[PT2021] Covid Vaccination requirements

[Shearin, Heidi]

Dear Students,

Multiple NC large medical facilities announced their decisions to require COVID-19 vaccination for all employees by mid-September.  These requirements carryover to students for students engaged in clinical participation.  Atrium Health, Wake Forest-Baptist, Cone Health, UNC and Novant have all announced their new requirements for the vaccination of all employees.  UNC has already notified me that all students must be fully vaccinated by September 20th in order to attend their scheduled clinicals.  This includes not only main UNC hospital, but their outpatient centers and associated hospitals under their management system such as Johnston Health, Rex, Lenoir, Nash, Wayne and Chatham.  The complete list is available at https://www.unchealthcare.org/hospitals-clinics/.  I anticipate receiving similar messages from the SCCEs at the other hospital systems listed above about student requirements for the vaccination in the next week or two.  This trend is not limited to North Carolina Hospitals. It is expanding nationally in response to low vaccination rates and the significant increase in the Delta variant.

So what does this mean for you?

  *   We have been encouraging voluntary vaccinations since they became available to health care providers.  Campbell University is not requiring the vaccination, but if a student is assigned to a facility where it is required and is not vaccinated, your inability to participate will likely result in delayed graduation.
     *   Dean Adams sent an email to all students on April 13th stating "Failure to adhere to recommended vaccinations and the associated timeframes for completion may prevent the student from participating in the required clinical experiences.  Programs cannot guarantee that alternate sites will be available to meet course objectives.  Thus, the potential for a delayed graduation must be recognized by the student."
     *   "In addition, we anticipate clinical sites will be requiring the COVID-19 vaccine for all health professions students in the near future, due to the risks associated with the disease and the increased availability of the vaccine.  Therefore, CPHS is strongly recommending that all health professions students receive this vaccine as soon as possible."

  *   If you are assigned to a UNC hospital system clinic/facility for DPT 804 and you are not yet vaccinated, you need to initiate the process this week during your break.
     *   If you choose not to become vaccinated and are assigned to one of these UNC clinics, you must notify me by this Friday, July 30th, of your decision to decline vaccination.
        *   Understand declining the vaccination will result in the decision to cancel your clinical.
     *   Proof of vaccination will be required in Exxat with notification to Mrs. Shewmaker and myself of completion for processing your records to their coordinator.
  *   If you are assigned to any of the other hospital systems listed above for DPT 804, you should expect a similar requirement to be vaccinated soon.
  *   If you are attending a hospital or SNF anywhere in the US, you should anticipate this requirement may expand to your assignment soon.

Please contact me with any questions or concerns.

Dr. Shearin

Heidi Shearin PT, DPT I Campbell University
Director of Clinical Education & Assistant Professor of Health Sciences
Doctor of Physical Therapy Program
College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences
cell 919-770-6386 preferred due to remote work
Office: 910.893.1725 l  Fax 910.814.5567 l Email: shearin at campbell.edu<mailto:shearin at campbell.edu>
Tracey F. Smith Hall, Room 118B
4150 US 421 South, Lillington, NC 27546
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 1090
Buies Creek, NC 27506
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The DPT Program at Campbell University is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 1111 North Fairfax Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314; telephone: 703-706-3245; email: accreditation at apta.org<mailto:accreditation at apta.org>; website: http://www.capteonline.org<http://www.capteonline.org/>.  If needing to contact the program/institution directly, please call 910-893-1720.

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