Holy Cross Health is a member of the Catholic Health System
July 9, 2021 – Trinity Health today announced effective immediately, the national health system will require all colleagues, clinical staff, contractors and those conducting business in its health care facilities be vaccinated against COVID-19.
The requirement applies to Trinity Health’s more than 117,000 employees in 22 states nationwide in an effort stop to the spread of the virus and keep all patients, colleagues and the broader communities safe. This includes 2,900 Holy Cross Health colleagues.
Since December 2020, when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first vaccine for Emergency Use Authorization, Trinity Health has strongly encouraged vaccination for all colleagues and within the communities its various Health Ministries serve. To date, the health system estimates nearly 75% of Trinity Health employees have already received at least one dose of the vaccine, and it now looks to close the gap with this new requirement.
"Our Core Value of Safety means we have the responsibility to do more as a health care system. We strongly believe that this is the right thing to do for our patients and our colleagues," said Mark Doyle, president and chief executive officer.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate more than 331 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in the U.S. The vaccines have proven to be safe and effective against symptomatic infections, hospitalizations and death with more than 99% of COVID-19 deaths today occurring in unvaccinated people.
"Vaccine protects against transmission so the more we vaccinate, the more we decrease chances of ‘escape variant’ against which the vaccines would not work," said Jose Lopez, MD, chief medical officer. "There is urgency to get as many people as possible vaccinated before the fall and winter.”
Employees at Trinity Health and its Health Ministries must meet a series of rolling deadlines, with most locations requiring them to submit proof of vaccination by Sept. 21, 2021. It has not yet been determined if a COVID-19 vaccine booster will be required annually, but if so, employees will also need to submit proof of the booster as needed.
Exemptions are available for religious or health reasons and must be formally requested, documented and approved. Employees who do not meet criteria for exemption and fail to show proof of vaccination will have their employment terminated.
About Holy Cross Health
A member of Trinity Health, Fort Lauderdale-based Holy Cross Hospital, dba Holy Cross Health, is a full-service, non-profit, Catholic, teaching hospital operating in the spirit of the Sisters of Mercy. Holy Cross has been named one of the top 10 hospitals in the Miami metro area and among the top 30 in the state in U.S. News and World Report’s 2020-2021 Best Hospital rankings. Through strategic collaborations and a commitment to being a person-centered, transforming, healing presence, the 557-bed hospital offers progressive inpatient, outpatient and community outreach services and clinical research trials to serve as our community’s trusted health partner for life. Holy Cross Health also encompasses Holy Cross HealthPlex outpatient facility, urgent care centers and more than 50 Holy Cross Medical Group physician practices. To learn more about Holy Cross Health, visit holy-cross.com. Connect @holycrossfl.
About Trinity Health
Trinity Health is one of the largest Catholic health care systems in the nation, serving diverse communities that include more than 30 million people across 22 states. Trinity Health includes 91 hospitals, as well as 113 continuing care locations. Based in Livonia, Michigan, and with annual operating revenues of $19.4 billion, the organization returns $1.3 billion to its communities annually in the form of charity care and other community benefit programs. Trinity Health employs 117,000 colleagues, including 6,800 employed physicians and clinicians. For more information, visit www.trinity-health.org. You can also follow Trinity Health on LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter.
