AdventHealth pauses vax mandate after judge halts federal rule
AdventHealth paused its vaccine mandate after a federal judge in Louisiana blocked the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services from requiring vaccines for health care workers nationwide.
“Due to recent decisions by the federal courts to block the CMS vaccine mandate, we are suspending the vaccination requirements prescribed by this mandate. We will continue to monitor the ongoing litigation regarding the federal law,” AdventHealth spokesperson Jeff Grainger told the Orlando Sentinel on Thursday.
About two weeks ago, the entire AdventHealth system set a Dec. 6 deadline for all employees to get their first COVID-19 shot or receive an exemption for medical or religious reasons, according to a letter obtained by WKMG ClickOrlando. The workers could face suspension if they did not comply.
This mandate was required under an emergency regulation that applied to health care facilities that participate in Medicare and Medicaid programs, including AdventHealth Orlando. But as of Thursday, employees are no longer mandated to receive their vaccine by Dec. 6.
This announcement applies to the entire health system, including AdventHealth Central Florida, which includes more than 20 hospitals and ERs in seven counties. Health care facilities in this system see more than 3.4 million patient visits annually, according to AdventHealth’s website.
The move allows AdventHealth’s Florida hospitals to avoid choosing between complying with the mandate and breaking Florida law.
Legislation signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis on Nov. 18 prohibits private companies from mandating vaccines unless employees can choose from a list of exemptions beyond the standard medical or religious exemptions. The penalty is $50,000 per employee violation for big businesses such as AdventHealth, according to a news release.
This isn’t the end of the legal battle over vaccine mandates for health care workers, however.
The CMS vaccine mandate could eventually be reinstated. The Tuesday ruling is a preliminary injunction, or temporary restraining order, that still needs to be argued in front of a judge and could be successfully appealed by the Biden administration, according to the New York Times.
Florida had also requested an injunction against the Biden administration’s vaccine requirement for workers at hospitals.
Their request was rejected but is now being reconsidered by a federal judge.
Meanwhile, another big hospital system in Central Florida has not announced a vaccine mandate, though it will “strongly encourage” vaccination.
When asked to provide staff vaccination numbers and confirm whether Orlando Health is issuing a vaccination mandate, spokesperson Nicole Ray said, “Orlando Health is reviewing the guidelines regarding COVID-19 vaccination requirements for healthcare organizations and will take appropriate steps. As a healthcare organization, we will continue to strongly encourage vaccinations for all team members and physicians at Orlando Health.”
AdventHealth also encourages vaccination. As of Nov. 16, over 74% of its employees are vaccinated. The system did not provide updated numbers on Thursday.
“Based on scientific evidence and what we see in our hospitals every day, COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective at reducing both the risk of becoming infected and the level of harm in the case of a breakthrough infection. As part of our commitment to protecting the health and well-being of our team members, patients and communities, we strongly encourage all of our team members to receive the COVID-19 vaccine,” AdventHealth spokesperson Jeff Grainger said in a statement to the Orlando Sentinel on Thursday.