Dozens Of LI Hospital Workers Suspended For Anti-Vaccine Stance

OCEANSIDE, NY — Mount Sinai South Nassau has placed 65 employees on an unpaid suspension for defying the state vaccine mandate. Approximately an additional 100 employees have applied for a religious exemption.

"These cases are being reviewed on a case-by-case basis," a spokesperson for Mount Sinai South Nassau said.

The deadline to get at least one COVID-19 shot was Monday at midnight.

At Catholic Health Services, which includes Mercy Hospital in Rockville Centre, the vast majority of the staff is fully vaccinated. But a few hundred people were furloughed across six hospitals, the hospital said.

"The public can rest assured, knowing that there is no interruption in the safe, quality care Catholic Health provides," Dr. Jason Golbin, Catholic Health Executive VP and Chief Medical Officer said in a statement.

It follows Northwell Health firing approximately two dozen employees in leadership positions on Monday, Newsday reported.

Mount Sinai South Nassau is also confident that the suspensions will not hamper providing critical services for patients, as 97 percent of the staff is vaccinated against COVID-19.

But South Nassau has put in place "contingency staffing plans and, if needed, will implement these options to adjust staff schedules, rotate positions and engage in additional hiring where required," a hospital spokesperson said.