'Panic mode': Nursing homes say RI vaccine mandate will cause more workers to leave

PROVIDENCE — Gov. Dan McKee's mandate that all health-care workers be fully vaccinated by Oct. 1 has operators of Rhode Island nursing homes - already enduring staff shortages - worried the requirement may mean hundreds of workers leaving their positions.

"There are definitely grave concerns from our members about the potential loss of staff," says John Gage, president and CEO of the Rhode Island Health Care Association, which represents 62 for-profit nursing homes in the state.

"It's panic mode for the industry," said James Nyberg, executive director of Leading Age RI, a nonprofit organization with about 13 Rhode Island nursing homes.

Under the mandate, workers at state-licensed health-care facilities will no longer be able to report to their jobs if they are not fully vaccinated by Oct. 1.

The two men say their groups and affiliated nursing homes fully endorse vaccinations and have led tireless efforts to educate and urge all employees to get vaccinated. Still some employees, like some other health-care workers, have refused for various reasons to get vaccinated.

As of Aug. 8, 75% of nursing home staff in Rhode Island were fully vaccinated, compared to the national average of 60%.

The Rhode Island Health Care Association recently polled its members on how many workers they estimated would leave because of the mandate. Gage said the cumulative figure was about 425.

There are about 10,000 nursing-home employees in Rhode Island, Gage said.

Prior to the mandate, Gage said, his association members already had, collectively, about 600 open positions. Including some 200 licensed nursing positions, 300 certified nursing assistants and another hundred dietary workers and house keepers.

Gage and Nyberg said nursing-home representatives have discussed the critical issue with state health officials as recently as Friday.

"They've listened to our concerns but there has been no commitment. Most of our questions have gone unanswered," said Gage.

Nyberg said state health officials were considering once again allowing emergency temporary licenses for such positions as certified nursing assistants, a measure used previously during the pandemic.

A spokesman for the state Health Department did not immediately return an email or a phone message.

Gage said some nursing homes will likely be further limiting the number of residents they take in "because you're not going to take someone in knowing your staffing is in crisis."

Others are considering hiring additional help from other parts of the country "at a premium cost," though nursing home staff shortages are being seen around the United States.

Last week McKee said he would sign an executive order to allow retired nurses and other health-care workers to reenter the workforce without losing their pensions.

Email Tom Mooney at: tmooney@providencejournal.com or call, 401-277-7359

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