Premier Health, Kettering Health to require all staff to get COVID-19 vaccine

Premier Health and Kettering Health will require its medical staff and employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

The policy update is in response to the Ohio Hospital Association’s recommendation, according to a release issued Thursday evening from Mary Boosalis, president and CEO of Premier Health, based in Dayton.

“Vaccination against COVID-19 is our best tool to prevent spread of the disease and ensure the health and wellbeing of our hospital workforce and the communities we serve,” she said.

Premier Health said it will require its medical staff and other employees to be fully vaccinated by Dec. 1.

Kettering Health said it will require all employees, medical staff, students and volunteers to be fully vaccinated by Oct. 4.

Dayton Children’s Hospital announced earlier Thursday that it would require its staff, volunteers, students and onsite contractors to be fully vaccinated.

Premier Health operates five hospitals: Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton with additional inpatient sites at Miami Valley Hospital South in Centerville and Miami Valley Hospital North in Englewood; Atrium Medical Center in Middletown; and Upper Valley Medical Center in Miami County.

Kettering Health operates Kettering Health Main Campus in Kettering; Kettering Health Dayton; Kettering Health Miamisburg; Kettering Health Washington Twp.; Soin Medical Center - Kettering Health in Beavercreek; Kettering Health Hamilton; Kettering Health Greene Memorial; Kettering Health Troy, Kettering Health Piqua; Kettering Health Preble; and Kettering Health - Franklin Emergency Center.

“With the highly infectious delta variant and cases on the rise in Ohio and across the nation, this is an important step to help ensure the safety and wellbeing of everyone in our facilities and sites of care,” said Dr. Marc Belcastro, chief medical officer for Premier Health. “It’s the right thing to do.”

Premier Health, along with other hospitals in the region, already require vaccinations for other highly communicable diseases, such as influenza, as a condition of employment. Required vaccines are one of multiple infection controls used to prevent outbreaks, the health system said.

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