On September 9, 2021, President Biden signed Executive Order 14042, “Ensuring Adequate COVID-19 Safety Protocols for Federal Contractors.” This Executive Order requires most federal contractors, including the Medical University of South Carolina, to comply with specific COVID-19 guidance. This guidance includes the implementation of a mandatory vaccine policy for all “covered” employees and adherence to CDC guidelines regarding masking. MUSC has been assessing the impact of this executive order on our operations and its intersection with state law for employees covered under this federal definition.
After extensive due diligence with internal and external stakeholders, including Clemson University and the University of South Carolina, MUSC leadership has decided to comply fully with this executive order and therefore maintain our federal contracts. Failure to comply with this order puts at least $102 million dollars in federal MUSC contracts at risk in this year alone. In a worst case scenario, MUSC could lose as much as $190 million dollars in federal contracts. The loss of that revenue would be devastating for our institution and our ability to deliver our tripartite mission.
We realize this is short notice, and we regret the potential inconveniences and added stress that complying with this mandate may result in for some individuals during the next several weeks. As we continue to assess the impact of this executive order on our operations and plan next steps in light of the most recent guidance and continued due diligence, we are able to offer the following information at this time.
Who must get vaccinated in order to comply with this federal order?
- All university employees directly named on a federal contract, even if they work remotely.
- All university employees who in any way support a federal contract (legal team, business administrators, research administration team, etc.) even if they work remotely.
- All university employees interacting with people in #1 and #2 above including those working and/or meeting regularly (including teaching) in the same buildings.
How will I know if I need to get vaccinated?
We will be reaching out to all employees who fall into any of the categories above in the next few days to inform you that you must either get fully vaccinated by December 8, 2021, or be approved for a medical or religious exemption before that date. You are considered "fully vaccinated" when it has been two weeks after the last dose of the vaccine.
Please note that as new federal contracts are received or more of our current contracts are amended by federal agencies to include this vaccine mandate, we will be reaching out to inform more employees that they now fall under this policy and are required to get a COVID-19 vaccine.
What do I do if I am notified that I must get vaccinated or file for an exemption?
If you are fully vaccinated (all roles): There is no action you need to take at this time. MUSC has access to a statewide database that includes the names of all individuals who have received the vaccine in the U.S.
If you are currently unvaccinated:
Students – If you are not on clinical rotations that require a COVID-19 vaccine and are not considered an employee of MUSC, you are not required to be vaccinated.
If you are a student and also considered an employee of MUSC, you may be required to become vaccinated if you are notified that you are a “covered” employee and you do not qualify for a medical or religious exemption. If you do not have an exemption on file and would like to submit one for consideration, please visit here.
Faculty – If you have already filed a medical or other exemption in relation to the MUSC Health COVID-19 vaccination policy, you do not need to take any action at this time. If you do not have an exemption on file and would like to submit one for consideration, please visit here.
If you do not qualify for a medical or other exemption and are notified that you are a “covered” employee impacted by a federal contract, you will be required to get vaccinated. Noncompliance with the mandate will be addressed in keeping with MUSC’s guidelines for disciplinary action.
Employees/Staff – If you have already filed a medical or religious exemption in relation to the MUSC Health COVID-19 vaccination policy, you do not need to take any action at this time. If you do not have an exemption on file and would like to submit one, please visit here.
If you do not qualify for an exemption and are notified that you are a “covered” employee impacted by a federal contract, you will be required to get vaccinated. Noncompliance with the mandate will be addressed as needed in accordance with MUSC’s guidelines for disciplinary action.
As noted above, employees who are defined as “covered” employees will receive more information in the coming days; however, please note that every effort must be made to comply with the this mandate (become fully vaccinated or receive confirmation of an exemption) by December 8, 2021. We recommend pursuing either the Pfizer or Johnson & Johnson vaccine, as the Moderna series requires a longer time frame.
Regarding our masking guidelines, we are currently aligned with the executive order and will continue to remain in compliance. For more information obtaining the COVID-19 vaccine, including scheduling, locations and more, please visit https://muschealth.org/get-vaccine. If you have an MUSC My Chart account, you can use that platform to schedule vaccination appointments at preferred MUSC locations.
Thank you for your help in complying with this important federal mandate, and please stay tuned for more information in the coming days.
Sincerely,
David J. Cole, M.D., FACS
President
Lisa K. Saladin, PT, Ph.D., FAPTA
Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost
Lori McMahon, Ph.D.
Vice President for Research
Rick Anderson
Executive Vice President for Finance and Operations