Ascension to require COVID vaccine for associates

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues and new variants of the virus emerge, like many health systems across the country, including in many of Wisconsin's markets, Ascension is moving to require their associates to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

The company conducted a thorough moral and ethical analysis as part of the decision-making process, according to a news release.

Tens of thousands of Ascension associates have already been vaccinated with the available vaccines, as have millions of people across the country and the world.

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Ascension will require that all associates be vaccinated against COVID-19, whether or not they provide direct patient care, and whether they work in their sites of care or remotely. This includes associates employed by subsidiaries and partners; physicians and advanced practice providers, whether employed or independent; and volunteers and vendors entering Ascension facilities.

The timeline for completing the vaccine series and meeting this requirement will be Nov. 12, 2021. This timing is aligned with Ascension’s annual influenza vaccination requirement and will follow a similar implementation process.

In those instances when someone may not be able to get vaccinated due to a medical condition or strongly held religious belief, Ascension will provide a process for requesting an exemption similar to the process they use for the annual influenza vaccine.