POUGHKEEPSIE – At the end of the day on Monday was the state deadline for all healthcare workers to have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Reports of nurses and hospital staff being barred from working on Monday at Vassar Brothers Medical Center (VBMC), a Nuvance Health hospital, were not confirmed by hospital spokesperson John Nelson.
When asked on Monday how many VBMC employees were prohibited from work, Nelson avoided directly answering the question and said, “Like all other health systems in New York State, we are tracking employee vaccinations to ensure compliance with the state regulations. Our own Nuvance Health vaccine mandate goes into effect on October 1. We are pleased with the response and are grateful for the majority of employees who’ve made the decision to get vaccinated.”
On Tuesday, VBMC announced a new visitation policy for the hospital that requires visitors at Nuvance hospitals and facilities to provide full proof of vaccination before being granted access. If the visitor is not vaccinated, they must provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test that has been administered within 72 hours of the visit.
According to VBMC and Nuvance, this includes inpatient, emergency departments, Nuvance Health Medical Practices, and ambulatory services. Exceptions apply for special populations and extenuating circumstances. The full visitation policy can be found here: https://bit.ly/2XG6ITK.
Masks are mandatory in healthcare settings.
