Froedtert Health informed employees Tuesday they are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
Froedtert’s vaccine mandate applies to all staff and providers.
“As a premier health care provider, Froedtert Health must do whatever we can to protect our staff and patients,” the health system said in an email to employees, signed by president and chief executive officer Cathy Jacobson. “With this in mind, we have made the important decision to require the COVID-19 vaccine for all staff and clinicians, using feedback from your Workplace comments to help shape the policy.”
Froedtert is the latest Milwaukee-area health system to issue a vaccine mandate, citing the recent rise in cases and emergence of new COVID variants. The Medical College of Wisconsin, a partner of Froedtert, announced last week all employees and students need to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by Nov. 1. Children’s Wisconsin, also located on the Milwaukee Regional Medical campus, announced its employee vaccination mandate at the same time.
Glendale-based Ascension Wisconsin was the first last week to announce it would require the vaccine for its employees; and Waukesha-based ProHealth Care followed shortly after.
Advocate Aurora Health, the state’s largest health care system, has not yet issued a mandate.
Froedtert, like other health care organizations, has an exemption process in place for medical and religious reasons.