Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP
Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare
CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure has penned a letter dated February 1, 2022 to Health Care Facility Administrators. Here are a couple of excerpts from her letter:
“It is paramount to the health and safety of America’s patients for health care facility workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Some of you are already requiring your staff to be vaccinated. Others may have been waiting on a resolution to litigation issues. No matter your current practices, my message to you is simple – now is the time to make sure health care workers are vaccinated. We are moving full speed ahead on implementing our vaccination rule in the District of Columbia, the territories, and all 50 states.
We have seen that health care systems that implement vaccine requirements are not experiencing dramatic staff losses. Vaccinated staff are instead more available to work since they are less likely to get sick. Increasing the uptake of COVID-19 vaccines, including the booster shot, is the most important tool you have against staffing shortages. As COVID-19’s Omicron variant causes your capacity to be stretched to its limit yet again, the best thing you can do is immediately implement policies and procedures to ensure vaccination of your employees. And you can tell front-line heroes the truth: that vaccination is the best defense against this virus, and their patients need them to be healthy now more than ever.
CMS stands ready to support you as you engage in this important work. Please act today so we can finally defeat COVID-19 together.”
I encourage you to read the entire letter.
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