(WWJ) If you want to work for Henry Ford Health System, you will need to be vaccinated.
The Detroit-based company on Tuesday announced that it will require the COVID-19 vaccination for its workforce. Taking effect on Sept. 10, 2021, the requirement applies to all team members, students, volunteers and contractors. Only those with valid medical or religious reasons can be exempt.
Henry Ford is the first health system in Michigan to require the vaccine, although many others around the U.S. have already done so.
“We acknowledge the magnitude of this decision and we did not make it lightly,” said President and CEO Wright Lassiter III, in a media release. “As a leader and trusted voice in our communities, our patients and members depend on us to create a safe, healthy environment. We owe that same promise to our team members. Safety and infection prevention are everyone’s responsibility.”
According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), it is legal for employers to require COVID-19 vaccination for employees. Although companies are still required to provide reasonable accommodations for employees who are exempt from mandatory immunization based on the Americans with Disabilities Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and other federal laws.
Henry Ford notes that vaccinations are credited with the sharp decline in COVID-19 hospitalizations and cases, as well as a vastly lower positivity rate. Currently, total COVID-19 admissions across all Henry Ford’s hospitals are around 20 , the lowest number since the early days of the pandemic. Still, the health system says emerging variants like Delta put unvaccinated people at extremely high risk for hospitalization and death and leave hospitals vulnerable to potential future surges.
“We have consistently advocated for vaccination as the best path forward for all of us,” said Bob Riney, President of Healthcare Operations and Chief Operating Officer. “But for vaccinations to truly make a deep and lasting impact on this pandemic, we need everyone in this fight. There is no greater compassion we can show each other than to be vigilant about safety and preventing the spread of this devastating disease.”
Since vaccinations began at Henry Ford on Dec. 17, 2020, Henry Ford’s vaccination rate across the health system is 68%, or just over 23,000 team members.
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Henry Ford says it has has been at the forefront of COVID-19 vaccine research, serving as a Phase 3 study site for three vaccine adult clinical trials: the two-dose Moderna vaccine and one-dose and two-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Last month, the health system began enrolling volunteers in a Moderna vaccine study for children ages 6 months to 11 years old.
“The data and science continues to reinforce the safety and effectiveness of these vaccines,” said Adnan Munkarah, M.D., Executive Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer. “With the expectation that the FDA will grant permanent approval to Pfizer and other vaccinations soon, we believe this decision is in the best interest of our patients and members, our team members, and the communities we serve.”
The decision to require a COVID-19 vaccination is consistent with existing vaccination policy at Henry Ford. Team members are required to get a flu shot every year and stay current with other vaccinations like measles, mumps, rubella and whooping cough.
Henry Ford said it is committed to building trust, being transparent, and answering questions, and to that end will offer listening sessions throughout the summer to help team members navigate the mandate process.
“At the end of the day, we want all of our team members to be safe and healthy – protected from this virus and protecting those around them,” said Lassiter. “When it comes to this complex decision, we will do the best and safest thing we can to achieve that goal. We are not the first healthcare organization to do this, and we will not be the last.”
In Michigan, 61.4% of people ages 16 and older have received at least one dose of vaccine.