The nonprofit health system has roughly 45,000 employees in Arizona
By Stephanie Innes | Arizona Republic
Phoenix-based Banner Health, which is Arizona’s largest private employer, says its entire workforce must get a COVID-19 vaccine by Nov. 1.
Banner is the first health system or hospital in the state to publicly announce mandatory COVID-19 vaccines for employees. There will be “limited exceptions” to the requirement, officials said. The criteria for those exceptions is still being developed, according to Banner leadership.
The nonprofit health system, which has roughly 45,000 employees in Arizona, told staff members about the vaccine requirement via an email announcement Tuesday afternoon.
Banner officials said they decided to put the mandate in place “to protect patients, team members and the community.”
Banner Health is the largest health care system in Arizona and operates in six states. The majority of its approximately 52,000 employees work in Arizona.
The announcement came a week after a national coalition of health care organizations called on hospitals and other health care systems to make the COVID vaccine a requirement.
