photo by: LMH Health

LMH Health, 325 Maine St., is pictured in May 2021.

Vaccination against COVID-19 will be a condition of employment and contract engagement for all employees, staff, volunteers and vendors who work at LMH Health and its health system locations, LMH Health President and CEO Russ Johnson announced Friday.

“As the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, vaccines represent the most powerful tool to help prevent serious infection, hospitalization and death,” Johnson said in a news release. “Vaccines are vital in protecting our employees, providers, patients and community.”

Johnson said that this requirement was in response to already high vaccination rates among LMH Health providers and employees.

“Ninety-nine percent of our providers and nearly 90 percent of our employees are already fully vaccinated,” he said.

The requirement follows full FDA approval for the Pfizer vaccine. Approval for the Moderna vaccine is anticipated to follow soon.

Johnson said the requirement was consistent with a growing number of hospitals, health systems and hospital associations across the country, including many in Kansas City and the surrounding areas. It also aligns with LMH Health’s approach to requiring vaccinations for influenza.