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September 21, 2021

YNHH prepared to lose workers as vaccine deadline looms

PHOTO | File image Yale New Haven Hospital.
By Michelle Tuccitto Sullo

Some Yale New Haven Health employees are expected to lose their jobs for refusing to get vaccinated against COVID-19, according to system leaders.

In July, the system indicated its nearly 29,000 employees had until Aug. 31 to get their first shot, and Sept. 30 to get fully vaccinated. 

Dr. Thomas Balcezak, executive vice president and chief clinical officer for Yale New Haven Health, said that as of Tuesday afternoon, roughly 90% of system employees were vaccinated.

“We are on a good track, though there will be some employees who will separate from the institution because they didn’t get the vaccine and had no qualifying exemption,” Balcezak said. “We need to make sure we are not putting patients and visitors at risk.”

Balcezak estimated about 700 employees haven’t gotten at least one vaccine shot.

“We have seen an uptick recently (in vaccinations), and the deadline is still 10 days away,” Balcezak said. “We will know later how many people will be leaving. No one has been terminated at this point.”

Workers who fail to comply will receive warnings prior to termination proceedings. Employees were able to seek exemptions, such as for religious or health reasons.

Marna P. Borgstrom, CEO of Yale New Haven Health, said she anticipates some employees will tender their resignations at the end of the month.

“We hope we won’t lose many people at all,” Borgstrom said. “This is a health system that has done everything in its power, for the entire time that I have been here, to avoid layoffs.”

Typically, she said the system has avoided terminating people, except for performance issues, and has transferred people to different roles whenever possible.

“We strongly believe the greatest asset we have in this system is our workforce, the people who are our colleagues,” Borgstrom said. “This is a really painful thing to do. We didn’t arrive at this decision to mandate the vaccine lightly or easily.”

Borgstrom noted that other healthcare institutions have similar mandates, so anyone who leaves because they don’t want to get vaccinated likely would have to pursue employment in a different field.

“We have made the decision that this is the only way to be safe as healthcare providers,” Borgstrom said. “The safety of our patients and their loved ones is paramount. Who is going to come to an organization for care when you are most vulnerable if you don’t feel safe?”

According to Borgstrom, the system is aware that some employees won’t change their minds.

“Ultimately, I think most of these people are making the decision that they will resign at the end of the month if they have chosen not to be vaccinated,” Borgstrom said.

Some eligible for retirement will do so, she noted.

“I think the number will be relatively small,” Borgstrom said.

As of Tuesday, the health system had 74 people hospitalized with COVID-19 across its facilities, which include Yale New Haven Hospital, Bridgeport Hospital, Greenwich Hospital, Lawrence+Memorial Hospital in New London and Westerly Hospital in Rhode Island.

Contact Michelle Tuccitto Sullo at msullo@newhavenbiz.com.

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