Cape Girardeau hospitals 'encourage' but don't 'require' COVID vaccinations

Despite the urging of medical organizations representing millions of physicians, nurses and allied health care workers, Cape Girardeau hospitals have no plans to require their employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

However, both SoutheastHEALTH and Saint Francis Healthcare System say they “encourage” people — including their employees — to take the vaccine.

In response to an inquiry by the Southeast Missourian, both hospitals also said they have higher vaccination rates among their employees than Cape Girardeau County’s 34% rate of fully-vaccinated residents.

According to Southeast, “approximately 50%” of its employees have been vaccinated through a SoutheastHEALTH vaccination clinic. That percentage does not include staff that may have been vaccinated elsewhere. Meanwhile, Saint Francis said “the majority” of its staff is vaccinated, but did not report a percentage.

Cape hospital policies

Although they stop short of “requiring” their employees, physicians and volunteers to be vaccinated, both Southeast and Saint Francis say they are promoting the vaccine.

“We will continue to urge employees to be vaccinated,” said Dr. Matthew Janzow, SoutheastHEALTH vice president and chief medical officer. “For our employees and anybody else in the health care industry, we’re the front-line people taking care of those who are ill. If we’re not protected, we put ourselves and our institution at a greater risk of having challenges taking care of those who need us most.”

Southeast will conduct what it calls “another voluntary vaccination clinic” for employees next week and provides shots to anyone eligible for the vaccine from 8 a.m. until noon Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

The hospital has also produced a video about COVID-19 vaccines and variants, featuring Janzow and infectious disease physician C. Ed Lavalle, viewable on the SoutheastHEALTH website, sehealth.org.

At Saint Francis Healthcare System, marketing and foundation director Danielle Torbet said Saint Francis “strongly encourages all colleagues, physicians, volunteers and patients to receive the COVID-19 vaccination, but does not mandate it.”

However, Torbet said annual influenza vaccinations are required for Saint Francis staff, “unless there is a documented health or religious exemption.”

Southeast has a similar policy requiring annual flu shots.

Both hospitals said they will continue to review their COVID-19 precautions based on recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as well as other organizations such as The Joint Commission and the Missouri Hospital Association.

On Tuesday, the CDC recommended face mask use indoors, even by people who are fully vaccinated, in areas where coronavirus positivity rates and case numbers are rising.

Groups urge mandatory shots

In a joint statement this week, the American Medical Association, the American Nurses Association and nearly 60 other health care associations and societies recommended vaccinations be mandatory for everyone working in the health care industry.

“We call for all health care and long-term care employers require their workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19,” according to the statement, which said vaccinations are “the logical fulfillment of the ethical commitment of all health care workers to put patients, as well as residents of long-term care facilities, first and take all steps necessary to ensure their health and well-being.”

COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths, the statement said, “are once again rising throughout the United States” as a result of “highly contagious variants, including the Delta variant, and significant numbers of unvaccinated people.”

The full text of the statement may be found at semissourian.com.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the United States has almost quadrupled in July, from about 13,000 daily cases at the beginning of the month to more than 50,000 new cases a day now. Cases have been rising throughout Southeast Missouri and parts of the state have recently been cited as being among the nation’s COVID-19 “hot spots.”

This week, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs announced it would require virtually all of its health care employees to be vaccinated, following the lead of a growing number of health care providers and employers in other industries.

Media reports Wednesday indicated the Biden administration could announce a new policy as early as today requiring all federal employees to be vaccinated or be regularly tested for COVID-19.

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