Vaccine alliance forming for Peninsula
Health care forces across the Peninsula are teaming up for a new initiative called Operation Vaccinate the Peninsula, with the goal of creating one unified command structure to speed up the vaccination process.
According to a news release from the Virginia Department of Health, the team-up consists of the Peninsula and Hampton health districts, six localities including Newport News, Hampton, James City County, Poquoson, Williamsburg and York County, and the Bon Secours, Riverside Health and Sentara Healthcare systems.
“The organizations within this alliance will be operating under a unified command structure to facilitate cohesive COVID-19 vaccination planning, execution, resource allocation and communication,” the release stated. The unified structure will help to avoid the “different messages across many channels” that have occurred locally and nationally since vaccine rollout began.
The operation will create five different “impact groups,” in charge of different aspects of the continued rollout, the release said.
The vaccine supply, allocation and distribution group will share information about “vaccine ordering, anticipated supply, deliveries and distribution of vaccines” with the VDH. It will also manage the database of how much vaccine is available from each organization and coordinate with those in charge of vaccine sites.
The communications group will share information with residents and groups on the Peninsula, using “websites, social media and various forms of traditional media.”
The vaccine clinic development and strategy group will assess opportunities for new community vaccine clinics, including what kinds of vaccines are most available for those clinics and what the storage requirements would be.
That group will also focus on equitable distribution of the vaccines, considering “accessibility for underserved areas and populations” and making sure those segments of the eligible groups are given a fair opportunity to get vaccinated. It will work closely with the communications group to advertise those opportunities.
The clinic operations, scheduling and staffing group will work with different localities, once clinics are scheduled, to make sure there is adequate staff available and scheduling goes smoothly.
Finally, the data results and tracking group will see how successful the vaccine clinics are, according to the people getting vaccinated and the clinics themselves, to improve processes over time.
Though the associated health districts will be vaccinating those in phase 1B “through April,” according to Irene Ferrainolo, the population health manager and public information officer for the Peninsula and Hampton health districts, “as vaccine supply increases and when we open up to 1c the Operation Vaccinate the Peninsula will put all hands on deck to increase our capacity to put vaccine in arms.”
According to Ferrainolo, “Operation Vaccinate the Peninsula grew from a conversation between Dr. (Natasha) Dwamena, health director of our two (Peninsula and Hampton health) districts and Dr. Mike Dacey, president and COO of Riverside Health System.”
Peninsula localities shared the plan with Virginia State Health Secretary Daniel Carey last week, when he spoke with Peninsula leaders before touring the Colonial Williamsburg Visitor Center vaccine clinic, according to Williamsburg City Manager Andrew O. Trivette.
“We were glad to have the opportunity to present the plan for Operation Vaccinate the Peninsula to Secretary Daniel Carey during his visit to Williamsburg last week as a preparatory step for increased vaccination availability,” Trivette said. “We believe this collaborative model will improve vaccine distribution, communication and clinic operations along the Peninsula and could be deployed statewide.”
The operation will “ensure that our residents are able to receive the best and most accurate information about vaccines so that they can make well-informed decisions about their health and well-being,” Gail Whittaker, spokesperson for York County, said in an email. “As with all our regional partnerships, we are happy to be working toward this common goal.”
“With representation from localities, health systems and the health district, the resources of all partners can be shared with greater efficacy,” Ferrainolo said in an email, with “clearer communication, well coordinated and equitable vaccine distribution and quicker delivery of vaccine into arms” as a result.
“Our top priority is to ensure the community is informed about the current supply and can more easily access the vaccine as they become eligible,” the release stated. “This regional initiative will result in more expedient vaccine distribution, support for underserved community members, and clearer messaging about new eligibility and availability.”