Kentucky health care providers to mandate vaccines
(The Center Square) – Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear on Thursday issued a plea to private businesses across the state, urging them to make the COVID-19 vaccine a requirement for employees.
During a press conference Thursday in the Capitol, the governor revealed 11 healthcare providers have pledged to require their medical workers to start their vaccination process by Sept. 15.
The organizations throwing their support behind the initiative were Appalachian Regional Healthcare, Baptist Health, CHI Saint Joseph Health, King’s Daughters Health System, Med Center Health, Norton Healthcare, Pikeville Medical Center, St. Claire Healthcare, St. Elizabeth Healthcare, UK Healthcare and UofL Health.
Dr. Mark Newman, executive vice president of health affairs for UK Healthcare, said in a statement people must work with each other in order for the pandemic to finally end.
“Hopefully that reinforces to everyone that the vaccine is safe and effective, and we hope encourages everyone in the commonwealth to think about how they can move forward,” he said.
The Kentucky Hospital Association, the Kentucky Medical Association and the Kentucky Nurses Association said in a joint statement they supported the move and encouraged other providers across the state to join.
“Vaccination against COVID-19 is our best tool to prevent spread of the disease, protect our patients and ensure the health and well-being of our hospital workforce and all Kentuckians,” that statement read.
The requirement agreed to by the private organizations follows and exceeds what Beshear and state health officials implemented earlier this week. The Cabinet for Health and Family Services strongly encouraged workers and contractors at state-run health facilities to be fully vaccinated by Oct. 1.
While the number of people getting vaccinations has risen in the last couple of weeks, the state still lags behind most of the nation, according to data from the Johns Hopkins University of Medicine Coronavirus Resource Center.
With just 46.2% of the state’s population fully vaccinated, Kentucky ranks 33rd out of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The national average is 50.5%.
More than 4.2 million doses have been administered in the state, with nearly 2.1 million people fully vaccinated. Two of the three vaccines currently approved for emergency use in the United States require two doses in order to become fully vaccinated.
Beshear said the business community’s leadership is vital if the state is to see a significant increase in those numbers.
“We have now seen that there are individuals that will not get vaccinated if government officials are saying please vaccinated,” the governor said.
On Wednesday, the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce launched its “COVID Stops Here” campaign that will allow businesses achieving 90% and 100% vaccination rates to get their workers chances to win prizes, including tickets to sporting events and bottles of bourbon.
Participating businesses that achieve at least a 70% vaccination rate will receive a special designation.
The state still will not issue its own mandate for employees, and on Thursday, Beshear offered some state workers a carrot instead of a stick.
State workers in the executive branch that work under the governor will now receive an extra vacation day in exchange for getting a vaccine. The move applies to everyone who has received a vaccine, and the extra day does not count against the time workers take to get the shots.
Several Republican statewide officeholders previously said they would not abide by the Democratic governor’s mask mandate in state buildings. But on Thursday, some were open to joining the new incentive.
“I believe threats and mandates don’t work and that getting vaccinated is a personal choice. Encouragement works best. Let’s use some Kentucky common sense,” tweeted Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles, adding the Department of Agriculture would also give the vacation incentive.
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