Midland Health Now Requiring Employees to Get COVID-19 Vaccine

Now that the mandate has come down from President Biden, Midland Health will now be requiring employees to get vaccinated.

According to the Midland Reporter-Telegram, it was a move Midland Health was reluctant to do because of the numbers of people who were refusing to get the vaccine, but now that the mandate has come down and applies to all hospitals, Midland Health is not as reluctant as they were before.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will be the main ones making it a requirement which means hospitals who want to continue receiving funding must abide by these rules.

“We in the hospital are going to be conscious of what happens with rulemaking by CMS, and we're going to step up and abide by the rules we’re given,” said Russell Meyers, Midland Health CEO and President.

Meyers pointed out there will likely be medical or religious exemptions applied to the mandate, but those who get the exceptions will be required to test regularly for COVID-19.

About 72% of the staff of Midland Health is vaccinated and they were reluctant to require vaccines because they did not want their already strained staff to start quitting and make it even more strained.

But now that it is a federal mandate, they are less worried about losing staff since those opposing staff members will not be able to go to a hospital that does not require staff to get vaccinated because all hospitals will be required to.

“We certainly could still have people who are unwilling for whatever reason to abide by a vaccine mandate and choose to leave, but it will be more difficult for them to catch on at another health care provider,” said Meyers.

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