CentraCare Administrators Say Benefits Outweigh Risks With Employee Vaccination Mandate

(KNSI) – CentraCare this week became the latest health care system in Minnesota to require its employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by December 15th, or they will be let go. The new policy applies to all employees, including those working remotely, on-site volunteers, and staff members contracted with other companies but who work in CentraCare or Carris Health facilities.

Dr. Joe Kalkman, Chief Administrative Officer at CentraCare, says the December 15th deadline was set because CentraCare wanted to give everyone a chance to “really come to terms with that risk/benefit from a medical standpoint, a risk/benefit standpoint too for an employment perspective.” He says he knows that regardless of that, there will be some employees who, regardless of that, “don’t feel its the employer’s right to require an employee to do something like that, meaning, getting a vaccine you may not want to take.”

More than 92% of CentraCare physicians and 94% of advanced practice providers have received the COVID-19 vaccine since it first became available in December 2020. Dr. Kalkman says CentraCare clinicians can talk to employees about questions or concerns they may have about the vaccine. There will be exceptions granted for medical or religious reasons.

As for the general public who have questions or concerns about the vaccine, Dr. Tom Schrupp, Chief Physician Officer at CentraCare, says he can’t overemphasize the importance of the doctor/patient relationship. “Talking with your personal physician or advanced practice provider about that is extremely important because of that bond or trust that has developed over time.”

Dr. Schrupp knows there is a lot of medical information out there, so many doctors have become increasingly specialized. CentraCare does have an infectious disease specialist on staff who Dr. Schrupp says is constantly diving into the medical literature. He also “reads and listens to people that are specialists, both nationally and internationally who digest that literature, because there’s a huge amount of it. Statistics can be manipulated, and so you really have to trust the people who’ve dedicated their lives to understanding this literature and giving us their best impression of it.”

As for those who are unvaccinated, Dr. Schrupp says the stakes are high because COVID-19 is a deadly virus, but an important point for him is that “It’s completely understandable. Reasonable people differ in their interpretations. The key is to treat each other with respect and humility and compassion, and have the conversation. Really talk about the facts, rather than attacking each other.”

As of August 18th, 66.7% of Minnesotans over the age of 16 are fully vaccinated.

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