Hospital reports ‘excellent vaccination rate’ for employees

Most Sault Area Hospital employees have now taken the COVID-19 jab.

“SAH has an excellent vaccination rate, with over 93 per cent of our 1,789 active employees, 96.9 per cent of our 160 active professional staff (physicians and midwives, excluding locums), and 100 per cent of all on-site volunteers fully vaccinated against COVID-19,” said Brandy Sharp Young, SAH spokesperson in an email.

SAH implemented a Mandatory Health Care Worker Vaccine Policy Sept. 7.

The policy requires compliance from all new SAH employees, volunteers, physicians, students, medical learners and contractors.

Exclusions on medical grounds may be granted by a doctor or nurse practitioner.

"The policy requires any current SAH employee who is not yet fully vaccinated to submit to regular rapid antigen POC testing (at a minimum of twice weekly) and provide verification of the negative test result. In addition to the rapid antigen POC testing requirements, current employees who are not yet fully vaccinated (for any reason other than medical) must also provide proof of completion of an education session approved by SAH, as well as a consultation session with our Occupational Health team,” Sharp Young stated on behalf of SAH.

Meanwhile, SAH reports that during the pandemic’s second wave, surgeries were performed at 75 per cent of normal capacity.

Regarding cancer surgeries in particular, Sharp Young wrote “SAH is committed to performing cancer surgeries and all urgent/emergent surgeries throughout all lockdowns. Cancer surgeries were never delayed, and therefore we did not have a backlog in this area.”

SAH’s funding for the 2021-22 fiscal year (ending March 31, 2021) includes an additional allocation of up to approximately $700,000 to perform surgeries and diagnostic procedures to address other backlogs related to COVID-19.

That funding is volume-based and only received once the surgeries or procedures are performed, Sharp Young said. 

The funding is Sault Area Hospital’s share of up to $324 million, announced by the Ontario government in July, to enable Ontario hospitals to perform more surgeries, MRI and CT scans and procedures, including on evenings and weekends, as part of a surgical recovery plan to provide patients with much needed care.