Rural hospital warns patients might be turned away as more employees leave over vaccine mandate
MONTROSE, Colo. (KRDO) -- A hospital in rural Colorado might have to turn patients away if too many employees leave over the vaccine mandate.
Montrose Memorial Hospital CEO Jeff Mengenhausen told 9News 10 caregivers have already left, and the hospital is expecting to lose another 20.
According to Mengenhausen, the hospital already has more than 80 unfilled positions.
"We got a call from Kansas seeing if we had available beds, on the Western Slope," said Mengenhausen. "That's how bad it has gotten. Now with staffing levels, we physically have the beds, but we don't have the staff to actually cover the beds and take care of the patients."
Currently, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment requires 100% of employees at certain facilities to be vaccinated. If a facility falls short, it could result in license revocation or installing a temporary management company.
A facility can seek a waiver of the 100% vaccination requirement on the basis that one or more people have claimed a religious exemption. CDPHE told 9News they've received roughly 700 waiver requests. However, waivers are not active until CDPHE reviews and approves them.
