On September 25, 2021, Gov. Hochul released a comprehensive plan to address possible shortages within hospital and health care facilities in preparation for today's vaccination deadline.
The plan includes the following:
- Signing an executive order (if necessary) to declare a state of emergency that would increase workforce supply in the hospital and health care facilities and allow qualified health care professionals in other states or countries, recent graduates, and retired health care professionals to practice in New York;
- Exploration of ways to expedite visa requests for medical professionals;
- Possible deployment of medically-trained National Guard members; &
- Partnering with the Federal Govt. to deploy Disaster Medical Assistance Teams ("DMATs") to assist local health and medical systems.
Gov. Hochul stated that the New York State DOL has issued guidance to clarify that terminated workers will not be eligible for benefits unless they have a valid physician-approved request for medical accommodation.
Gov. Hochul is clearly preparing for a likely healthcare staffing shortage caused by today's vaccination deadline.
Will today's vaccination deadline, seeking an increased number of vaccinated healthcare workers, outweigh the immediate impact of terminated staff?
Time will tell...
