Effective immediately, employees at Atlanta-based Emory Healthcare will no longer be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
The health system's leaders — Joon Lee, MD, Emory Healthcare's CEO; Bill Bornstein, MD, PhD, chief medical and quality officer; and Sharon Pappas, PhD, RN, chief nursing officer — notified employees of the policy change in a July 27 email to staff. While they're no longer required, Emory Healthcare still "strongly encourages all staff and physicians to stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations, per CDC guidelines." The system said it will continue to require annual flu vaccinations.
Mandatory mask rules for employees providing direct patient care in ambulatory settings were also lifted, except for those working in high-risk areas.
"We will continue evaluating our environment, risk and latest evidence to ensure the processes we have in place appropriately protect the health of our patients and each other," leaders said in their email to team members.
HHS finalized the end of the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for employees of CMS-certified healthcare facilities in June.