HJNO Mar/Apr 2021

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS I  MAR / APR 2021 45 Jeré Hales Chief Operating Officer Lambeth House by the company’s entire Leadership Team. Some staff were admittedly uncomfortable being among the first Louisianians to take it. But, in the end, courage and commitment tri- umphed, and Lambeth House staff did what they describe as “the right thing” for their residents and themselves. “We viewed it as a moral obligation to do our part in protecting seniors and ending the pandemic. Our residents and staff deserve it. We have an obligation to do this,” states Scott Crabtree, LambethHouse’s CEO. Crab- tree, a huge proponent of the vaccine, states that it is incumbent upon those who work in aging services to use every tool available to prevent the spread of coronavirus and to allow seniors who need long-term care the safest environment possible. The organization does not pretend that the decision to mandate the vaccine or the process to implement it came easily. Man- datory vaccine programs are in no way for the faint at heart. The company started early by rolling out an internal pledge campaign, “Not Here, Not Us,” reflecting the entire community’s commitment to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Staff, residents and families participated. Then, each depart- ment director of Lambeth House educated their staff about the new generation vac- cines, and each opened the door to discus- sions around the ethical principles related to protecting the residents and each other. They created amoral framework fromwhich to guide and direct. For some employees, the moral rationale was more compelling than the empirical data surrounding the use of the vaccine. This approach offered guidance and assurance to each employee who was opened to it.After months of effort, Lambeth House was able to achieve a vaccination rate of 99% for both residents and staff. “It was a monumental task, but one we felt essential to the welfare of both our residents, staff, and families. It is incumbent upon us to protect those entrusted in our care.” says Crabtree. The war against coronavirus is not over yet, and as we continue the fight, the ethical debates about whether vaccines should be mandated in a senior care setting will undoubtedly continue. Admittedly, not everyone is enthusiastic about the new COVID-19 vaccines, but in a pandemicwhere over 400,000Americans have died, perhaps it is a worthy discussion to have — at the very least among senior care professionals. n Lambeth House executives lead the way as staff and residents receive their final dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Left to right, Jeré Hales, COO, Scott Crabtree, CEO and Lynn Swetland, chief financial officer.