Ohio’s Hospice will require all staff to be vaccinated against COVID-19 before Oct. 1. Staff members who have medical or religious objections to the vaccine can apply for an exemption.
Ohio’s Hospice is a statewide alliance of nonprofit providers established in 2013 that collaborate on back office functions and expenses and leverage their collective size in negotiations with vendors, payers and referral sources. The collaborative began with three hospice members and now includes 11 organizations.
“We believe that we have an obligation and the responsibility to do everything possible to protect the patients and families we have the privilege of serving, as well our staff, our families, and our communities,” Craig Schrolucke, senior director of mission engagement and communication for Ohio’s Hospice, said in a statement. “Throughout the pandemic, we have made decisions based on the best available evidenced-based information.”
Ohio had the sixth highest rate of hospice utilization among Medicare decedents during 2018 at 56.7%, the National Hospice & Palliative Care Organization reported. The national average that year was slightly higher than 50%.
The COVID-19 pandemic has ended the lives of more than 610,00 people in the United States since its onset, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC).
The outbreak seemed to subside in recent months due to widespread vaccination, but the delta and gamma variants of the virus have led to a renewed surge. More than 80,000 cases were reported last week alone. Close to 99% of the recent deaths occurred among the unvaccinated, according to CDC.
“New cases surging from the highly transmissible delta variant across the United States, as hospitalizations and deaths related to COVID-19, are increasing predominately in those who are not vaccinated against COVID-19,” Schrolucke said in the statement. “It is our responsibility as a health care organization to provide confidence to our patients and their families that we are doing all we can to create a safe care environment that prevents the transmission of any communicable disease.”
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