WCHS vaccine mandate on hold

Alexis Barker
NLJ News Editor
 
Wyoming and nine other states, including Missouri, Nebraska, Arkansas, Kansas, Iowa, Alaska, South Dakota, North Dakota and New Hampshire, do not have to enforce vaccine mandates at healthcare facilities following a preliminary injunction issued on Nov. 29 by the U.S. District Court Eastern District of Missouri that halts the implementation and enforcement of a rule from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services that would have imposed the vaccine requirements, according to a press release from Gov. Mark Gordon’s office. 
“This means that at this time Wyoming is one of 10 states that do not have to implement the COVID vaccine mandate,” said Maureen Cadwell, Weston County Health Services CEO. “This will be in place until a hearing and/or the court makes a different ruling.” 
As previously reported, the Weston County Health Services board of trustees had reservations about imposing a mandate on employees. On Nov. 18,
following lengthy discussions amongst the board and health care professionals, a vaccine mandate policy was approved. 
Without the mandate, Cadwell said, the facility faced potential losses of $15 million in reimbursement from the government for Medicaid- and Medicare-covered patients. On the other hand, Cadwell and the board were concerned about the potential loss of employees through enforcement of the mandate. 
“We believe this will save approximately 10 to 15 employees for our facility,” Cadwell said after the Nov. 29 announcement. 
“In its ruling, the court agreed to preliminarily enjoin implementation and enforcement of the rule because arguments made by Wyoming and a coalition of other states have a likelihood of success on the merits. Wyoming and the coalition have argued that CMS does not have authority to issue the mandate, and that it would impact the ability of healthcare facilities to effectively care for patients,” the press release says. 
“Because it is evident CMS significantly understates the burden that its mandate would impose on the ability of healthcare facilities to provide proper care, and thus, save lives, the public has an interest in maintaining the ‘status quo’ while the merits of the case are determined,” wrote the court.