97% Of Guthrie Employees Compliant With Vaccine Requirement
On August 18, Guthrie Clinic health system announced, that in the best interest of patient and staff safety, employees across the system, except for those with approved exemptions, would be required to receive their first dose of the COVID- 19 vaccine by Monday, September 27. Today, Guthrie announced that nearly 97% of its staff and 100% of all Guthrie physicians, are compliant with that requirement.
Dr. Edmund Sabanegh, President and CEO, Guthrie said, “Vaccination is the best way to slow the spread of COVID-19 and prevent serious illness, hospitalization, and death. By putting this requirement in place, we took an important step to ensure patient safety and protect our colleagues on the front lines of care.”
For those Guthrie employees who did not meet the vaccine requirement deadline, a week-long suspension begins today. During the suspension period, employees who are non-compliant will not be scheduled to work and will have an extra week to receive their first dose or file for an approved exemption. Employees not on the job due to FMLA or quarantine must be compliant with vaccination before returning to work.
Guthrie reminds patients that it remains ready to provide safe, high-quality care to the communities it serves. Since the vaccine requirement was announced, Guthrie has onboarded 150 new employees, with another 67 slated to onboard in the coming weeks. The COVID-19 vaccine requirement is a condition of employment for all new Guthrie hires.
Dr. Edmund Sabanegh, President and CEO, Guthrie said, “I want to publicly thank our employees, advanced practice providers and our physicians for their participation in this vaccination effort and for their dedication to caring for our patients every day. The work is hard, and the hours can be long, but I am proud to lead an organization that puts patients at the center of each decision made, with a commitment to work as a team, striving together for excellence.”