Hilltoppers,
I want to acknowledge those of you who reached out to me to express your concerns regarding how strongly we have been encouraging everyone to get vaccinated; especially the additional Hilltop Strong prize drawings for those who have received the vaccine. I really appreciate you letting me know how you are feeling as we as a company try and balance choice and risk. The two most common questions I received are regarding what changed that caused us to move from encouraging to strongly encouraging and incentivizing, and the potential stigma that is created for those who can’t receive the vaccine due to a preexisting medical condition.
We moved from encouraging to strongly encouraging and incentivizing for two main reasons. The first reason is the continuing toll we see COVID having on our residents, participants and coworkers. We have been in and out of outbreak in our assisted living communities, we have had to start and stop face-to-face contacts at the Family Resource Centers, and too many of us are still having to quarantine due to exposures or symptoms. The second driving force is our duty to protect those who are at risk. COVID-19 presents a health risk to anyone who contracts it, especially those with underlying health concerns. Our local hospitals are seeing a rise in hospitalizations and new deaths due to COVID. These factors, combined with the fact we are seeing rising infection rates, are contributing to the push to increase the number of us who are vaccinated.
I want to recognize those of you who can’t receive the vaccine due to an underlying condition, yet still choose to continue working at Hilltop despite the increased risk. I also want to thank the approximately 50% of you who have received the vaccine, and strongly encourage the rest of you who can receive it to please do so. It’s free and easier than ever. Just go to www.health.mesacounty.us to sign up, or contact your supervisor or program director for help.
Please join me in our efforts to protect our residents, participants and coworkers. Together, we got this!
– Will
