CMS Requires All Healthcare Workers To Receive COVID Vaccination
In an effort to ensure the health and safety of both employees and patients, St. Joseph’s Health has followed the guidelines established by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) regarding healthcare workers and the COVID-19 vaccine. Today, we received new updated guidelines for employee vaccinations from CMS. The previous guidelines mandated that all healthcare workers receive the COVID-19 vaccine or obtain a medical or religious exemption and comply with weekly testing by January 4, 2022.
CMS has amended their guidelines regarding the timeframe for compliance with COVID-19 vaccination for healthcare workers. Now, healthcare workers must receive their first dose by January 27th, 2022.
St. Joseph’s Health will continue to follow the CDC guidelines regarding vaccination of healthcare workers. Therefore, the remaining group of unvaccinated/non-exempted St. Joseph’s employees will be contacted directly and provided the opportunity to receive vaccination, as a condition of continued employment. Their supervisors/managers will be communicating with them, in addition to a letter provided to each employee’s home.
Unvaccinated employees must receive the first vaccine dose (2 dose series of Pfizer/Moderna or a single dose of J&J) or submit a religious or medical exemption application by Thursday, January 27th, 2022. All exemption requests are reviewed by separate panels. If exempted, weekly testing is required.
As these regulatory guidelines evolve, we will continue monitoring requirement updates and update you as we receive more information.
Deadlines
To comply with current CMS requirements, all employees must receive their first COVID-19 vaccine dose (Pfizer/Moderna) by January 27th, 2022, with the second dose provided no later than February 28th, 2022. If opting for J&J, you must receive that single dose by January 27th, 2022.
If the employee has not been fully vaccinated by February 28th, 2022, the employee will be placed on a seven day unpaid administrative leave. If the employee does not comply by the end of the seven day administrative leave, the employee will be considered to have voluntarily resigned his/her position and will be separated from employment.
COVID Vaccines are Available in the Following Locations:
- SJUMC Madison Room, COVID Vaccine, Monday – Friday
7:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
- SJWMC Employee Health Office, Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays
7:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
- SJHRC – On Site Monday – Friday
- Daily in the Employee Health Office, Clifton, Monday – Friday
8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
If you have received a COVID-19 vaccination outside of our internal Employee Health process, please submit your documentation of vaccination to ehdocs@sjhmc.org as soon as you receive the vaccine. If you have any questions, please contact Employee Health at 973-754-2265.