BRADFORD—Little Rivers Health Care CEO Gail Auclair urged Upper Valley residents to stay cautious about COVID-19 and said that although the health center has not mandated COVID-19 vaccination for employees, almost all employees are fully vaccinated.
Auclair made the remarks in an Oct. 4 interview with the Journal Opinion.
According to Auclair, 96% of Little Rivers employees are fully vaccinated, with about half of the remaining employees planning on receiving vaccines in the near future.
“I think most of the folks that wanted to get vaccinated have already, so the folks who are out there who haven’t gotten vaccinated, the most important thing is to work with them compassionately,” Auclair said.
Auclair told the JO that vaccine hesitancy among Little Rivers’ unvaccinated employees is mostly due to concern about unwanted or unexpected effects.
“People are going to do what they feel is right for them, and we have to be careful not to ostracize or alienate them and work with them to dispel any fears and correct any misinformation,” Auclair said.
Auclair predicted that the state would require vaccination for health care workers at some point later in 2021, and said that Little Rivers would be in compliance with such a requirement.
According to an Oct. 1 VTDigger article, 10 Vermont hospitals and health networks currently require employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19, after imposing mandates following the federal Food and Drug Administration’s first full approval for a vaccine in August.
In addition, the state of Vermont requires that its employees either receive a COVID-19 vaccine or get tested for the virus weekly. Around 85% of state employees are vaccinated, according to the VTDigger article.
Spokespeople for the University of Vermont Medical Center and the state of Vermont told VTDigger that they did not believe their vaccination requirements had caused any issues with employee retention.
Auclair said that Little Rivers had not experienced any retention issues either, and that the health network had been able to recruit new workers during the pandemic.
“I feel so privileged to serve an organization that has the commitment and dedication that our employees have,” Auclair said. “Our staff has just been stellar when it comes to hanging in there, being dedicated, and doing what needs to be done in spite of exhaustion.”
According to Auclair, Little Rivers has maintained rigorous safety protocols in its buildings throughout the pandemic.
Those precautions include screening anyone entering Little Rivers buildings for COVID-19, requiring masks, social distancing, and appropriate personal protective equipment within buildings, and setting up isolated areas for potentially contagious patients to receive treatment.
To minimize opportunities for virus transmission, Little Rivers is offering telehealth visits and allowing employees to work remotely whenever they are able to do so.
Auclair also told the JO that Little Rivers has upgraded air filtration systems in all buildings to include ultraviolet-C lights, which can kill viruses, bacteria, and fungi.
“The prime goal is to keep everyone safe and healthy, including our employees, and also to work with members of the community, including other organizations, to provide guidance to them to operate safely,” Auclair said.
Auclair expressed gratitude to Upper Valley institutions and residents for providing Little Rivers with support throughout the pandemic.
“I would like to thank the community for supporting us. Other organizations and agencies and businesses have been so incredibly supportive,” Auclair said. “We really appreciate that.”
Auclair also stressed the importance of continued vigilance and caution in the face of the continuing pandemic and the highly contagious Delta variant.
“The virus doesn’t care. It doesn’t negotiate. This is our reality, and we only have so many choices. We can choose to ignore it, but the consequences will have to be paid, and unfortunately the consequences are going to be paid by more than just individuals,” Auclair said.
“Our choices affect others, so if we care about the people around us, we have to be a little extra careful.”
The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is available for free to anyone age 12 and older at Little Rivers’ Bradford and Wells River locations. Walk-in vaccinations are available on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Appointments can be made at the Bradford office by calling (802)222- 9317.
Free drive-up COVID-19 testing is available at Little Rivers’ Wells River location on weekdays from 3 to 5 p.m.
Published article can be found in The Journal Opinion at https://now.dirxion.com/Journal_Opinion/library/Journal_Opinion_10_13_2021.pdf#page=1&viewrect=176,890,500,500&highlight=376,447,529,516
