On the heels of a plan announced by President Joe Biden on Sept. I love taking care of patients and doing good for them, and I personally wish that we had the right to decide what we want to do."Īlongside the protests playing out locally, there are fights on state and national fronts regarding both federal and employer-mandated vaccination requirements. She claimed Ascension had largely denied exemption requests based on medical conditions and religious beliefs.Īddressed with the prospect of being forced out of her job, Dudinsky said, "It's very sad. Still, some Ascension employees argue their employer has a funny way of showing gratitude.ĭana Dudinsky, an ER nurse at Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast, was among the protesters in Miramar Beach on Friday. "We are grateful for the ongoing dedication and commitment of our associates and affiliated clinicians to provide compassionate, personalized care, not only through the height of the pandemic, but now, as our community continues to recover." It continued, "We want patients to be assured and comforted with the knowledge that our doctors and nurses, other clinicians and associates, working in one of our hospitals or other sites of care, will either be vaccinated against both COVID-19 and influenza, or in the limited instances of exemptions, be complying with additional infection prevention protocols. This is why we have required our associates to receive both the COVID-19 vaccine and the influenza vaccine." In a statement released Friday, Ascension said it continues to "put the safety of our associates and those we are privileged to serve and treat at the forefront of everything we do. That's not a choice."Ībout 100 nurses, their family members and other supporters held signs Friday in front of Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast to protest the hospital's mandatory vaccination requirement for its health care workers.Īscension announced its COVID-19 vaccination requirement for associates "following a thorough moral and ethical analysis," a company statement in July said. "You know, the bottom line is they're telling the staff you can either play Russian roulette and potentially have suicide by vaccine or keep your job. "Why are you mandating a vaccine when there's no crisis?" he added, citing the drastic decrease in new cases and hospitalizations related to COVID. "Tell us what you're doing and why," Crosslin said Friday, asserting that Ascension's leadership had been unwilling to engage in meaningful discussion of the vaccination requirement. 4 if they do not come into compliance, according to Greg Crosslin, a Destin attorney representing about 80 doctors, nurses and staff employed at Sacred Heart locations in Walton, Bay and Escambia counties.Ĭrosslin and affected associates contend that the vaccine requirement is an infringement on the personal rights and beliefs of employees, and equates to "blackmailing" them into a medical treatment they view as, at best, unnecessary, and at worst, unsafe. Unvaccinated employees were placed on suspension effective Friday, and will be terminated Jan. EIN: 52-2359517.Related: COVID vaccine lawsuit is 'second-guessing military discretion,' Department of Justice saysĪscension announced its vaccination requirement for associates on July 27 and gave a Nov. The Leapfrog Group is a registered 501(c)(3). Never disregard, avoid or delay in obtaining medical advice from a doctor or other health care professional because of material on this site, as the site is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Neither Leapfrog nor its affiliates are responsible for any damages or costs that may be incurred with respect to use of this site. Individuals are solely responsible for any and all decisions with respect to their medical treatment. The information viewed on this site is not intended to be the only or primary means for evaluating health care facility quality nor is it intended to be relied upon as advice or a recommendation or an endorsement about which facility to use or the quality of the medical treatment that a patient will receive from a hospital, ambulatory surgery center, or other health care provider. © The Leapfrog Group - All rights reserved.īy viewing this website you are agreeing to our TERMS OF USE.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |