Albany Medical Center says about 98 percent of its health care workers have been vaccinated against COVID-19 after a state vaccine mandate took effect Monday.
President and CEO Dennis McKenna says Albany Medical Center instituted its own vaccine mandate on August 4th. The hospital has about 11,000 health care workers. Currently, about 200 employees are unvaccinated. They have been suspended without pay and have until October 8th to get vaccinated or be terminated.
McKenna says the facility will not likely feel the full effects of the mandate until next week, at least. If the staff shortage is worse than planned, the hospital may have to stop elective surgeries and may not be able to accept transfers from regional hospitals.
Albany Medical Center, the only level one trauma center in 25 surrounding counties, last year accepted 16,000 transfers from other hospitals.
Albany Med was already facing a staffing shortage. Hospital officials are offering recruitment incentives, such as $1,000 bonuses to staff who recruit new nurses and a $250 bonus to employees every two weeks if they have perfect attendance.
