HCOM vaccination record exemplifies public health commitment

Dear Heritage College community,

Next week, students, faculty and staff at the Heritage College will begin returning to our academic campuses for fall semester activities. We will do so in accordance with Ohio University’s newly announced indoor masking policy and other measures aimed at stopping the spread of COVID-19.

Many of you—including all students, faculty and staff on our Cleveland campus—already work and train in health care environments where indoor masking is required. Expanding indoor masking requirements to include all three Heritage College campuses aligns with protocols across the medical profession. It also exemplifies one of our college’s values and top priorities: safeguarding the health and wellbeing of our communities.

I am incredibly proud and energized by our college’s vaccination rates to date. Based on responses to the university’s mandatory COVID-19 Testing Pathway Program and our college’s student data, we know that an overwhelming majority of our students, faculty and staff have been vaccinated. I am optimistic that our high vaccination rates, combined with indoor masking and other safety protocols, will yield a safe learning and working environment for our college community in the fall.

Undoubtedly, many questions will arise as we realize the impacts of indoor masking on day-to-day college operations. I appreciate your grace and patience as we work through these details. In the meantime, please accept my gratitude. Our exceptional vaccination record is proof that the Heritage College community is doing its part to bring an end to the pandemic. Thank you for your leadership and your continued vigilance. I look forward to welcoming you back to campus in the weeks ahead!

Sincerely,

Ken Johnson, D.O.