Will Board OKs $1.6M contract to handle calls about vaccinations

Will County Board members Monday approved a $1.6 million contract for a call center to handle the influx of phone calls to the Will County Health Department.

The action during a specially called county board meeting will aid in the response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the vaccine rollout.

The six-month contract with Harris & Harris, a Chicago based consulting firm, provides the health department with 25 employees to answer calls. The call center, which will be staffed remotely, should be up and running in the next 10 days and is being funded through the CARES Act, county officials said.

“There is no question that this is an appropriate way to use these funds,” County Board Minority Leader Mike Fricilone, R-Homer Glen, said in a statement.

Tentatively, the contract calls for operators to be available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, but those hours may be adjusted to include evening hours and some Saturday hours, said Mitch Schaben, chief of staff for County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant.

In recent weeks, as vaccines became available, the health department’s phone system has been crushed by the influx of calls, often totaling more than 1,000 a day. On at least four occasions, the spike in calls has crashed the system leaving people unable to call in and health department workers unable to make outgoing calls, said department director Sue Olenek

The call center will handle calls for vaccination appointments as well as other calls coming into the COVID-19 hotline at 815740-8977. County Board Speaker Mimi Cowan said the call center will provide residents with better response times and followup services.

Schaben told board members that Harris & Harris is working with Will County Workforce Investment Services to hire call center employees. Of the 25 employees, Schaben said 25% will be bilingual Spanish-speakers. Harris & Harris also will offer translation services to provide services in other languages as needed.

Also Monday, Olenek told board members the health department is testing out EmTrack, a statewide system that allows people to schedule vaccination appointments online.

Residents are asked to use the county’s information form to register for the vaccine. The information gathered will be used to determine when a person is eligible and to notify people when vaccine is available for them to set up appointments. County residents can visit willcountyhealth.org to complete the survey.

Senior Services of Will County is assisting older residents who may need help filling out the online form. Those needing assistance may call 815-7239713.

County board members this week are expected to review other request for CARES Act funding to assist the health department in its response to the pandemic and vaccine rollout.