Summit: Outreach to employees reduces COVID-19 vaccine defiance

Marc Larocque

10/20/2021

ONE OF TWO PANELS at the Providence Business News Fall 2021 Health Care Summit on Wednesday discuss the COVID-19 vaccine rollout and employer mandates. Clockwise from top left is Matt Reeber, partner at at Pannone Lopes Devereaux & O’Gara LLC; Thomas McCarthy, executive director of Rhode Island’s COVID-19 Response Team; Dr. Christopher Ottiano, medical director at Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island; Lisa Abbott, Lifespan Corp. senior vice president for human resources and community affairs; Dr. Robert MacArthur, chief medical officer at Commonwealth Care Alliance; and moderator PBN Editor Michael Mello. — ONE OF TWO PANELS at the Providence Business News Fall 2021 Health Care Summit on Wednesday discuss the COVID-19 vaccine rollout and employer mandates. Clockwise from top left is Matt Reeber, partner at at Pannone Lopes Devereaux & O’Gara LLC; Thomas McCarthy, executive director of Rhode Island’s COVID-19 Response Team; Dr. Christopher Ottiano, medical director at Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island; Michele Lederberg, executive vice president, chief administrative officer and chief legal officer at Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island; Lisa Abbott, Lifespan Corp. senior vice president for human resources and community affairs; Dr. Robert MacArthur, chief medical officer at Commonwealth Care Alliance; and moderator PBN Editor Michael Mello.

PROVIDENCE – Repeated employee outreach – including small group meetings, daily bulletins and even bringing in faith leaders and pregnancy specialists – has proven effective in Rhode Island at closing the COVID-19 vaccination gap and preventing worsening staffing problems, according to panelists at the Providence Business News 2021 Fall Health Care Summit on Wednesday. The…