Employee COVID-19 vaccination rates high at Arizona hospitals as deadlines pass
Nov 4, 2021, 4:35 AM
(Facebook Photo/Banner Health)
(Facebook Photo/Banner Health)
PHOENIX — Arizona hospitals have reported high employee COVID-19 vaccination rates as the deadline for many to receive the inoculation or risk losing their jobs passed earlier this week.
Banner Health, the state’s largest hospital system, said Tuesday that 97% of its 62,000 employees and other workers have complied with its COVID-19 vaccine requirement policy.
The deadline to get the shot was Monday. Those who haven’t been vaccinated or been granted an exemption will be placed on unpaid leave and have until Nov. 30 to comply with the policy or will have to resign.
“We respect this was a difficult choice for some team members,” Banner said in a press release.
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Monday was also the vaccination policy deadline for Dignity Health, Valleywise Health and Honor Health.
Dignity said 98% of Valley employees had adhered to the policy or received an exemption.
Dr. Michael White with Valleywise said Wednesday during a press conference that over 99% of employees have been vaccinated or have an exemption.
Honor Health hasn’t released their totals.
Phoenix Children’s deadline was Oct. 1.
Most hospital systems announced the mandatory vaccine requirement earlier this year as a step to ensuring a safe environment for employees, patients and others.
The push came as the Delta variant was driving case and hospitalization numbers in the state to their highest levels in months.
