Bridgeport brings in consultants to help with vaccines
New hires to ensure that shots go to city residents
BRIDGEPORT — With the state prioritizing an increase in the amount of COVID-19 vaccines available to city residents, a pair of health consultants have been hired locally to help ensure those shots make it into arms.
Kim Dickey, who has a master’s degree in public health, and Ebony Jackson-Shaheed, an epidemiologist, started work this week.
The latter is helping with overall vaccination coordination and administration, while Dickey’s responsibilities include community relations — in particular outreach to the elderly and disabled — and providing mobile vaccinations.
Following the abrupt resignation of Health Director Lisa Morrissey in midJanuary, Mayor Joe Ganim’s administration advertised for a consultant to help fill that mid-pandemic leadership vacuum before seeking Morrissey’s permanent replacement.
Tammy Papa, head of youth services, and Emergency Management Director Scott Appleby have been managing coronavirus response with Bridgeport-based hospitals and clinics.
City Hall did not immediately explain why it hired two consultants. Dickey and Jackson-Shaheed will each earn $24,000 for six months.
“Hopefully these ladies will be able to address the health disparities for people of color,” City Council President Aidee Nieves said Wednesday, referring to the challenges
“Hopefully these ladies will be able to address the health disparities for people of color.” Bridgeport City Council President Aidee Nieves
faced in administering the coronavirus vaccines to Black and Hispanic residents. “That’s what a lot of this is about, right? Getting the outreach and people to sign up.”
Gov. Ned Lamont’s administration on Tuesday announced that going forward 25 percent of all new vaccine shipments be designated to 50 Connecticut ZIP codes whose residents are considered particularly vulnerable. All of Bridgeport falls under that new policy.
Papa and Appleby last month complained that the city was not getting enough shots from the state and, because of the registration systems, out-of-towners were able to come to Bridgeport to get inoculated.
There was little to no information available Wednesday in terms of exactly what that 25 percent set aside will mean for Bridgeport’s vaccine supplies, which are divvied up between the municipal health department, the two hospitals and health clinics. Private chain pharmacies have also begun administering shots.
“We are working with the state currently on the plan,” Appleby said.
“All we know is whatever we’re receiving, we’ve been directed to make sure a percentage of that is going to this (Bridgeport) population,” said Dr. James Cardon, chief clinical integration officer with Hartford HealthCare, which owns St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Bridgeport. “They (the state) may say, ‘You’re getting 6,000 vaccines this week, Hartford HealthCare’ . ... No matter what we get, we want to commit some to make sure we’re focused on not just putting it out there, first come, first serve, but making sure we’re protecting access.”
“Good intent,” Cardon said. “Undoubtedly it will be a little clunky . ... The easy part of this vaccine is setting up these big places people can just come and get vaccinated . ... I’m still anxious that we are not continuing to get the engagement that we’re looking for from the under-served and making sure we’re addressing the equity issues.”
Hartford Healthcare has been helping the city run a mass vaccination site at Central High School. Meanwhile, Yale New Haven Health, which owns Bridgeport Hospital, launched a vaccination location at the University of Bridgeport.
Victor Morris, chief medical officer at Bridgeport Hospital, said the UB location can host 20 individuals administering the shots and is up to 16.
“I was hoping to get to 20 but I think we got to 16 faster than we thought we would,” Morris said.
He said if more vaccines become available, Bridgeport Hospital will be looking to open a second site. But, he emphasized, health providers and municipal officials must continue working on “the whole vaccine hesitancy.”
Cardon agreed: “We want to encourage it (getting vaccinated) but the first step is to demystify it.”
The city has been posting videos of local officials like Nieves on social media promoting the shots, and Black leaders like City Councilman Ernie Newton and several Black and Hispanic pastors have publicly received their inoculations to address fears or suspicion members of the minority community have about the science and safety.
Ludwig Spinelli, chief executive officer of Optimus Health Care, said Wednesday he was hopeful Connecticut’s efforts to get more vaccine to Bridgeport will eventually allow his organization, which runs clinics in Bridgeport and Stamford, to provide the medication at Bridgeport’s Harding High School.
“We got much less (shots) than what we requested this past week for next week,” Spinelli said Wednesday. “We have to cover not only Bridgeport, but also Stamford, which is also listed as a key ZIP code. We hope it’s going to mean a lot more vaccine for us so we could increase our numbers. Right now we’re very tight.”