WASHINGTON, D.C., - Nate Schema, President and CEO of The Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society, joined the December 8, 2021 LeadingAge Coronavirus Update Call. He responded to questions from Ruth Katz and from callers. Here is a brief summary of the interview.
Q: Please briefly describe the Good Samaritan Society.
A: We have a broad range of services to older adults including home health, senior living, independent living, assisted living, and skilled nursing. We have a concentration in the Upper Midwest and have locations in 22 states from Washington state to Florida. We serve 15,000 people daily and have over 12,000 employees.
Q: Good Sam was quite bold to mandate vaccines for COVID-19 early on. What all did you consider in making that decision?
A: As I reflect on the fourth quarter of 2020 when we were seeing so many cases of COVID-19 in our locations with such devastating consequences, it was clear that vaccination was the way out of the pandemic. As 2021 progressed, we saw a resurgence of COVID and a plateauing in the number of vaccinations. We decided on July 16 to draw a hard line in the sand and mandated that staff be vaccinated by November 1. We want to be a safe place to live and to work and that comes first.
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