As we roll further into 2021, COVID-19 vaccination clinics are cropping up across the country. Big cities and small towns alike are doing what they can to get the vaccine into the arms of those who pose the highest risk to contract the virus. From Texas Motor Speedway vaccinating 10,000 people a day, to rural parts of the country that only have 200 doses to give each week, communities maneuver strategically to find their best approach to clinics.
No one likes getting shots. Standing in a line (indoors) during a pandemic that has kept everyone six feet apart for a year certainly doesn’t do much to ease that tension. The clinical staff is equipped to administer vaccines, but who is in charge of keeping everything orderly? Some clinics have turned to volunteers.
VOMO Partners Auburn UMC (Auburn, Ala.) and Taos Connects (Taos, N.M.) are both utilizing their Hubs to alleviate any confusion on clinic days. Both organizations will dispatch volunteers to help vaccine candidates navigate from table to table, ensuring CDC protocol is followed. Volunteers with each organization are trained on site and given guidelines to follow prior to arriving for their shift.
Vaccine providers are also looking for ways to streamline vaccination and testing efforts. Luckily, we live in an age where technology leveraged for the good makes all the difference.
HIPAA-compliant scheduling software company Blockit takes the hard work out of vaccination scheduling. The company provides patient access and care coordination solutions for COVID-19 testing and vaccination healthcare appointment scheduling. In response to the massive move for vaccination clinics, the platform is offering a free plan to simplify and ramp up COVID-19 vaccine and testing efforts.
With clinics in place and appointments made, one concern regarding vaccinations is transportation. For individuals who don’t have vehicles, or don’t live near public transit, getting to a vaccination clinic is one more hoop to jump through. Some may not have family or friends that are able to take them. What are they to do?
Popular ride-hailing company Lyft joined forces with JPMorgan Chase, Anthem Inc., and United Way on Dec. 22, 2020, in a nationwide campaign to provide 60 million rides to and from vaccination clinics to low-income, uninsured, and at-risk communities. “This is an opportunity to use our collective strength to mobilize on a massive scale and serve our communities,” Lyft Co-Founder and President, John Zimmer told Business Wire. “We cannot let lack of transportation be a factor in determining whether people have access to healthcare.”
Other partners have joined the fold to leverage their networks, promoting individual contributions and connecting those in need to community partners who will distribute ride credits. United Way, for example, is encouraging people to donate a ride to “overcome transportation barriers” through Ride United.
If you have a vaccination clinic scheduled and need help getting volunteers, add it to our public campaign. Not a VOMO Partner? Start your 30-Day FREE TRIAL today and get your clinic added to the campaign.
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