Largest Healthcare Provider in N.Y. Fires Over 1,000 Unvaccinated Employees

Northwell Health, the largest healthcare provider in New York, revealed Monday that they have fired 1,400 out of over 76,000 employees for refusal to be vaccinated for COVID-19.

The New York Post reports:

“Northwell Health is proud to announce that our workforce — the largest in New York State — is 100 percent vaccinated. This allows us to continue to provide exceptional care at all of our facilities, without interruption and remain open and fully operational,” the hospital network said in a statement.

“Northwell has taken a rapid, aggressive approach to move successfully toward full vaccination compliance while maintaining continuity of care and ensuring that our high standard of patient safety is not compromised in any way. We thank the vast majority of our employees who did the right thing and got vaccinated.”

Northwell Health mandated vaccination of employees in August, several weeks before the statewide mandate was to be enacted, according to Reuters. They have already begun filling the positions of those who have been let go as a result of the policy.

Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, has repeatedly defended the state’s mandate for healthcare workers, a policy first announced by her predecessor, Andrew Cuomo.

Despite her party having constantly heaped praise on healthcare workers for the past year and a half, Hochul has insinuated that those who refuse to comply with the mandate are replaceable and has publicly stated her intent to employ members of the National Guard to fill the positions of the noncompliant.