KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A protest took place outside of the University of Kansas Health System Friday morning around 6 a.m.
Employees and members of the public gathered to protest the hospital's recent decision to instate a vaccine mandate for all staff.
The group gathered in an area near the emergency department entrance.
Hospital officials were aware of the planned protest and said patient care will not be affected.
Chief Medical Officer Steven Stites address the vaccine mandate on Friday morning's daily briefing call.
"I think we stand behind that because we know we're taking care of people every day and we know that vaccination helps keep our staff safe. It helps keep our patients safe," he explained.
Stites shared a story about working with a chemotherapy patient who, before the mandate, questioned why staff who weren't vaccinated could take care of patients with compromised immune systems.
Kansas University police were on hand to monitor the protest and direct traffic.
