Trinity Health Announces COVID-19 Vaccine Requirement for All Colleagues

Safety is a Core Value of the Catholic health system that includes St. Joseph’s Health

SYRACUSE, N.Y.— 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 to stop to the spread of the virus and keep all patients, colleagues and the broader communities safe. This includes approximately 4,200 St. Joseph’s Health colleagues, nearly 80% of whom have already been vaccinated.

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 across the country have already received at least one dose of the vaccine, and it now looks to close the gap with this new requirement.

“St. Joseph’s Health is consistently the only hospital in this region to receive Leapfrog Safety Grade A status,” said Leslie Paul Luke, chief executive officer at St. Joseph’s Health. “That’s how important safety is to us. It’s a Core Value. Our mission calls us to be a compassionate and healing presence in our community. This is the right thing to do to protect the safety of our patients, their family members, and the community at large.”

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.

“The COVID-19 vaccine is the single most effective tool in slowing, and even stopping, the spread of COVID-19 and saving lives,” said Janet Ready, chief operating officer at St. Joseph’s Health. “As a leading health care provider and employer in the region, we have an obligation to do everything we can to end the pandemic and save lives in our communities.”

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 face termination of their employment.

About St. Joseph’s Health

St. Joseph’s Health is a regional non-profit health care system based in Syracuse, NY. St. Joseph’s has been an innovative leader in health care since our founding in 1869 as the first hospital open to the public in the city of Syracuse. Offering primary, specialty and home care, a Magnet-recognized hospital, and collaboration with community partners, St. Joseph's Health advances the well-being of the communities we serve through an expanding range of services to ensure our patients achieve optimum long-term health. St. Joseph’s is the only hospital in Syracuse to hold the LeapFrog ‘A’ safety rating, ranked by Consumer Reports among the top 15 heart surgery centers in the country, a designated Stroke Center and a U.S. News “Best Regional Hospital.” St. Joseph’s Health is affiliated with St. Joseph’s Physicians, and is a member of Trinity Health.For more information, visit www.sjhsyr.org.

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.