NEWS RELEASE

Statement regarding CDPH order requiring staff vaccinations or testing

The following statement is released by Kelli Davis, Interim Chief Executive Officer, Northern Inyo Healthcare District, per NIHD Legal Counsel, regarding the CDPH public health order mandating staff vaccinations:
Northern Inyo Healthcare District is required to ensure that all staff obtains the COVID-19 vaccine by September 30, 2021, by virtue of the Public Health Order issued by the California Department of Public Health on August 5, 2021. The District did not make this decision internally, but is legally bound to comply with the contents of the CDPH’s August 5 Order.
The CDPH has provided targeted exemptions for individuals with qualifying medical reasons and sincerely held religious beliefs, provided that such individuals undergo regular COVID-19 testing and wear qualifying respirators or surgical masks while on-site. Any noncompliance with the contents of the August 5 Public Health Order could result in adverse regulatory or licensing consequences for the District.
The District endeavors to balance its duty to comply with the mandates of state and local law with respecting the interests and rights of its employees. The persistent and lingering public health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic pose unique challenges for employers in California, particularly healthcare providers like the District.
The District continues to work through the logistics of implementing the CDPH’s August 5 Order, including exemptions and accommodations, to ensure all staff remain in compliance with the mandate by September 30, 2021.

About Northern Inyo Healthcare District: Founded in 1946, Northern Inyo Healthcare District features a 25-bed critical access hospital, a 24-hour emergency department, a primary care rural health clinic, a diagnostic imaging center, and clinics specializing in women’s health, orthopedics, internal medicine, pediatrics and allergies, general surgery, colorectal surgery, breast cancer surgery and urology. Continually striving to improve the health outcomes of those who rely on its services, Northern Inyo Healthcare District aims to improve our communities one life at a time. One team, one goal, your health.