However, an Ascension hospital employee contacted TGP and said that he and several others had filed religious exemptions from the COVID shot. The deadline for finishing the vaccination and fulfilling the requirement has been set for November 12, 2021. There's a procedure for employees to seek an exemption on Ascension's website, similar to the one they use for their yearly influenza vaccination.Īscension, having Catholic roots, has grown to become one of the biggest private healthcare systems in the nation, with a hospital count that ranks second in the United States for 2019. “Together, we will put this pandemic behind us so that we can continue to focus on meeting the needs of those who come to us for care.”Ĭopyright 2021 by WJXT News4Jax - All rights reserved.About 650 workers at the Ascension Providence Hospital in Novi, Michigan, have been refused religious exemptions from the COVID-19 vaccine mandate.Īccording to The Gateway Pundit (TGP), Ascension mandates vaccination against COVID-19 for all employees, regardless of whether they offer direct care to patients or operate remotely from their facilities. The policy covers associates who are employed by its partners, physicians and advanced practice providers, and any volunteers and vendors who visit the health system’s facilities.īut Ascension noted there is a process in place for exemptions based on medical conditions, religious beliefs and collective bargaining agreements reached between the health system and unions who represent its associates. The health system said the new policy applies to all associates, no matter if they provide direct patient care or not, or whether they work at one of its facilities or remotely.

But we must do more to overcome this pandemic as we provider safe environments for those we serve,” Ascension’s statement says. “Tens of thousands of Ascension associates have already been vaccinated with the available vaccines, as have millions of people across the country and the world. On Monday, the Mayo Clinic, American Medical Association and dozens of other health care organizations called for health care providers to make COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory among their employees, citing a surge in infections, hospitalizations and deaths linked to the highly transmissible delta variant, which has quickly become the dominant strain of COVID-19. 12, around the same time it requires annual flu shots. The goal, Ascension says, is to have its associates fully vaccinated by Nov. “As a healthcare provider and as a Catholic ministry, ensuring we have a culture of safety for our associates, patients and communities is foundational to our work.” This decision is rooted in our Mission commitment to leading with quality and safety,” the statement says. “Ascension conducted a thorough moral and ethical analysis as part of the decision-making process. Vincent’s in Riverside and Clay County posted the new policy on its website, saying the change is based on its obligation to protect its patients, employees and the communities they serve.

– Joining a growing number of health systems, Ascension announced Tuesday that it will require COVID-19 vaccinations for its associates, whether they care for patients or not.

Ascension st john vaccine mandate