Following the deadline of its Oct. 22 employee vaccine mandate, North Country Healthcare said it lost about 6 percent of staff members due to the requirement.

North Country Healthcare Systems Director for Marketing James A. Patry said the company had 94 percent of its employees vaccinated and the rest left the company due to the mandate.

Systemwide, North Country Healthcare saw 55 staff members leave due to the mandate, with seven having received partial vaccinations and who were on leave until they are fully vaccinated, which would be two weeks after receiving their second dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines.

Once proof of a second vaccine and the relevant two-week interval following the vaccine has passed, those employees are then able to return to full employment, Patry said.

He said the hospital received 42 resignations due to the mandate, while the remaining 13 simply left and did not give a formal resignation. Those who left included some nursing and physical therapy personnel as well as administrative staff.

At Androscoggin Valley Hospital, Patry said 21 staff members left due to failure to obtain a vaccine, while two received partial vaccinations.

Of the 21 staff members who left, 15 had resigned, while the remainder did not give any formal notice of resignation.

As for why staff resigned before being terminated, Patry said, “individuals who resigned may have done so to claim the earned time that they had accumulated.”

Patry said even with the resignations, the system is finding replacements.

He said Androscoggin Valley Hospital in Berlin recently welcomed four new employees, and additional new staff members are coming on board next week. He said that due to the system’s policy, all new hires must be fully vaccinated.

Patry said interviews were scheduled to fill more staff positions, although a specific number was not provided.

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