Hosparus Health announces vaccine requirement for employees

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – In response to the continuing crisis with COVID-19, Hosparus Health, along with its companion brand Pallitus Health Partners, has announced it will require all of its 625 employees to be vaccinated.

The not-for-profit organization is offering the Moderna vaccine in-house to staff, family of staff, patients, family of patients and caregivers at all its offices in Louisville, Elizabethtown, Campbellsville, Bowling Green and Glasgow in Kentucky, and New Albany and Jasper in Indiana.

Employees must receive their first vaccination by Sept. 15 to ensure complete protection by Oct. 31. Currently, about 71% of staff are fully vaccinated. The organization’s volunteers have been required to get the vaccine since January.

Hosparus Health has continued to provide its vital hospice and palliative care to patients and families wherever they call home in 41 counties in Kentucky and Indiana throughout the pandemic.

The not-for-profit organization’s clinicians are highly trained in infection control measures and follow best practices in the day-to-day delivery of care. To further ensure the safety of all patients, families and staff, Hosparus Health made the decision to add an extra layer of protection by mandating the COVID vaccine. Only employees with medical or religious concerns can apply for an exemption.

“The growing threat of virus variants in our communities has required this action to ensure we protect the lives of all we care for and with whom we work each day,” says Chief Medical Officer Bethany Cox Snider, M.D. “We did not arrive at this decision lightly, and our goal is not to infringe on personal freedoms. We believe that vaccination is our single greatest tool in defeating COVID-19. Our priority, as always, is ensuring the safety of our most frail and vulnerable patients and their family members, as well as all those involved in providing care.”

  In addition to the new vaccine requirement, Hosparus Health has reinstated the following precautions:

• Masking is required indoors.
• Office facilities are open, but remote work is encouraged.
• Patients are screened before each visit.
• Travel is being monitored outside of the organization’s footprint.

Hosparus Health accepts referrals for new patients 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Anyone can make a referral, including patients, their family members or their physician. Call (800) 264-0521.

The organization continues to assess and improve ways to protect its patients, families and staff from COVID-19 and other health risks, while delivering the high-quality care the community has come to expect. For more information, visit https://hosparushealth.org/community/covid-19-coronavirus-information/.