6 RWJBarnabas Employees Fired For Refusing COVID Vaccine

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ — Six people who work in supervisory positions at RWJBarnabas Health have been fired from their jobs after they refused to get a coronavirus vaccine, the massive New Jersey health network confirmed in a statement Tuesday.

"Supervisory" means any doctor, nurse or hospital administrator who has a supervisory title. RWJBarnabas owns and operates 13 hospitals across the state, and many satellite offices.

In mid-May, RWJBarnabas Health announced it would be requiring all employees who work in a supervisory capacity to receive the coronavirus vaccine, and said it would eventually require all employees be vaccinated.

RWJBarnabas was the first New Jersey hospital network to mandate the vaccine. Its main rival in the New Jersey healthcare sphere, Hackensack Meridian Health, followed suit and now also requires its staff get the vaccine. Hackensack Meridian Health is requiring all employees to be fully vaccinated by November 15, with non-compliance resulting in termination.

RWJ supervisory employees were required to show proof of their vaccinations no later than June 30.

"As of July 14, 2,979 staff members, or 99.7 percent, who are at the supervisor level and above, have been fully vaccinated or received medical and religious exemptions or a deferral," said RWJBarnabas. "Regrettably, six staff at the supervisor level and above have not complied with the mandate and are no longer employees of RWJBH, per our policy."

If any of these six former RWJBarnabas employees would like to talk to Patch, they can reach this reporter directly and confidentially at carly.baldwin@patch.com.

"At RWJBarnabas Health we have an ethical and professional responsibility to protect our patients and ensure a safe, COVID-19 free environment. We shall be mandating vaccination for all staff and physicians and will be announcing our plans in the coming days," said the health network.

"Thanks to the incredible commitment of our leaders, the vast majority of our management team has been vaccinated against COVID-19."

RWJ Barnabas currently owns and manages the following hospitals in New Jersey:

• Jersey City Medical Center
• Newark Beth Israel Medical Center
• Children's Hospital of New Jersey at Newark Beth Israel
• Clara Maas Medical Center in Belleville
• Saint Barnabas Medical Center and Burn Unit, Livingston
• Robert Wood Johnson University Medical Center, main campus in New Brunswick
• RWJ Rahway
• RWJ Somerset
• RWJ Hamilton
• Children's Specialized Hospital, New Brunswick
• Bristol Myers Squibb Children's Hospital at RWJUH New Brunswick
• Monmouth Medical Center (all campuses) and its children's hospital
• Community Medical Center in Toms River

First Patch report: RWJ Barnabas Anticipates Requiring COVID Vaccine For All Staff (May 20)

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