SSM/St. Agnes President Says Staffing Shortages Are Not Due To Mandates

A virtual Fond du Lac County COVID-19 Community Update was given Monday afternoon, and among the many questions the 3-person panel were asked, was the question of staffing shortages at SSM Health locally.

Katherine Vergos, SSM Health/St. Agnes President, said that perception is wrong.

” Really, it couldn’t be something further from the truth.”

Vergos said the current staffing shortages are not confined to SSM Health, as shortages are being seen nationwide.

“These staffing shortages are not unique to SSM Health or healthcare in general, to be honest.”

The perception locally was that SSM Health lost a great many employees due to the vaccine mandates implemented last fall by SSM Health. Vergos said the number of employees that resigned, due to the mandates, was very small.

“So those individuals who actually chose to terminate employment because they did not want to get vaccinated, was literally less than 20 people. Out of 4,000 employees.”

The virtual update was held via Zoom and also included FDL County Public Health Officer Kim Mueller and Mo Kharbat, Regional VP of Pharmacy Services for SSM Health.

Another update is scheduled for February 21.