CRMC releases statement about required COVID-19 vaccines

On Nov. 4, 2021, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued a rule requiring all CMS certified providers to have all staff vaccinated for COVID-19. Cookeville Regional Medical Center took significant efforts so comply with those CMS rules but ended up pausing implementation efforts due to an injunction issued in federal courts.

On Jan. 13, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court considered the matter and upheld the CMS COVID-19 vaccination mandate. As a result, CRMC must re-establish our previous efforts and finalize a process that ensures all facility and staff be either fully vaccinated or obtain a religious or clinical exemption to comply with the federal CMS rules.

CMS revised the compliance dates to the following:

Jan. 27, 2022: All hospital staff must have received a COVID-19 single dose vaccine from Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) by Jan. 27 or the first dose of the multi-dose vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19/Moderna COVID-19 vaccine), or have a pending request for, or have been granted a qualifying exemption;

Feb. 28, 2022: All hospital staff must have received the second dose of the multi-dose vaccine.