Mercy Health releases statement in response to COVID-19 policy change
The hospital is facing some criticism regarding a change that, some say, puts patients at risk.
TOLEDO, Ohio — Monday, Mercy Health announced a change in their COVID-19 return-to-work policy, a change that has many raising questions. The hospital’s updated policy allows, due to a staffing shortage, employees who test positive for COVID-19 to return to work, only if their symptoms are mild or they aren’t experiencing any symptoms at all.
The hospital said in a statement released Monday, that this is due to the fact the hospital is understaffed.
Here’s the full statement:
Mercy Health is seeing our highest number of COVID-19 hospitalizations since the start of the pandemic. Given the current volume in our communities and the severe strain on our staff and facilities, we are updating our employee return-to-work guidelines for COVID-19 positive employees who are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms. If those employees feel well enough to fulfill their role, they can now return to work as soon as they choose to do so.
While we are taking extraordinary steps to best serve our patients during this crisis period, the health and safety of our patients and employees remains our priority, to ensure we can continue to care for all patients, while maintaining our commitment to quality.
We have updated our Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) policy to support our new return-to-work guidelines, and we will follow strict adherence to these safety precautions.
— Mercy Health
ProMedica has instituted a similar policy.
