Sept. 21. About 375 Novant Health employees across 15 hospitals, 800 clinics and hundreds of outpatient facilities could be fired for being non-compliant with its mandatory COVID-19 vaccination program.

Novant officials said the team members will have an opportunity to comply over a five-day, unpaid suspension period. If a team member remains non-compliant after this suspension period, he or she will have their employment with Novant Health terminated. 

The policy is effective immediately.

98.6% compliance

Novant said 98.6 percent of more than 35,000 team members comply with its mandatory COVID-19 vaccination program.

Details

Team members are considered compliant if they have received the single dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, a first dose of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine, or if they applied for, and were granted, a medical or religious exemption.

—Team members who have started a two-dose vaccine series will now have until October 15 to get their second dose and remain in compliance.

—Novant Health team members who have been granted a medical or religious exemption are required to undergo weekly COVID-19 testing, wear N95 respirators masks or other appropriate PPE, and eye-wear protection while working on Novant Health premises.