COLUMBUS, Ohio (WTVN)--Mt. Carmel Health System is requiring all employees and clinical staff to be vaccinated from COVID-19 by the end of the year.
The agency is the first health system in central Ohio to make the vaccine a requirement for employment, and those who do not comply could face termination.
The order comes from Mt. Carmel's parent company, Trinity Health, which is based in Michigan, and has about 117,000 employees in 22 states.
Mt. Carmel President and CEO Lorraine Lutton says requiring the vaccine will boost confidence in their effectiveness. About 25% of Mt. Carmel employees are not vaccinated.
There are medical or religious exemptions to the requirement. Other hospital systems in central Ohio are encouraging employees to get the vaccine, but not requiring it.