Community volunteers at vaccination sites
MONTaRaY >> Charlene WebberSchuss, RN, retired in 2019 after 35 years with Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula. Although she began her career in patient care, she eventually moved into nursing management, as a director in charge of two nursing units, before ultimately shifting, in 1993, into building and implementing clinical information systems.
By the time she retired, Webber-Schuss had put four new systems into operation, including EPIC, a sophisticated electronic health record system that consolidated many Montage Health systems into one, to help deliver seamless, comprehensive patient care.
Yet last month, just 18 months into her retirement, WebberSchuss felt the familiarity of her old nursing days, as she slipped into her personal protective equipment and returned to Community Hospital as a volunteer coronavirus vaccinator.
“I’d heard that the County was creating a staffing pool to give vaccines to senior citizens, so I reached out,” said Webber-Schuss, who had been filling her retirement hours with a lot of volunteering in the community. “After I completed paperwork and had my picture taken for my new badge, I started giving vaccines on Feb. 5.”
She estimates she’s administered more than 500 doses so far.
Webber-Schuss began her vaccination shifts at a drive-through clinic in parking lot 59, an expansive space at CSU Monterey Bay, which hosts five rows of cars, inching along as occupants receive their vaccines.
“We’re right at 200 volunteers, both licensed volunteers and support staff, who rotate their services,” said Kendra Brady, education and volunteer coordinator in Public Health for the County of Monterey. “We have two teams of nurses and scribes at a time, who get a lot of instruction, and are so willing and efficient.”
Among the volunteers are nurses, doctors, physicians assistants, dentists, pharmacists, and a veterinarian, as well as people
who provide administrative and clerical support, including registration, traffic control, and lots of reassurance.
“Once the vaccine has been delivered, volunteers direct traffic as the cars move forward, and it just flows. It takes a lot of coordination,” said Brady, “but it is the coolest thing to watch.”
Charlene WebberSchuss recently stepped up her volunteer effort to administer the COVID vaccine through Community Hospital, as well.
“My plan is to volunteer two days a week,” she said. “It’s so nice to be able to help community members. Many have been in their homes by themselves for so long. They seem to be happy to talk to someone, and I’m happy to be back in a nursing role.”
Lasting legacy of contribution
“People are coming forward to volunteer throughout the community,” said Michele Melicia Young, director of Montage Health Foundation. “My volunteers were on pause for more than 10 months, and suddenly we had a vaccine and a matter of hours to put a volunteer corps back together. This amazing group is helping us build what health care will look like deep into the 21st century.”
Montage Heath volunteers work like a welloiled machine, says Young, who likens them to urgent care “on steroids,” as they get community members in, vaccinated and out, in 30 minutes.
“Community Hospital did 600 vaccinations on our second day, as did Montage Wellness Center,” said Young. “We will scale quickly to 1,000 a day.”
Volunteers must commit to 40 hours of service, either eight five-hour shifts or five eight-hour shifts, likely until May, says Young, unless something changes.
“It is an honor to be part of this, to be stepping forward as an essential worker,” said Young. “After people give us a workweek of their time during the pandemic, they may be inspired to continue to volunteer with us in the future.”
During the vaccination clinic, it’s all hands on deck, says Young, as volunteers walk up and down the line of patients, checking them in, making sure their forms are filled out correctly, and that they have their ID available. Then they collect the forms and log the information into the hospital’s EPIC system, making sure everything is flowing smoothly, so people are ready to receive their vaccine when it’s their turn.
“Our goal is to do six vaccines every five minutes,” said Young. “In order to do that we have to be really organized and moving people through the process. What volunteers lack in experience, they make up for in personality, as they reassure the folks in line, making it a pleasant, relaxed environment.”
Young recognizes, as community members step forward to volunteer at the vaccination sites, this is an opportunity to make a difference at a time when it really matters.
“It’s so amazing to have all these retired nurses returning with their skills,” said Young, “plus nursing students, from the Maurine Church Coburn School of Nursing at MPC, giving injections. Someday, when they are veteran nurses, they’ll be able to tell their grandchildren that, as a student, they administered 1,000 vaccines to protect lives during a pandemic.”