Letter to the editor: Gov. Mills’ requirement leading to health care staff shortages

I read a news article last evening about the staff at Northern Light Health being 88 percent vaccinated. The article noted 1,200 employees (or 10 percent of their workforce) have opted to get the vaccine in the past five weeks, and 12 percent of their workforce has not received it.

Twelve percent of their workforce? By my calculations, that is about 1,440 employees, or 3 million work-hours for the year (based on “only” a 40-hour workweek).

How does Northern Light Health intend to care for its patients with 1,440 fewer employees? What is the plan for patient care?

When asked, Paul Bolin, the chief human resources officer, told WGME, “We know that 12 percent of our employees is a large number. I don’t expect 12 percent of our employees to leave. I expect a large portion of that group to become vaccinated by the state mandate.”

That is not planning. That is speculation.

How about the plan from Windham Residential Care? The plan where their facility administrator, Carla Laroche, told WGME that “our first responsibility is for the care of our clients.” The facility isn’t going to require vaccination, because, in her words, “if we don’t have staff, we can’t care for them (the patients).”

Unless the mandate ends, the staffing shortages are going to get worse, and people are going to die. Gov. Mills and her Executive Branch will have blood on their hands.

Remember, as quickly as it was implemented, it can be stopped.

Alicia Collins
Sidney