FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: November 05 2021

Contact:  Jon Ebelt, Public Information Officer, DPHHS, (406) 444-0936
              Chuck Council, Communications Specialist, DPHHS, (406) 444-4391

 

DPHHS Issues Statement in Response to Federal COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate for Health Care Workers

"The State is reviewing the implications of the CMS health care worker vaccine mandate for Montana health care facilities and their employees, especially as it conflicts with Montana law. Given the CMS timeline, impacted health care facilities and their employees have time to decide how they will proceed. 

It is unfortunate that CMS adopted the mandate without either first taking comment or considering the dire impact of a health care worker vaccine mandate on frontier states like Montana.

Montana already faces a tremendous health care worker shortage, and the new CMS vaccine mandate will exacerbate these immense challenges. DPHHS encourages all eligible Montanans to talk with their trusted, personal health care provider and get vaccinated. To mandate vaccination, however, conflicts with Montana law and will further strain our health care facilities which are struggling to maintain adequate levels of health care workers."

DPHHS Director Adam Meier