UW Medicine will require all employees in our hospitals, clinics and other facilities to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 prior to this autumn.
This requirement is part of the UW’s broader campus policy that President Cauce announced earlier this week for all faculty and other academic personnel, staff, trainees and student employees. It is also consistent with new workplace guidelines from the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries.
We are very appreciative that most UW Medicine employees are already vaccinated. Our goal continues to be for everyone to be vaccinated because it is the most effective way of protecting our patients, each other and our community — and ultimately bringing an end to the pandemic.
Getting the vaccine has never been easier. Our UW Medicine vaccination clinics have plenty of available appointments and are accepting walk-ins. Employees do not need to wait in line and may proceed to the clinic front desk to check in. We encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity before these mass vaccination sites close in mid-July. To schedule an appointment, please visit our employee portal. After the sites close, vaccinations still will be available through employee health and in our primary care clinics.
We will share more details with you this summer about the process for confirming that you are fully vaccinated, as well as how you may go about requesting an exemption for medical, religious or philosophical reasons. Guidance is also being developed for faculty and staff who do not work at UW Medicine campuses and facilities and for those employees who work out of state.
In the meantime, regardless of vaccination status, UW Medicine continues to require face masks in our hospitals, clinics and other facilities in alignment with the UW and public health guidance.
Thank you for helping to protect our patients, each other and our community.
Sincerely,
Lisa Brandenburg
President, UW Medicine Hospitals & Clinics
Vice President for Medical Affairs
University of Washington
Timothy H. Dellit, MD
Chief Medical Officer, UW Medicine
Vice President for Medical Affairs,
University of Washington and
President, UW Physicians
