Cone dismisses 68 unvaccinated
Oct. 12—GREENSBORO — Cone Health announced Monday that 68 employees have been dismissed for declining to get a COVID-19 vaccine, the second major Piedmont Triad health system to make such a move.
Cone Health CEO Dr. Mary Jo Cagle said that more than 99% of its 13,000 employees stayed on the job by getting vaccinated.
"We know that this was not an easy decision for some of our team members," Cagle said. "We respect diversity of thought and religious beliefs, and we are grateful that so many of our dedicated staff have decided to remain a vital part of our team, as we continue to make patient health and safety our top priority."
Cone Health employees were given until Oct. 1 to receive the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine or the first dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. All staff were required to provide proof of vaccination by Oct. 7.
Employees who have received the first dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine have until Oct. 28 to receive their second dose, according to Cone Health.
Late last month, Novant Health announced that it had dismissed more than 175 of its workers for failing to comply with its COVID-19 vaccination requirement. More than 99% of Novant Health's 35,000-plus employees complied with the vaccine mandate.
Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist has set an Oct. 31 deadline for employees to get a vaccination or an approved medical or religious exemption.
Leaders of Novant, which operates Thomasville Medical Center; Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, which operates High Point Medical Center; and Cone Health, which has a medical facility off Eastchester Drive in north High Point, all announced in July that employees would be required to become vaccinated.
