Almost two-thirds of healthcare workers in thousands of skilled nursing facilities have turned down COVID-19 vaccine, even though the mortality rates of long-term care residents are among the highest of any population.

In what would appear to go beyond vaccine hesitancy to outright refusal, 62.5% of staff at thousands of skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) have turned down COVID-19 vaccine.

As the COVID-19 vaccine was rolled out in the United States, many healthcare workers refused vaccination. Reproductive healthcare centers will need to obtain staff buy-in as they begin a vaccination program.

The coronavirus vaccine rollout faces challenges from logistical supply issues and vaccine hesitancy among healthcare staff and the general public. From a reproductive health provider perspective, the big question is how to handle the rollout and overcome challenges on both the supply and demand sides.

Many Americans and healthcare workers have doubts and skepticism about the first vaccines for COVID-19, despite the need for a rapid end to the pandemic surge that began to overflow hospitals before the December holidays. In hospitals that have mandated a COVID-19 vaccine for all staff, it is a good idea to communicate to employees why they should be vaccinated.

As the COVID-19 vaccines are rolled out to U.S. healthcare organizations, there will be challenges in access, logistics, and maintaining infection prevention practices. The first step is determining which employees are eligible for the first phase of the vaccine rollout.

Hospital case management departments can anticipate increased levels of stress among their staff as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. This could cause employees to burn out and leave their jobs. But before things reach a crisis point, there are practical and evidence-based steps leaders can take to help their employees shore up their resiliency to deal with pandemic-related stressors.

Approaching one year after COVID-19 began spreading in the United States, case managers are considering how to make the most of their new perspective in 2021 and beyond. The pandemic has shone a light on case management program and healthcare facility weaknesses, but also has brought new opportunities for leadership and advocacy. What can case managers do to maximize these opportunities and avoid pitfalls?

Crisis management is important to case management leaders and their teams as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations sharply increased through the end of 2020.