Effective November 1, 2021, all Bethesda employees, as well as volunteers, contract workers, vendors, providers and licensed independent practitioners providing services within our facilities, will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
The announcement was made on August 23 by Joe Brinker, Bethesda’s President & CEO.
“There is overwhelming scientific evidence that the COVID-19 vaccine is safe and highly effective.” Joe said in the announcement. “Vaccination is our best defense from the COVID-19 virus, and has been shown to provide a high level of protection against variant strains of the virus. A fully vaccinated workforce is the most important safety practice we can implement to provide the best protection for our staff and the vulnerable senior population we serve.”
Bethesda was among the first senior living, care and service organizations in the St. Louis area to offer and administer the COVID-19 vaccine to our residents and employees. Our primary vaccination campaign started in late December 2020 and continued through March, but we have continued make the vaccine available for new residents and patients, new employees and employees who chose not to become vaccinated when the vaccines first became available.
“This is not a change that we are making without great consideration,” Joe said. “In fact, this is a topic that Bethesda’s leadership has discussed in depth over the past several weeks. After thoughtful consideration of the needs of our residents, patients, employees and the community, we feel this is an important step we are taking as a health care organization to help promote wellness and create safe, healthy environments for everyone.”
