To comply with federal vaccination requirements, Cleveland Clinic is mandating that its employees be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, the health system announced Nov. 12.
Cleveland Clinic employees must be fully vaccinated by Jan. 4, in accordance with the CMS emergency regulation that requires vaccination for eligible staff at healthcare facilities that participate in Medicare or Medicaid.
"Under the CMS rule, employees who are not fully vaccinated by Jan. 4, 2022, and who do not have a religious or medical exemption that can be accommodated, will no longer be able to work for us," the health system's statement says.
Cleveland Clinic's mandate applies to the health system's U.S. employees and those who provide services with the organization.
In preparation for the rule, the health system said it has enacted a validation program to collect the vaccination status of employees across the organization's U.S. locations.
As of Nov. 12, about 80 percent of Cleveland Clinic employees have received the COVID-19 vaccine.
"We are proud that the majority of our caregivers are already vaccinated, and we are encouraging those who are not yet vaccinated to receive their vaccine as quickly as possible," said Cleveland Clinic.