Hospitals In Bristol, New Britain Endorse Booster Mandate For Employees

By Justin Muszynski, The Bristol Press

January 7, 2022

Hospital officials in Bristol and New Britain say they fully stand by a mandate to have their employees receive booster shots to protect against coronavirus.

Bristol Health officials say they are well on their way to complying with Gov. Ned Lamont’s executive order that was signed Thursday, requiring all employees of long-term care facilities and state hospitals to receive a booster shot against covid.

“We at Bristol Health, as well as our hospital colleagues across the state, know the importance of vaccines and the role they play in protecting not only our staff, but the communities we serve,” Bristol Hospital President and CEO Kurt Barwis said.

“Our best defense against the Omicron variant is the booster dose as it improves the effectiveness of the covid vaccine,” Barwis continued. “Since it was first authorized, we have continuously encouraged our employees to receive the booster.”

“Gov. Ned Lamont’s announcement requiring COVID-19 boosters is both timely and appropriate,” said Jeffrey A. Flaks, president and chief executive officer of Hartford HealthCare – which entails the Hospital of Central Connecticut in New Britain. “Hartford HealthCare fully supports this decision, which is firmly based on scientific evidence and supported by data. Boosters are highly effective in preventing the most serious effects of the coronavirus.”

The orders signed by Lamont on Thursday require employees to receive the booster by Feb. 11. Failure to comply with the orders exposes facilities to a $20,000 civil penalty per day.

“Some of the people who are most vulnerable to the impacts of covid-19 include those who live in long-term care facilities and receive services in our state hospitals, and we need to be doing everything we can to protect them from this virus,” Lamont said in a statement.

“We know for a fact that the initial vaccinations significantly and immediately reduced the rate of hospitalizations and deaths that were occurring in these facilities,” the governor continued. “At the time, the staff of these facilities stepped up and did what was right to protect the residents for whom they were hired to care. Now, we need to fight against the impacts of waning immunity, and that is why everyone who is able should get a booster shot. I continue to applaud the staff of our long-term care facilities and state hospitals for everything they do to protect our older and vulnerable populations.”

Lamont’s executive orders were accompanied on Thursday by leadership from the Connecticut Hospital Association (CHA) announcing that they are implementing a similar mandatory booster shot requirement for all hospital and health system employees and clinical staff statewide.

Over the summer, the CHA implemented a similar mandate as Lamont, around the same time, signed two orders that required employees of long-term care facilities and state hospitals to receive their initial covid-19 vaccination dose by Sept. 27.

“Taking this step is especially important now, as COVID-related hospitalizations rise, and the state’s positivity rate remains high,” Flaks said. “We stand with the Connecticut Hospital Association and other groups in endorsing this requirement, and we will announce Hartford HealthCare’s plans to provide booster doses for colleagues who have not yet had them in the near future.”

According to Barwis, many Bristol Health employees as of Thursday have already received the booster.

“Further communication will be forthcoming providing additional details on timelines, booster clinics, etc.,” Barwis said. “It's also important to note that employees who have already received an approved exemption from the covid-19 vaccine will remain exempted from the booster."

Justin Muszynski can be reached at 860-973-1809 or jmuszynski@bristolpress.com.