Vanderbilt Says More Than 400 Staffers Are Quarantining Or Ill With COVID-19

Vanderbilt University Medical Center is running into more staffing challenges as COVID cases rise across the state. 

Hospital president Jeffrey Balser says the ongoing surge is now showing up among frontline hospital workers — at far greater rates than at the beginning of the pandemic. 

“Contracting COVID while performing patient care is uncommon. But our health care providers, like all of us, are at risk from friends and family with such a high level of community spread. We now have over 400 employees out due to illness with COVID-19, or to quarantine due to a concerning exposure.”

The hospital put out a call for temporary nurses in March. Now, Balser says options are limited because of nationwide shortages. 

Vanderbilt is hoping to receive small vaccine doses later this month. The initial supplies will be limited to health care providers.