The government’s biggest COVID-19 vaccine mandate deadline for nursing home workers hit March 15, and it did not wind up causing the major departure of employees that many had warned about.
While some stakeholders said increased vaccine literacy was a key, others noted that general fear of the virus and other conditions had already shaken out many wavering employees. Still others said the availability of vaccine exemptions kept many operators on the right side of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services mandate.
As many as 15% to 20% of the workforce in Arizona were given waivers by their employers, said Dave Voepel, president and CEO of the Arizona Health Care Association.
“If it weren’t for the exemptions, we would not be able to make it,” he said. “There’s just no way. The last I saw, we had 77% of staff vaccinated with two shots.”
In a related development, the Office of the Inspector General launched an investigation to see if providers achieved compliance by the final deadline.
