With October days away, the deadline is approaching for staff at Guelph General Hospital to get fully vaccinated.
“What has been communicated to staff is that the expectation is that everyone will need to be fully vaccinated by Oct. 12, and if not, they will be put on an unpaid leave,”said Karen Suk-Patrick, vice president of people and services at GGH, about the announcement made on Sept. 21.
Any hospital staff who are not fully vaccinated by Oct. 12 will be put on unpaid leave until Nov. 9. By putting staff on unpaid leave, Suk-Patrick explains it will give them time to consider their vaccination status and get fully vaccinated.
“That gap between October and Nov. 9 is that it gives people time to consider their vaccination status, and get vaccinated. Between 21 to 28 days, you can have your full course of the vaccine,” she said.
By Nov. 9, Suk-Patrick said any staff who are not fully vaccinated by that point could be terminated. The same announcement was also made in hospitals across Wellington County and Waterloo Region.
Suk-Patrick explains their stance is meant to protect staff, patients and the community.
With the Delta variant, she said emergency rooms and ICU rooms at Guelph General are filling up with mainly unvaccinated patients who are ending up with the highest risk of serious injury, death and hospitalization.
“This is another tool in our toolbox,” said Suk-Patrick about vaccines, “It’s well researched, we know that it’s safe, and it prevents hospitalizations, death and it protects others.”
Right now, Suk-Patrick said there are some staff members who are unvaccinated and the hospital is reaching out to them and encouraging them to speak with their physicians. The hospital has received some medical exemptions, and a couple human rights exemptions. Suk-Patrick mentions the human rights exemptions are currently under review.
Along with unvaccinated staff, the hospital is also trying to speak with casual workers about their vaccination status.
“Submitting your vaccination is voluntary and we have a large number of staff who are casual, or work in another organization, so we are doing a lot of reaching out to people we haven’t heard from yet,” said Suk-Patrick.
At the time of the announcement, Suk-Patrick said approximately 80 per cent of staff were fully vaccinated, based on voluntary disclosures of vaccination status. Since then, 95 per cent of staff are fully vaccinated. Suk-Patrick adds response to the requirement has been overwhelmingly positive.
“Our goal here is really about the safety and wellbeing of our staff and patients.”
