth Healthcare, UK Healthcare and UofL Health.

The new policy will help health systems respond to a surge in COVID-19 cases driven by the delta variant. Governor Andy Beshear announced Wednesday that there were 2,583 new cases (the highest since Feb. 3, 2021) and a 10.08% test positivity rate (the highest since Jan. 24, 2021). There were another 2,217 cases and 4 deaths Thursday and a positivity rate of 10.27%.

“We have an opportunity for more prosperity, more potential than ever before in my lifetime. We can have the Kentucky that we have always dreamed of. We have that potential at our fingertips,” said Beshear, in announcing the healthcare systems’ decision. “But if we are truly going to realize that opportunity, we must win our war against COVID. If we are going to defeat and not just delay COVID-19, there is one and only one answer. That answer is vaccinations. So each decision that we make has to gauge the impact on getting the unvaccinated to take that shot.”

In a joint statement, the Kentucky Hospital Association, Kentucky Medical Association and the Kentucky Nurses Association said: “KHA, KMA and KNA support hospitals and health systems amending their existing vaccine policies to require COVID-19 vaccines for their health care employees. Vaccination against COVID-19 is our best tool to prevent spread of the disease, protect our patients and ensure the health and well-being of our hospital workforce and all Kentuckians. We recognize that each hospital and health system is unique and encourage each hospital and health system to determine the appropriate timeline to implement a requirement.”

Executives from each of the 11 health care systems explained why the pledge was necessary in this stage of the fight against COVID-19.

Gary Blank

Gary Blank, executive vice president and chief operating officer, spoke for St. Elizabeth Healthcare.

“With the onset of the new, highly contagious delta variant and recent surges in COVID cases in our facilities and in our communities, we must ensure that all of our associates are protected,” he said. “We must do our part to keep our patients and communities safe. As health care providers, we must lead by example in creating the safest environment possible for all those we serve, and vaccines provide the strongest protection against the virus by reducing and preventing the spread among patients and peers.”

Tom Miller, chief executive officer of UofL Heath agreed.

“Vaccinations are an essential tool in protecting our health care heroes so they will be healthy and ready to help when you need them,” he said. “While UofL Health was first to announce vaccine requirements in Kentucky, it is now the collective commitment that truly reflects the strength of health care in our Commonwealth.”

“We must lead by example by requiring that all Baptist Health employees are fully vaccinated. It is the ethical and responsible thing to do to live our mission of improving the health care of the communities that we serve,” said Gerard Colman, chief executive officer, Baptist Health.

“This opportunity to collaborate with health systems across the Commonwealth is not only a good outcome for our staff and patients it is, in my view, a demonstration of our collective commitment to safety, accountability, and in keeping with our moral and ethical obligation to do no harm,” Donald H. Lloyd II, president and chief executive officer, St. Claire Healthcare.

“For many of us in medicine, we remember the day that the vaccine became available. It was a huge relief, even amongst the surge that we were having at that time. I think I even described it as the beginning of the end of COVID. Then and now, our best weapon is the vaccine if we want to see an end to this pandemic. However, for us to see that end, we have to work together. Hopefully that reinforces to everyone that the vaccine is safe and effective, and we hope encourages everyone in the Commonwealth to think about how they can move forward,” said Mark Newman, MD, executive vice president of health affairs, UK HealthCare.

COVID-19 Update

Dr. Steven Stack, commissioner of the Kentucky Department for Public Health, said from March 1 to Aug. 4, 2021, 92.3% of COVID-19 cases, 91.4% of COVID-19 hospitalizations and 88.7% of COVID-19 deaths were among partially vaccinated or unvaccinated Kentuckians.

In June, there were 1,197 COVID-19 cases among Kentuckians ages 12-18, and 534 cases among Kentucky children under age 12. In July, those numbers both spiked significantly: there were 4,165 cases reported for the 12 to 18 age group and 2,092 cases reported in Kentucky children under 12.

“The delta variant is serious. You need to take precautions. The measures that we did last year and the ones that we still have to rely on now work,” said Dr. Stack. “Vaccines are the exit strategy. Vaccines are how we bolster our immune systems to protect ourselves and others from this disease. Vaccines are the ways we don’t have to rely on masks and space and rigid adherence to hygiene to keep ourselves safe and protected from this terrible disease.”

The Governor encouraged all Kentuckians 12 and older to get a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine and then sign up for a chance to win $1 million or a full college scholarship at ShotAtAMillion.ky.gov. Two $1 million winners and 10 full-scholarship winners were announced on July 2 and July 30. On Aug. 27, another $1 million winner and five more full-scholarship winners will be announced.


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