Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest worked diligently with local health departments to administer the Moderna vaccine to many staff who fell under the state’s Phase 1A guidelines. Dana Wilsey, Clinical Services Administrative Coordinator, helped lead the vaccination efforts and here she describes the experience:
What is your role in vaccinating Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest staff?
I was lucky enough to be the Lead for the incredibly competent and efficient medical services team, which handled logistics for the days of the vaccine clinics.
I probably shouldn’t admit it, but I was the one sending the texts and communications that had everyone’s phones buzzing constantly (apologies!). I made sure that all appointments were being scheduled successfully, and helped to bring together the wonderful and detailed work of the rest of the medical services team. They are the stars that made documentation and reporting possible, put together the workflows, helped to schedule staffing, monitored the vaccine temperatures, wrote out standard operating procedures, and so much more.
What percentage of our staff is now vaccinated?
As per our latest survey sent to all staff, we believe approximately 78% of our staff have received at least their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine!
What has the vaccination rollout been like?
Despite weeks of preparation, waiting for the vaccine to arrive at any minute, and thinking through every possible scenario that could happen during the clinic — it was still quite a surprise to witness the level of calm and smoothness. This was also the first time in nearly a year that many staff have been able to see each other in-person, so it was a day of under-mask smiles for many reasons.
Have staff been excited to get the vaccine?
More than excitement, I have mostly seen relief. Not only have we been granted access to such an invaluable vaccine, but we are able to receive it from a warm and skilled group of people that we know and trust.
How does being vaccinated benefit our staff and the community at large?
The benefits of our affiliate having a vaccinated staff are enormous and rippling! Whether administrative or in the health centers, a healthy staff means more patients seen, greater access to quality health care for our communities, and less COVID-19 cases overall. When Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest says “no matter what,” they truly mean it.
Will we be getting more vaccine?
We just received a shipment of second doses for every person we were able to vaccinate in San Diego County, and we are excitedly awaiting a delivery for Riverside in the next few days!
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