As members of the CareOne family, we each play a role in providing care to the seniors we are privileged to serve. Regardless of our job title, as healthcare workers we have a responsibility to protect our residents and their families by getting vaccinated. We also have to take care of each other, the people we work with side-by-side who are the heart of our organization.

Our COVID-19 Task Force, which includes outside infectious disease consultant experts, has provided guidance to our organization over the past 16 months and has been listening to the concerns of public health experts, the health care community, our residents, their families, and our co-workers. There is broad concern with the fast-spreading delta variant of COVID-19 and pockets of COVID-19 outbreaks in many communities. As a leader in senior care, the public expects us to lead the vaccination effort to protect our employees, residents, their families, our community, and our colleagues.

We now join with many other acute-care and post-acute providers across the country who have announced they will require their workforce to be vaccinated. We are in good company, with health systems like NYU, NY Presbyterian, Mass General Brigham, Yale- New Haven, University of Pennsylvania, and RWJ Barnabas/Rutgers, all of whom already require staff and provider vaccination.

As the Chief Medical Officer, I can assure you that the COVID-19 vaccines currently authorized under the emergency use by the FDA are extremely safe and effective. There are very few medical contraindications a person would not be able to receive this vaccine. The COVID-19 vaccine is readily available for those aged 12-years-old and above. If you are unvaccinated, please get the vaccine as soon as you can – not only for yourself, your colleagues, and residents, but for those you love at home as well.

Thank you very much for your support in effort to safe guard our community,

Amina Ahmed MD