ORLANDO, Fla. — COVID-19 cases in Florida nursing homes have surged more than 20-fold since June as vaccination rates among staff continue to lag far below the national average. Still, the industry is pushing back against a new Biden administration vaccine mandate for its workers over concerns that many will quit rather than comply.
“By the federal government singling out nursing homes with a vaccination requirement that does not apply to health care personnel at other locations and in other health care sectors, we fear that our already critical workforce shortages will worsen,” said Emmett Reed, CEO of the Florida Health Care Association, which represents 310 of the state’s 700 nursing homes.
Already, 88% of nursing homes surveyed by the association in July said they faced a staffing shortage in the previous month, and more than half said they had cut admissions because of labor challenges. Nearly three-fourths said they needed to bring in temporary workers through a staffing agency to cover shifts, and all but a few had to ask staff to work overtime or take on extra shifts.
