RWJBarnabas Health has terminated 118 employees who did not adhere to the company’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate, calling it an ethical and professional responsibility to protect patients and ensure a COVID-19 free environment.

Of the staff at the supervisory level and above, 99.7% were fully vaccinated, or had received medical and religious exemptions or a deferral.  

Staff members and physicians who are not at the supervisory level and above had a vaccination deadline of Oct. 15. Most complied by the deadline, although 118 employees did not. 

A company statement reads, “Sixty-two of those staff members were per-diem employees who worked occasional shifts across our organization. While we take the loss of any team member seriously, we had anticipated some of our staff would not be in compliance and took steps to proactively recruit for positions deemed at-risk for vacancy. Given the overall number of staff who have been separated from the organization is distributed across our numerous facilities, job types and work shifts, patient care will not be affected, nor will there be any impact on the normal operations of our services.”

There is no mention of how many, if any, employees were let go from the hospital in New Brunswick.