A small hospital in upstate New York plans to suspend childbirth starting a few weeks because some of its part-time nurses gave up instead of serving the state’s Covid vaccine mandate.
The development underscores the challenges facing many health care systems amid a national shortage of nursing staff and hesitation among some health workers.
“Math just doesn’t work,” Gerald Cayer, executive director of the Lewis County Health System, said at a news conference Friday. “The number of waivers received leaves us with no choice but to stop the birth of babies.”
Six of the 18 staff members at the Lewis County General Hospital maternity ward have resigned, and seven have not indicated whether they will get the shots, Cayer said in an interview Monday. The hospital, located in Lowville, the county seat, had hoped to give birth to about 200 babies this year, added.
At least 30 health care employees have resigned since former Gov. Andrew Cuomo forced New York State health workers to be vaccinated Sept. 27, Cayer said. Of those who have resigned, 21 worked in clinical areas.
Lewis County General Maternity Department will halt deliveries on Sept. 25, Cayer said, and other units could be affected if more workers resign. Potential parents in the area will have other options: there are hospitals with maternity departments in Carthage, about 15 miles from Lowville, and Watertown, about 43 miles away.
The vast majority of workers in their health system have fulfilled the mandate. Cayer said 464 employees, or 73%, have been completely vaccinated and that he he hoped staff members who left would reconsider and take the shots before the deadline. “Anyone who has resigned and changed their mind will be received again,” he said.
The resignations have occurred in a region with a severe staff shortage. There has been a shortage of staff with experience in maternity nursing across New York State, said Dr. Sean Harney, the hospital’s medical director. Thousands of nursing sites remain open, Cayer said.
Lewis County, with about 27,000 inhabitants, is among the least populated and politically conservative counties in the state and has one of the lowest vaccination rates against Covid: 44% of residents were completely vaccinated from Friday, compared to 61 percent statewide, according to Lewis County. to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
According to a New York Times database, new case reports have doubled in Lewis County and hospitalizations have increased 35% in the past 14 days.