UNC Lenoir Health Care announced Friday a Covid-19 vaccine requirement for all employees, affiliated providers, students, volunteers, and vendors.
The decision is a result of the upcoming announcement that Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will require vaccinations for all employees of healthcare organizations that accept Medicare and Medicaid payments. Staff will have until Nov. 30th to submit an exemption. The deadline for all staff and volunteers to be vaccinated is January 21. The requirement aligns with UNC Health, which requires staff to be vaccinated by Nov. 2.
Local news and issues director for UNC Health's communications team Alan Wolf said in an email that some of the hospitals in the UNC Health system, including Lenoir, are managed by UNC Health but not owned, which gives them leeway on various policies.
UNC Lenoir Health Care is a financial supporter of PRE.