URBANA, Ill. (WAND) - Carle Health is requiring all employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
The company said employees who are not yet vaccinated are required to complete a vaccine form and comply with additional safety requirements on an ongoing basis, effective immediately. Those additional requirements include:
- Wear a N95 or high-filtration mask while in Carle and Health Alliance buildings (in place of surgical masks)
- Continued high level of PPE use regardless of local spread, including eye protection in all clinical spaces
- Ongoing and additional mitigation measures will be determined in the weeks ahead
Carle said the effort to vaccinate as many team members as possible follows consideration of feedback from many employees and is in line with guidance from the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
“Like many community members, the majority of Carle Health team members have already made the decision to vaccinate and we are grateful for their contribution toward ending this pandemic,” James C. Leonard, MD, president and CEO of Carle Health, said. “The decision to request all Carle Health team members to get vaccinated was made carefully and follows our organization’s values and commitment to being a trusted health partner for the community.”
Carle noted getting vaccinated is the most effective way to reduce community transmission of COVID-19. It said a staff vaccine requirement is one more step by the organization "to maintain the safest environment possible for Carle Health patients and members."
“We see in our hospitals and clinics the significant impact the vaccine has on the spread of infection and the severity of disease,” Robert Healy, MD, chief medical quality officer, said. “As the country deals with mutations like the Delta variant and others, vaccination truly is the best way keep more people from getting sick.”
Over 70 percent of Carle's more than 11,000 employees have already been vaccinated. Carle said it has joined a growing number of health systems and organizations nationwide requiring staff be vaccinated to reduce the spread of infection.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has said all available COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective.
Click here for more information from Carle about its vaccine efforts.
