An Analysis of the Historic Houston Methodist Vaccine Mandate Decision Through the Lens of Popular Leadership Management Literature

Abstract

In early 2020, the COVID-19 global pandemic plunged health systems into unknown territory. Leaders were forced to wrestle with new and complex issues. Every day seemed to bring a litany of challenges requiring immediate response with uncertainty on all fronts. Despite this chaotic environment, the executive team at Houston Methodist Hospital system made the decision to become the first health system in the country to mandate that all employees receive the COVID-19 vaccine. This decision was emulated in various forms by hundreds of hospitals around the country. Through the lens of popular leadership management literature and historical examples, this article explores several critical practices the executive team embraced, leading to this monumental decision.