Owner of Tidewell, Suncoast hospices announces mandatory vaccination policy
Faced with a statewide surge in COVID-19 cases, Empath Health this week became one of the first local organizations to announce a mandatory vaccination policy.
The policy requires staff, volunteers and vendors to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Empath is a full-life care provider serving Tampa Bay and southwest Florida with care and support for those with chronic and advanced illnesses and/or those dealing with grief.
Suncoast Hospice and Tidewell Hospice are members of the Empath Health family of companies.
“As a community health organization, Empath Health’s highest priority is to protect the health and safety of our clients, colleagues, volunteers and communities. Empath Health is deeply committed to the promotion of and participation in public health and safety. Vaccines play a vital role in public health and safety, and the COVID-19 vaccine continues to demonstrate efficacy protecting individual health and limiting the spread of COVID-19,” Empath said.
The vaccine policy is an initiative of Empath Health senior leadership in consultation with the organization’s clinical experts and with endorsement from the board of directors.
“The medical evidence tells us that vaccination for COVID-19 is safe and effective. Since protecting our colleagues and patients is always our prime concern, requiring the vaccine for all our colleagues, volunteers, students and vendors is absolutely the right thing to do. I have no doubt that these actions will help save many people from illness and death and will help the overall health of the communities that we serve every day,” Dr. Nevile Sarkari, Tidewell Hospice chief medical officer, said.
In order to curb the spread of COVID-19, Empath Health’s vaccine policy requires all colleagues and volunteers become vaccinated against COVID-19 and support vaccination for all patients who qualify.
All colleagues and volunteers must comply with the vaccination requirement and present proof of full vaccination status (two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine) by Nov. 1. In addition, Empath also requires vendors who interact with clients, colleagues or volunteers to comply with the policy.
Empath Health said it will consider individual exemptions to the vaccine requirement on a case-by-case basis relating to religious beliefs or medical concerns. Colleagues and volunteers granted exceptions may be subject to additional masking requirements and ongoing COVID-19 testing.
No other health-care facility in Manatee County, including hospitals and assisted living facilities, has gone on record as making vaccinations mandatory for its staff and volunteers.
Beach Bistro, 6600 Gulf Drive, in Holmes Beach, in July announced that all of its staff is fully vaccinated and that guests will need to be vaccinated as well.
“From the beginning of the pandemic, our biggest priority has been to protect our staff and diners by ensuring the safest possible working and dining environment. With this dedication to safety, it was important to us to reach a 100% vaccination rate for our staff when vaccines became available,” Beach Bistro partners Susan Timmins and Sean Murphy said in a statement.
While Empath has said that it will ask for proof of vaccination, Beach Bistro’s policy is more on the order of an honor system.
“We’re going with trusting their word. As you know we’re not able to ask for concrete proof in Florida right now,” Timmons said.
This story was originally published August 26, 2021 at 3:17 PM.
