Nampa Hospital Workers Protest Photos

Hundreds of Idahoans showed up outside of Saint Luke's in Nampa this afternoon as part of a rally organized by the group Take A Stand Now.

The group is made up of healthcare workers who will lose their jobs next month due to the vaccination mandate issued by Saint Luke's, Saint Alphonsus, and Primary Health. The group was enthusiastically met by waves and honks from cars driving by on Midland Blvd in Nampa.

This week several state legislators held a press conference at the statehouse to bring awareness to this continued issue. Lieutenant Governor Janice McGeachin spoke at the event, calling on Speaker of the Idaho House Scott Bedke to reconvene the legislature. The goal would be to pass legislation, like Oregon and California, that protects healthcare workers from vaccination mandates.

The Idaho Senate issued a statement calling on the healthcare providers to create a solution without legislation. Idaho Democrats issued a statement supporting the forced vaccinations. Governor Little has referenced letting the private sector decide this issue. The governor has yet to comment on the issue directly.

Vaccinations have become a national issue as the president considers whether or not to force the military to take the poke. There have been published reports this week stating that the FDA could approve the vaccination, which would remove the emergency use label that it is under currently. Today, workers in the private sector spoke with us, revealing that public and private employers are moving towards mandating the vaccination.

We spoke with a former nurse at Saint Luke's today who quit her job over the mandate. Several folks told us there is already a nursing shortage in our area; could this decision by the big three health providers add to it?