In a press release, Cookeville Regional Medical Center announced that it has suspended it’s vaccine mandate until the issue is resolved through the court system.

The press release reads as follows:

“As we all know, CRMC has taken steps to institute policies with respect to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) vaccine mandate and we are currently going through the required processes for hospital staff members. While we have worked diligently on meeting the required deadlines in the CMS mandate, late yesterday afternoon, a federal judge in Louisiana issued an injunction that temporarily pauses the implementation of the federal mandate on a nationwide basis. As a result of this injunction, CRMC is temporarily suspending all efforts of the CMS vaccine mandate until this issue is either resolved by courts or through federal legislation. 

“Vaccination is the single most important step that you can take to help CRMC achieve our goal of providing the safest environment for our staff and patients. We will continue to conduct the vaccine clinic here at CRMC and we continue to encourage all staff members to receive the vaccination to minimize the risk of transmission to our patients and coworkers. 

“We know this has been a hard decision for many of you, and we will continue to do all we can to ensure you are made aware of any changes to the law or to CRMC policy. Again, all requests, including filed exemption requests, are on hold until further legal decisions are communicated to us by the courts. As we await decisions from higher courts, let’s take this opportunity to unite again around our CRMC mission of serving our community with clinical excellence and compassionate care. Let’s make this Christmas season a time of peace, joy, and reflection on our blessings, as we bless others in the way we care for them.”