Missouri Gov. Mike Parson (R) announced incentives, including 900 prizes worth $10,000 each, to boost vaccination rates, in today's bite-sized hospital and health industry news from Kansas, Missouri, and New York.

• Kansas: University of Kansas Health System will give employees "special thank you" bonuses of up to $1,250 for their work during the coronavirus pandemic, a spokesperson told Becker's Hospital Review on Wednesday. The one-time bonuses apply to both full- and part-time staff, excluding executive leaders and physicians. Full-time staff who have been working for the health system before the beginning of the year will receive $1,250, while employees who joined later and part-time staff will receive different amounts. Bob Page, president and CEO of the health system said, "We are proud of and inspired by our employees and grateful for everything they do for our patients and one another." (Gooch, Becker's Hospital Review, 7/21)

• Missouri: Gov. Mike Parson (R) on Wednesday announced that the state would begin offering incentives to encourage residents to get vaccinated against Covid-19. Missouri, which currently has a 40% vaccination rate, has emerged as a hot spot for new coronavirus cases, with an average of 2,100 new confirmed cases a day over the past week. Residents who have already been vaccinated or choose to receive a Covid-19 vaccine will be entered into a vaccine lottery and be able to win one of 900 prizes worth $10,000. Winners will be chosen equally among the state's eight congressional districts, with a special category for individuals between the ages of 12 and 17 who will receive their prizes in an education savings account. (Wilson, The Hill, 7/21; AP/USA Today, 7/21)

• New York: New York City mayor Bill de Blasio (D) will implement a new policy requiring all the city's public health workers to either be vaccinated against Covid-19 or undergo weekly testing for the virus. According to the New York Times, the policy is expected to go into effect in early August and applies to more than 42,000 employees in the city's public hospital system—which includes 11 hospitals, as well as clinics and nursing homes—and select workers in the city's health department. The vaccination rate among the city's public health workers is currently around 60%, which is lower than expected, the Times reports. (Goldstein, New York Times, 7/20; Lonas, The Hill, 7/21; Gooch, Becker's Hospital Review, 7/21)