Vaccine mandate's impact on healthcare industry

By: Naja Woods Facebook | X

Posted: Oct 8, 2021 7:13 PM EST

NOW: Vaccine mandate’s impact on healthcare industry

ELKHART, Ind--- The federal vaccinate mandate although completely legal is still sparking controversy across the nation, and some fear it could only exacerbate the worker shortage in the United States, especially among the already hard-hit healthcare industry.

Although we’ve haven’t seen any of those mass walkouts here at home just yet, some are still choosing not to take the jab to keep their jobs. So just how big of an impact do experts believe the mandate will have on already hard-hit employers here in Michiana?

“Generally, we don’t think it will have the impact that we originally thought it might,” said Jeff Rea the President and CEO South Bend Chamber of Commerce.

Rea said he doesn’t anticipate the federal vaccine mandate making the worker shortage in Michiana any worse.

With many major local employers like Notre Dame, St. Joseph Health System, and Beacon Health System’s vaccine mandate looming, Rea said they’re remaining hopeful because they haven’t seen significant loss so far.

“What I’m hearing from the leadership of the health systems of senior living facilities others who have had to go through this, they have not seen the mass exodus that they were fearful of,” added Rea.

But across the nation and on both sides of the state line we’ve already seen 400 employees at Henry Ford Health System in Michigan quit over the mandate and more than 100 at Indiana University Health do the same.

Meanwhile, Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita said he’s vowing to push back.

“Joe Biden is completely off base and using the federal government to mandate this against people and to use private businesses to do, it’s really un-American and it’s scary…Me and like-minded attorney generals about 24 of us are diligently working to defend our people against this overreach,” explained Rokita.

Jeff Rea still said despite some employees leaving their jobs statewide, he believes so far it is a very small percentage overall and ultimately not enough to make a significant impact on the worker shortage.