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Leaked memo details vaccine booster mandate for Berkshire Health Systems, county’s largest employer

A sign with directions for various departments of a hospital stands at a crossroads
Josh Landes
/
WAMC
Berkshire Health Systems' largest facility is Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield, the county's main hospital.

WAMC has learned that the largest employer in Berkshire County has issued a COVID-19 bivalent vaccine booster mandate for staff.

A memo leaked to WAMC sent by BHS Vice President Patrick Borek tells Berkshire Health Systems staffers that they must get the most recent booster shot by December 15th. BHS Spokesperson Michael Leary confirms the memo and says the measure was taken to protect both employees and patients.

“Masking and other protocols have been good tools for reducing the risk of COVID-19 spread over the past two and a half years," he told WAMC. "The effectiveness of those preventive measures is further enhanced by both the initial vaccination and the current bivalent booster, which covers the majority of the COVID cases and COVID transmission that's happening locally and across the country. The B4 and B5 variants are the main ones that are affecting people, and this bivalent booster covers both of them.”

The mandate applies to the company’s 3,000-plus staffers and any vendors or contracted employees on BHS campuses. Excluding those with exemptions, staffers who fail to obey the mandate could face suspension and possibly termination.

You can read the full memo here:

Dear Members of the BHS Community,

Thanks to your collective efforts, BHS has been a leader in the State in protecting our community and staff from serious illness, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19. Vaccination has been a cornerstone of our plan. Without question, we know that our consistent masking, proper use of PPE, strong infection control protocols, and mandatory initial vaccination of all staff have provided good protection for our patients, staff, and visitors. It is now clear that adding the most recent bivalent booster will provide better protection against newer strains of the COVID-19 virus. Both the CDC and Massachusetts Department of Public Health recommend that all who are eligible stay “up to date” with their COVID-19 vaccinations by receiving the newest bivalent booster formulations.

At this time, we are confident that our supply of the bivalent vaccine will be sufficient to provide for bivalent booster doses for all BHS staff, and we are joining healthcare providers across the State in adding the bivalent booster to our employee health requirements.

Effective immediately, Berkshire Health Systems requires all employees, caregivers, contractors, volunteers, and students working and learning within our health system to be vaccinated with the bivalent booster dose by December 15, 2022. 

NEXT STEPS

If you have already received the bivalent booster, please review the items below to ensure BHS has a record of your vaccination:

  • If you received the bivalent booster at a BHS Employee Clinic, Occupational Health, or a BHS vaccination center OR you received the bivalent booster at a non-BHS provider (such as a community retail pharmacy) in Massachusetts, your vaccination is on record and no additional steps are required.
  • If you received the bivalent booster at a non-BHS provider (such as a community retail pharmacy) outside of Massachusetts or didn’t consent to the sharing of vaccination information at the time of your shot, please send a copy of your proof of vaccination to COVIDVAXForms@bhs1.org.

If you have not yet received the bivalent booster, please review the following categories below so that you can take appropriate action in order to comply with this new vaccination requirement:

  • If You Are Eligible for a Bivalent Booster and Need an Appointment

o Our Occupational Health Team is offering numerous bivalent booster clinics between now and the December deadline. Please click here to view the full schedule of clinics in Pittsfield, Great Barrington, and North Adams, as well as eligibility requirements for the bivalent booster.

  • If You Have Recently had a COVID-19 Infection
  • If You Have Recently Been Vaccinated with a Monovalent Booster
  • If You Have Not Yet Finished/If You Have Recently Finished Your Primary Series
  • If you recently had COVID-19, you may consider delaying your next vaccine dose (primary dose or booster) by 3 months from when your symptoms started or, if you had no symptoms, when you first received a positive test. If you were tested at a non-BHS provider or took an at home test, you will need to provide proof of a positive COVID-19 test result to Occupational Health by emailing records to COVIDVAXForms@bhs1.org.
  • The CDC recommends receiving an updated (bivalent) booster at least 2 months since your last COVID-19 vaccine dose.
  • Employees must have completed their primary series before getting the bivalent booster. A new employee who has not completed their primary series will be required to receive their bivalent booster two months after their second COVID-19 vaccine is given. If you have recently finished your primary series, you must wait two months before receiving the bivalent booster.

Please remember: If you choose to get vaccinated at an independent vaccination site or pharmacy outside of Massachusetts, you must send a copy of your proof of vaccination to COVIDVAXForms@bhs1.org.

Any employee who needs to delay the bivalent booster due to having received a primary series dose or monovalent booster within 2 months will need to notify Occupational health by contacting COVIDVAXForms@bhs1.org. These employees only need to provide proof of vaccination documentation if they received their dose outside of Massachusetts.

EXEMPTIONS

To request a medical exemption, you must submit a completed COVID-19 Medical Exemption Request Form to the Occupational Health Department by email at COVIDVaxForms@bhs1.org. Please note that both you and your healthcare provider must complete the form prior to submission. In order to be considered for a medical exemption, you must submit the completed form by December 1, 2022. The Occupational Health department will review your documentation and make a determination on granting an exemption. Click here for a link to the medical exemption form.

To request a religious exemption because you believe that the immunization conflicts with your sincerely held religious beliefs, you must submit a completed Religious Exemption Form to my attention in the Human Resources Department, no later than November 18, 2022. BHS will then evaluate your submission and make a determination on granting an exemption. Click here for a link to the religious exemption form.

DEADLINE

Please be aware that any individual who is not in compliance with this vaccination requirement by December 15, 2022, will not be cleared to work and will therefore be suspended from employment without pay. In addition to suspension, employees who choose not to comply with this policy will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment, depending on the individual’s circumstances.

We always seek to avoid any interruption of employment for any individual, so please remember: If you experience difficulty in meeting the policy requirements, please do not hesitate to contact your manager, your HR Business Partner, or me directly.

Thank you for your continued commitment to creating the safest possible environment for all patients and colleagues. These protective measures will help us achieve our vision of being our region’s trusted healthcare partner.

Best,

Pat

Patrick M. Borek

Vice President, Human Resources

Berkshire Health Systems

Josh Landes has been WAMC's Berkshire Bureau Chief since February 2018, following stints at WBGO Newark and WFMU East Orange. A passionate advocate for Western Massachusetts, Landes was raised in Pittsfield and attended Hampshire College in Amherst, receiving his bachelor's in Ethnomusicology and Radio Production. His free time is spent with his cat Harry, experimental electronic music, and exploring the woods.
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