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About 97 percent of Windsor Regional Hospital staff received at least one injection of the COVID-19 vaccine when a hospital-wide mandate went into effect on Wednesday.
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But for the nearly 150 employees who have yet to receive the vaccine, Wednesday marks the beginning of two weeks of unpaid leave. From there, staff can be fired if they have not yet received the vaccine.
“This is the right thing to do and why 97 percent of our staff and employees have accepted it and agreed that this is what we need to do.”David Musyj, executive director of Windsor Regional Hospital, said Wednesday.
We can’t deal with unvaccinated staff at the hospital
The hospital’s vaccination policy, adopted in early September, states that all hospital staff, employees, volunteers, and students must have received at least one injection of the COVID-19 vaccine, unless they have a valid medical exemption, before September 22.
Otherwise, individuals will receive a two-week unpaid leave. If they haven’t received a vaccination by October 7, they can be fired or their hospital privileges can be revoked.
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Right now, about 99 percent of the hospital’s professional staff, including doctors, midwives, and dentists, have received the vaccine. That leaves just seven people, only two of whom are working full-time, who have yet to get it.
About 96 percent of the other hospital employees, or 3,398 people, have complied with the policy after receiving their vaccination or providing proof of exemption. That leaves about 140 employees now on leave without pay.
Musyj said hospital officials had hoped it would not get to this point, but that they will face the number of staff outside of work.
“We cannot deal with unvaccinated staff at the hospital,” Musyj said. “None of us on this call are going to have another conversation with a family and say that we did not do everything possible to prevent their family member … from contracting COVID while they are here.”
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A person who identified himself as a nurse called the Windsor Star newsroom on Wednesday. For fear of retaliation, he did not want to give his name, but called the vaccination mandates unfair and a human rights violation to lose his livelihood for his decision not to get vaccinated.
The Ontario Nurses Association (ONA) said it encourages all healthcare workers to get the vaccine.
“ONA supports education and addresses the question of vaccinations, without penalizing or firing nurses when we need them most,” said Vicki McKenna, ONA’s registered nurse and president, in a statement. “ONA also supports periodic employee testing as a safety-for-all, reassignment or other measures.”
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Karen Riddell, director of operations and executive director of nursing, and Dr. Wassim Saad, the hospital’s chief of staff, said they planned for the impact of the loss of staff. Riddell said the impact is low on a daily basis and the hospital is being managed with existing staff coverage, bringing in substitutes (doctors to replace) and possibly hiring.
Musyj said the number of staff getting vaccinated was increasing even as he spoke to reporters on Wednesday, and that staff who are currently on leave can return anytime in the next two weeks when they receive the vaccine. Overall, Musyj said that the positive comments about the vaccination policy outweighed the negative comments.
When the hospital’s vaccination policy was announced in early September, approximately 94 percent of hospital staff had received the vaccine and about 300 people were not vaccinated.
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Anthony Paniccia, chairman of the hospital’s board, said the policy also applies to board members and their committees.
“We are leaders in the community and the responsibility stops here,” said Paniccia. “It’s a science-based decision, and at the end of the day, it’s the only way out of this.”
Reference-windsorstar.com