CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids is boosting its minimum wage to $15.25 per hour.
The pay hike comes with a two percent general wage increase that’ll start in January.
Mercy Medical says the challenges of both the COVID-19 pandemic and August derecho inspired them to make the change.
The hospital is in the process of administering coronavirus vaccines to its frontline medical workers.
The state received its first shipment of the Moderna vaccine – nearly 54,000 doses, Monday. The Moderna vaccine offers more flexibility than the Pfizer vaccine, which requires storage at –94 Fahrenheit. Moderna doses can be maintained in a household refrigerator for 30 days.
So far, about 8,400 frontline medical workers have been vaccinated for COVID-19 in Iowa.
(Image from Mercy Medical Center)