YNHH terminates 49 for vaccine noncompliance, anticipates more firings

Photo | Michael C. Bingham Yale New Haven Hospital.

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By Michelle Tuccitto Sullo

The Yale New Haven Health system reported Wednesday that 49 of its employees had been terminated from the organization for failing to comply with its COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

Another 37 employees as of Wednesday morning were in the process of being separated from the health system, which would bring the total to 86. However, system leaders remained hopeful some would get vaccinated and avoid having to leave.

As of Monday, 94 were facing termination. However, eight individuals got vaccinated at the last minute in order to keep their jobs, officials said Wednesday.

If the terminated employees get vaccinated against COVID-19 in the future, then they will be welcomed back, according to Dr. Ohm M. Deshpande, the system’s vice president population health and associate chief clinical officer.

“We are never happy when anyone leaves,” Deshpande said. “We are making sure our care areas are as safe as possible.”

Overall, system officials indicated they were pleased with the latest numbers, as they had anticipated previously that as many as 200 would lose their jobs.

Some system employees, a bit over 2%, received exemptions to the mandate for medical or religious reasons. Those who got medical waivers primarily have vaccine allergies, according to Deshpande.

Back in July, the system indicated its approximately 29,000 employees had until Aug. 31 to get their first shot, and Sept. 30 to get fully vaccinated.

The health system includes Yale New Haven Hospital, Bridgeport Hospital, Greenwich Hospital, Lawrence + Memorial Hospital in New London and Westerly Hospital in Rhode Island.

As of Wednesday, the population of patients hospitalized due to COVID-19 was at 51 across the health system, with 24 of those in intensive care. Of the 51 COVID patients, 29 were at Yale New Haven Hospital, six at Bridgeport, two in Greenwich and seven each at the New London and Rhode Island facilities, according to Marna Borgstrom, CEO of Yale New Haven Health.