Deadlines have passed for thousands of GTA hospital workers to prove they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and some are now on unpaid leave or facing layoff.
At the Hospital for Sick Children, 98 percent of the 8,258 hospital staff members, including 100 percent of its active physicians, are fully vaccinated.
But 145 staff members have been assigned to unpaid leaves of absence for failing to comply with the hospital’s mandatory vaccination policy or for failing to provide proof of their status, though some are still in the process of submitting the required documentation, he said. Sick Kids in an email to Estrella.
“We anticipate that the number of staff on leave of absence will decrease in the coming days,” spokeswoman Jessamine Luck said in an emailed statement.
University Health Network, which has a release deadline on Friday, told the Star that 99 percent of its 17,200 employees are fully vaccinated, including 100 percent of physicians and 100 percent of researchers.
UHN estimates that the number of unvaccinated staff could be as low as 18 or as high as around 200, with an exact number to be clarified after the October 22 deadline, said President and CEO Kevin Smith. Those who have only received one COVID vaccine will be asked to take a vacation or leave without pay until they are fully vaccinated, he said.
If staff choose to remain unvaccinated, Smith said “we will inform them that they are no longer complying with UHN policies and, sadly, they are no longer eligible to work here.”
At Trillium Health Partners in Mississauga, 95 percent of their staff, including physicians, are fully vaccinated, and 96 percent have received at least one dose.
THP staff, which includes Mississauga Hospital and Credit Valley Hospital, must disclose their immunization status by October 20. Those who are not fully vaccinated face “progressive discipline” beginning Oct. 21, THP spokesman Amit Shilton said in an emailed statement to Estrella.
Disciplinary actions include “a warning, unpaid suspension and termination,” Shilton said, noting that staff with approved medical exemptions or accommodations are excluded from such actions.
On Thursday, the Ontario Hospital Association made clear that it supports mandatory COVID vaccinations for healthcare workers after publishing a letter in response to Prime Minister Doug Ford’s request for comment on the issue.
In its letter, the OHA said that nearly 70 percent of hospitals have implemented mandatory policies that go beyond those implemented by the province, requiring unvaccinated staff to undergo regular COVID testing and complete an educational course on the benefits of receiving the vaccine.
The OHA said mandatory COVID vaccinations will help protect the hospital workforce, prevent outbreaks and limit absences for healthcare workers. The association also said hospitals that have implemented mandatory vaccination have not seen such policies affect staffing capacity.
Hospitals contacted by the Star on Thursday say the number of unvaccinated staff represents a small proportion of their workforce and believe that placing non-compliant people on unpaid leave will not affect patient care.
“We do not anticipate any interruption in patient care as a result of the vaccine mandate policy,” the Sick Kids spokesperson said.
At Unity Health Toronto, approximately 97.5 percent of its full and part-time workforce (about 8,850 employees) have received at least one dose and nearly all of its 850 active physicians have received their first vaccination, according to a statement sent by email to the Star.
Unity Health, which includes St. Michael’s Hospital and St. Joseph’s Health Center, had an October 4 deadline for all of its staff to have received at least a first dose.
“Over the past two weeks, team leaders and human resources have been doing individual follow-up with physicians and staff for whom we did not have COVID-19 vaccination records,” spokeswoman Jennifer Stranges said in an email.
Those who still did not comply with the vaccine policy were put on leave without pay, he said.
The two hospitals have a November 4 deadline for staff to be fully vaccinated. So far, about 211 of Unity’s 8,550 full- and part-time employees are, or will soon be, on unpaid leave, Stranges said. Fewer than five of his 850 doctors face the same consequence, he said.
“This has been a challenging time and getting our colleagues off leave is extremely difficult for everyone at Unity Health Toronto,” Stranges said, noting that both hospitals have “contingencies to ensure that we maintain our high standards of care.”
UHN began asking staff to disclose their vaccination status shortly after implementing COVID vaccines to their workers, Smith said. The network, which includes the Princess Margaret Cancer Center, offered educational opportunities for its staff, including more than 50 webinars during which workers could ask questions, he said.
“I don’t think we could have put in more effort,” he said, noting that UHN asked medical leaders to speak directly to staff members and made community leaders available to people with religious concerns.
Sick Kids, along with CHEO in Ottawa and Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, said on August 19 that they were implementing a mandatory COVID vaccine policy for staff and volunteers to protect their vulnerable patients.
At the time, Sick Kids president and CEO Dr. Ronald Cohn told the Star that the hospital opted for stricter vaccination policies because 70 percent of the children in its care are not yet eligible for the vaccines.
As of Oct. 21, Sick Kids records show that of the 145 licensed staff members, some of whom work remotely, 19 percent have received a dose, the hospital spokesman said.
“We are hopeful that all staff members who are currently not fully vaccinated will be fully vaccinated as soon as possible and return from leave.”
Reference-www.thestar.com