The good, the bad, and the unknown
Many Georgia hospital workers are not vaccinated against COVID.
Houston Healthcare did the typical things to promote COVID-19 vaccination among its hospital workers, including stressing the importance and safety of getting a shot.
But the Warner Robins-based system’s successful vaccine effort had a personal dimension as well.
The deaths of three beloved staff members from COVID-19 motivated employees to get the shots, says Houston Healthcare’s CEO.
The dietary director for both of the system’s hospitals — Houston Medical Center and Perry Hospital — was one of the COVID deaths. The others were a secretary for a COVID unit at Houston Medical, and a general surgeon who worked in the community for 40 years.
“They weren’t just three individuals,’’ says Charles Briscoe, president and CEO of the Middle Georgia system. “They were very much loved.’’
More than 80% of employees at the two hospitals have been vaccinated for the coronavirus. That’s a much higher percentage than the average for Georgia hospitals. The data from Houston Medical and
Perry Hospital are shown in federal health statistics on COVID vaccinations for hospitals’ employees.
That rate is also more than double the percentage of vaccinations in the communities around the hospitals.
The feds are asking hospitals to report their employee vaccination rates, but it’s voluntary, and many have chosen not to reveal their numbers.
Large multi-hospital systems in Georgia such as Piedmont Healthcare, HCA Healthcare, Wellstar Health System and
Northside Hospital haven’t reported their rates of employee vaccination. The percentage of Georgia hospitals reporting their numbers, though, is higher than the national average of 52%.
Several rural hospitals report high rates of unvaccinated employees – 50% or more. Two AdventHealth hospitals, in Calhoun and Chatsworth, had mostly unvaccinated workers – 66% and 56%, respectively – when they reported the information to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in mid-May. Now, the two hospitals appear not to be reporting their percentages, according to a recent check of HHS data.
Piedmont and Northside, each based in Atlanta, have offered financial incentives for employees to get COVID shots.
The 11-hospital Piedmont system has offered employees $400. Northside, with five hospitals, is giving workers up to $500, depending on how many hours they work. Officials in both systems say the incentives have boosted their employee vaccination rates.
“Northside recently began providing financial payments to employees for completing their COVID-19 vaccination regimen. This program has been well received, and our vaccination levels have been rising,’’ said Katherine Watson, a Northside Hospital spokeswoman.