As Truman Medical Centers/University Health (TMC/UH) continues to lead the region’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Charlie Shields, President and CEO, along with Executive Chief Clinical Officer Mark Steele, MD announced today that TMC/UH will become the region’s first medical center to require all workforce members to be vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus.

“TMC/UH wants to ensure we are doing everything possible to keep our patients, our workforce, and our community safe. In doing so, we recognize the importance of leading by example.

For that reason, and so the medical center remains able to care for the growing number of patients suffering from COVID-19, the entire workforce at Truman Medical Centers/University Health will be required to be vaccinated by September 20,” Shields said.

This is consistent with long-standing practices requiring health care workers to be vaccinated against serious infectious diseases for the safety of patients and staff. Approximately 70% of the TMC/UH staff has already been vaccinated against the virus and its quickly spreading variant.

Since the COVID-19 virus arrived in Kansas City, providers at TMC/UH have relied on evidence-based science to make recommendations to the community: social distancing, mask-wearing, and vaccination. From the beginning of this pandemic, TMC/UH has been a leader in COVID-19 testing and education (providing nearly 115,000 vaccinations to date), as well as the first healthcare system in the region to receive and administer the first dose of the vaccine.

As an academic medical center, TMC/UH will continue to follow the science that has kept so many in the region healthy.

As an essential medical center, TMC/UH will not stop until everyone who is eligible has an opportunity to be vaccinated.