One local nursing home is waiting for details about President Joe Biden's plan to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for staff, and believes some employees will resign and look for other jobs, rather than get vaccinated.

Of the 1,050 employees working for Quality Life Services, which operates 10 nursing homes including facilities in Chicora and Sarver, about 52% got vaccinated voluntarily, said Mary Susan Tack-Yurek, co-owner and chief quality officer.

The company hasn't required staff vaccinations, but has made them available for free in their nursing homes during work hours, Tack-Yurek said.

She said the company has made substantial efforts to convince employees to get vaccinated and has incentivized vaccinations by having a prize drawing for vaccinated employees. The top prize, awarded Thursday, was a trip to Walt Disney World.

Biden has instructed the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to prepare and issue the order, which could take effect next month. In his announcement, Biden said nursing homes that don't comply with the rule will lose federal Medicare and Medicaid funding.

Currently, federal employees and on-site contractors are required to attest to their vaccination status or be subject to masking, social distancing and COVID-19 testing requirements. The Veterans Affairs Department and Department of Health and Human Services have mandated vaccinations for their health care workers.

The Butler Eagle reached out to several more senior care facilities located in Butler County for comments, but received no return calls as of press time.

“A bit of a warning shot,” is how Tack-Yurek described Biden's announcement. She said the company is waiting for guidance about the vaccinations, but the loss of Medicare and Medicaid funding would be “catastrophic” because they are the primary sources of payments from residents.

Employee departures would be another issue. “Some would seek employment elsewhere if it's mandated,” Tack-Yurek said.

About 200 people work at the homes in Chicora and Sarver that have about 190 residents. She said unvaccinated employees are tested for COVID-19 at least once a week and more often if a resident or employee contracts the virus.

Since the pandemic began, 99 residents of the Chicora home and 61 residents of the Sarver facility have contracted COVID-19. Companywide, 779 residents contracted COVID-19, she said.