O’Connor said in a statement that by flatly denying exemptions "Ascension committed religious discrimination against Oklahoma healthcare heroes who oppose abortion. The operator announced the mandate in August and said employees must get vaccinated for COVID-19 or get an approved exemption for medical or religious reasons or face termination on Nov. Many private healthcare employers have issued their own vaccine requirements, which have generally been upheld in court when challenged by workers.Īscension said in a statement that it requires the vaccine for COVID-19 to ensure the safety of its staff and its patients. ![]() Republican officials have gone to court to fight the administration of Democratic President Joe Biden over his efforts to increase vaccination rates through government-imposed requirements. O'Connor's office said it was not aware of any other state attorney general suing a private employer over a vaccine mandate.ĬOVID-19 vaccine requirements have become a divisive issue in the United States. The attorney general asked the court to prevent the operator from terminating employees and to stop summarily rejecting religious exemptions. Oklahoma Attorney General John O'Connor, a Republican, accused the organization of discrimination by denying requests for religious exemptions from the healthcare system's COVID-19 vaccine requirement.Īccording to the lawsuit, Mitchell Duininck, a physician in Tulsa, sought a religious exemption because taking a vaccine that was developed with ties to aborted fetal cells would violate his sincerely held religious beliefs.Īfter submitting a seven-page letter explaining his request, he received a denial without explanation in a process the lawsuit described as a "sham." Oklahoma’s attorney general is accusing one of the Tulsa metro’s largest health care providers of violating a temporary restraining order meant to keep unvaccinated health care workers employed. Nov 12 (Reuters) - Oklahoma sued Ascension Healthcare on Friday because the Roman Catholic hospital operator's COVID-19 vaccine mandate for employees allegedly violated the state's laws against religious discrimination, in what appeared to be the first case of its kind. Adding the Ascension name to our own only amplifies our strength as part of this national network,” said VanOsdol.īill Bortzfield can be reached at 90 or on Twitter at BortzInJax.Ĭopyright 2020 WJCT News 89.9. “Our colleagues in Birmingham, Alabama, offered us platelets, and associates in Pensacola drove through the night to deliver them the day after the storm so we could perform surgeries. VanOsdol offered Hurricane Irma as an example of how the various hospitals in the system work together. Vincent’s president and CEO Tom VanOsdol in an email to WJCT News. Vincent’s HealthCare to further improve the care we provide by combining the knowledge and resources of thousands of medical professionals nationwide with the extraordinary expertise of our own local physicians and caregivers,” said said St. “Working together as part of Ascension has enabled St. Vincent’s HealthCare operates three hospitals in addition to dozens of healthcare facilities and employs more than 5,000. Since then the nonprofit health system has grown to 2,500 sites of care and 26,000 providers in 22 states and Washington, D.C., according to a news release from the hospital system. ![]() The Daughters of Charity also launched St. ![]() Vincent’s has actually been part of Ascension since 1999, when it was formed by the Daughters of Charity. The Catholic hospital system is adding Ascension to its name. Vincent's Healthcare is adding Ascension to its name.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |