OMAH´¡Ìý— More than 90% of employees of the eight Omaha and Lincoln health systems that require their workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19 have gotten their shots.
The health systems' chief medical officers jointly announced the plan in early August, well ahead of President Joe Biden's September announcement that all government contractors — including those that receive Medicare and Medicaid dollars — require employee vaccination.Â
All of the eight Omaha and Lincoln health systems have granted exemptions to a small percentage of their employees on medical or religious grounds, including roughly 5% of Bryan Health's staff. Most established committees to review the requests and granted them on an individual basis. Employees granted exemptions typically have agreed to wear masks and test regularly for COVID-19.Â
Thursday, the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued emergency regulations that will apply to roughly 17 million health care workers at 76,000 providers nationwide.Â
Under the rules, eligible health care workers must be fully vaccinated by Jan. 4. The regulations require health care facilities to provide for exemptions for recognized medical conditions or religious beliefs under the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Civil Rights Act of 1964.Â
Unlike a separate rule requiring vaccination in most cases for businesses with 100 or more employees, the CMS rule doesn't allow for periodic testing as an alternative to vaccination. The agency said, however, that health care facilities may voluntarily institute testing alongside other infection control measures, such as distancing and source control.
Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts said Thursday that he will fight back against the new federal rules.
The Omaha- and Lincoln-area medical chiefs said in August that their voluntary effort was intended to ensure the safety of patients and employees and the communities in which they operate.Â
The announcement came as a joint statement signed by the CEOs of Boys Town National Research Hospital, Bryan Health, CHI Health, Children’s Hospital & Medical Center, Madonna Rehabilitation Hospitals, Methodist Health System, Midwest Surgical Hospital and Nebraska Medicine.Â
On Monday, Bryan said it had only 10 employees — out of 5,552 people — leave over a vaccination mandate that became effective Oct. 29.
Below is a summary of where the other health systems stand:Â
Nebraska Medicine
More than 97% of employees had been vaccinated by the health system's deadline in late October, officials said. The health system granted 304 exemptions for religious and medical reasons, representing about 3% of total employees.
Thirty employees opted not to follow the vaccination policy, or about 0.3% of total staff. Only 18 worked full time.
Omaha-based Children's and its affiliates reported that 99.7% of its 3,351 employees were fully compliant as of Thursday, either vaccinated or with an accepted medical or religious exemption. Only .03% of the health system's staff had taken no action by the Nov. 1 deadline.
Methodist Health System
Some 98% of Methodist's nearly 8,000 employees are fully compliant, either vaccinated or with an accepted exemption.
A total of 129, or 1.6%, of employees elected not to comply with the vaccine mandate. Those people will be facing "corrective action" up to and including suspension and possible termination, officials said.
CHI Health
Some 92% of CHI's approximately 12,000 employees are either fully vaccinated, partially vaccinated or have applied for and received a medical or religious exemption.Â
Employees who are not vaccinated and do not have an approved exemption may be able to continue working while replacements are secured, officials of the system that includes St. Elizabeth in Lincoln said. They will be subject to additional masking and testing requirements.
As of late October, the hospital had a vaccination rate of 92%, said Dr. Stephen Doran, chief medical officer. That represents an increase of about 15% since the health systems initiated their policy.
All of those who are not vaccinated, he said, have submitted requests for exemptions.
Madonna Rehabilitation Hospitals
As of early this week, 93% of Madonna's employees were vaccinated and 123 exemptions had been granted for medical and religious reasons, representing 6% of all employees.
Twenty had taken no action by the system's Oct. 29 deadline, which represents about 1% of staff members. As of Tuesday, five had resigned or said they intended to resign rather than comply with the vaccine policy.
Boys Town National Research Hospital
The vast majority of Boys Town employees are vaccinated, officials said. Exemptions continue to be evaluated on an individual basis.