SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sutter Health is making vaccines required for all employees to be vaccinated.
The announcement comes as the delta variant causes a rise in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.
"Our integrated network has a shared commitment to protecting the health and safety of our patients and the communities we serve,” Sarah Krevans, president and CEO of Sutter Health, said in a press release. “I am grateful the majority of our workforce and allied physicians have already demonstrated their leadership and their confidence in the COVID-19 vaccines by getting fully vaccinated.”
Sutter joins Kaiser Permanente, who made the announcement earlier this week, in California requiring their staff to get vaccinated as well as other organizations across the country.
The vaccine requirement includes all members of Sutter Health's workforce, including employees, physicians, volunteers and vendors who come onsite to Sutter facilities or provide patient care for the organization, according to the press release.
"The only way to get ahead of this virus once and for all is for everyone who is eligible to get vaccinated as soon as possible,” Dr. William Isenberg, Sutter Health's chief quality and safety officer, said in the press release. “The unfortunate reality is that the delta variant is driving a surge in hospitalizations throughout our network and around the country, mostly among unvaccinated people.”
All employees and staff for Sutter Health must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Sept. 30, 2021.
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