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industry.

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Brandice.

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>> A growing number of private

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healthcare and nursing care

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providers mandate for staff and

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residents.

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Laggingvaccination rates to

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require that all employees at

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state operated nursing homes

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have the vaccine by early

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October and in Illinois, 84% of

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nursing home residents have been

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fully vaccinated compared to

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just 62% of workers according to

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the CDC.

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Joining us now to share her

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thoughts is the executive

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director of mercy circle and

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this is part of the trinity

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health group.

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We should say that we did invite

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several different unions that

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represent the healthcare workers

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to join this discussion, but

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they all declined.

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Last week, they put out a

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statement saying rigid mandates

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and the employees and these

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congregate facilities have been

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on the job everyday since the

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onset of this pandemic and we

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oppose any effort to define them

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as a part of the problem rather

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than recognize stheir dedicatior

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dedication and protecting health

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and saving lives.

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Francis, thank you for joining

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us and we should be clear that

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your staff at mercy circle, just

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so that we're certain that

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there's no confusion there and,

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first, tell us about mercy

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circle and the community and how

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many residents and staff?

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>> Mercy circle has 110 units

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and we're pretty small in the

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Chicago south side.

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>> OK.

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And how without you say the tole

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the toll on your residents and

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staff and resident families?

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>> It's been a tremendous toll.

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The separation from family

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families for our residents

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during the beginning of the

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pandemic and the peak created

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some very dark times for us in

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our industry and the impact of

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the unknown and the uncertainty

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of the virus and its impact or

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spread throughout, if you

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remember, the ederly initially

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was scarry.

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>> What were the mitigation

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measures that meant going into a

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lockdown?

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Where family and friends

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couldn't visit and the impact it

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has on residents.

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>> Exactly.

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So we were all -- all long-term

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facilities were shut down in

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which no visitors can come.

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It caused us to be creative to

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find ways to keep family members

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and residents connected.

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Things like zoom calls and

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face-time and window visits and

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drive-by parades were done by

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family members.

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>> So I understand that 100% of

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your residents there are

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vaccinated and 90% of your

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staff, you all were initial just

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encouraging staff to be

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vaccinated, but trinity health,

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the network which you're apart

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umposed the vaccine mandate and

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what do we know what prompted

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the organization to do that?

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>> Trinity health initiated the

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mandate largely because of our

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core value of safety, resident

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and colleague safety.

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We just thought that was the

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most important thing and we

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should do more, so we were

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fortunate to have already a high

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participation level, but this

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just helps to push us to reach

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this.

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>> Would you say the Delta

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varient factored into that

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decision?

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>> I would say yes.

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>> So for the unvaccinated

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staff, so far, what proportion

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would you say are hesitant to

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get it because they're not

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certain and what proportion are

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adamantly opposed?

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>> About 7% of the staff are

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discerning the vaccine and

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although you haven't -- we did

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lose one staff member who was

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adamants about not going, but we

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peel that it's just so important

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for the safety of our community,

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both colleagues and residents,

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that it's well worth the risks

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involved in terms of we can

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overcome anything for the safety

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of our residents.

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>> For those who are hesitant or

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resistants, what reasons are

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they giving?

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>> I'll share initially,

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people -- most people had a

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wait-and see attitude.

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When we were one of the first

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communities to be vaccinated and

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I think other staff members saw

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that most of us at that time,

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probably 70% had taken the

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vaccine and there were to severe

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effects and everything was going

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well and more and more people

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did the vaccine, they opted to

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do the vaccine and that

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wait-and-see accounted for a lot

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of people delayed taking the

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vaccine.

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Now I think people are just

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still thinking about it, but the

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Delta varient is changing minds,

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as well as just seeing so many

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people going along with it and

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knowing that it's important for

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the safety of our community, is

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also a factor, and you think

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that weighs on people making

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that decision.

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>> How have residents and

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families responded to the

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vaccine mandate?

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>> They are extremely pleased.

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If we have a positive case in

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the building, we have to go on

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lockdown again to a shorter

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time.

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Having for vaccinated staff

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members and residents prevent

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more -- are left with the

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opportunities to test positive

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and having to shut down.

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>> So going forward, you have a

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deadline of

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September 21st and you

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mentioned one staff member did

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resign rather meet the mandate

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and receive the vaccine, what go

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you think happens next?

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Will some people who have taken

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a hard line, will they remain a

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part of the team?

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>> We're hoping that they do and

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see the bigger picture here

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because this is not just -- it's

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about our whole community and

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greater community.

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So we're really hoping that

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everyone does see that safety.

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Again our core value and that's

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our most important priority.

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>> Francis, thank you for the