RI has enforcement plan for October 1st healthcare worker vaccination deadline

Leading up to the October 1st vaccination deadline of healthcare workers, Governor McKee and the Rhode Island Department of Health announced what they refer to as “an enforcement strategy: for Rhode Island’s COVID-19 vaccination requirement for healthcare workers.

“The enforcement strategy will help safeguard patients, residents, and staff by holding health professionals and facilities accountable to the October 1 vaccination requirement, while also preventing disruptions to care in Rhode Island as healthcare facilities work toward full compliance,” said the joint statement.

“Healthcare workers have been the heroes of Rhode Island’s COVID-19 pandemic by consistently putting the health and safety of their patients first. The vast majority of healthcare workers have continued to do that by already getting vaccinated against COVID-19,” said Governor Dan McKee. “The enforcement strategy for our COVID-19 vaccination requirement for healthcare workers provides clear structure and guidance to facilities that are working to get the remaining few who are not vaccinated yet, while ensuring that all Rhode Islanders still have access to high quality care in facilities throughout the state.” 

“This enforcement strategy is not intended to be an extension or exemption of the original vaccination requirement,” said Director of Health Nicole Alexander-Scott, MD, MPH. “On October 1, anyone that is non-compliant is subject to enforcement. If there is a risk to quality of care and an unvaccinated worker must continue to work beyond October 1 to mitigate that risk, the employer has 30 days to ensure that role is fulfilled by a fully vaccinated healthcare worker.”

The COVID-19 vaccine is one of many vaccines that healthcare providers are required to receive. Rhode Island regulations require healthcare workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by October 1. Similar to other vaccines, healthcare facilities will be asked to report on their COVID-19 vaccination rates for their healthcare workers. Facilities may also be required to develop COVID-19 Vaccination Corrective Action Plans to ensure full compliance if they have not met the provisions of the regulation. These plans will:

• Specify the healthcare facility’s plan to ensure that all remaining healthcare workers will become vaccinated against COVID-19 within 30 days.
• Demonstrate that any unvaccinated staff who are still working after October 1 are doing so to mitigate a risk to quality of patient care.
• Specify the temporary infection prevention measures that the facility will implement for unvaccinated staff who are critically necessary to the facility’s operation.
• Outline the facility’s procedure to ensure that any new hires are vaccinated against COVID-19.

More information about these plans, including information on deadlines for the submission of data and COVID-19 Vaccination Corrective Action Plans, will be shared directly with healthcare leadership across Rhode Island in the coming days. Plans will be due on October 1. 

“Similar to the approach that we take with other vaccinations that are required for healthcare workers, we are outlining and providing clear action steps to facilities to ensure full compliance by October 1,” said Dr. Alexander-Scott. “Rhode Island’s effective enforcement strategy, requiring COVID-19 vaccination for healthcare workers, will limit exposure to COVID-19 for vulnerable patients and will help ensure the stability of our healthcare system statewide.”

Vaccinations Up – 8 days to October 1st

Of the approximate 57,600 workers in healthcare facilities, vaccination rates have risen from 77% to 87% following the October 1st announcement.

Workers can get the Johnson & Johnson 1-shot by September 30th to qualify for Oct. 1st deadline. Any facility employing workers who are unvaccinated after Oct. 1 and before Nov. 1 must show their mitigation plan for that time period.

The Governor said there are approximately 60 workers left out of 200 at the Eleanor Slater and Veterans Home who are expected to not vaccinate and the state is looking at bringing back retired healthcare staff, signing a contract for “traveling” RNs and CNAs, etc. to fill the gap and keep services fully staffed. They also have plans to use National Guard if necessary.