Highmark Health, AHN: Employees Must Get Fully Vaccinated

PITTSBURGH, PA — Highmark Health and the affiliated Allegheny Health Network announced Tuesday they are are mandating employees to be fully vaccinated against the coronavirus by Sept. 30. Exemptions will be given for medical or religious reasons.

Beginning next week, unvaccinated health network employees must wear face shields while working in a hospital or medical clinic. The workers will have to wear masks as well as the shields.

Unvaccinated Highmark employees will have to wear masks at all times on the job.

In a release, the health network stated that 73 percent of its 21,000 employees are fully vaccinated and it wants a 100 percent vaccination rate by the end of September. Highmark has a similar goal.

"We will be closely monitoring our employees' response to the new requirements we are implementing as further incentives to get vaccinated, and additional measures are being contemplated if necessary," said Dr. Brian Parker, the health network's chief quality and learning officer.