State orders providers: Speed up distribution
Pennsylvania’s acting secretary of health issued an order Friday to expedite the administration of the coronavirus vaccine and to improve accessibility.
“We understand how frustrating it has been for many to get vaccinated,” Alison Beam said during a media briefing. “I want Pennsylvanians to know that we have heard you and we are taking bold, decisive action.”
One of the updated requirements for vaccine providers under the new order is for a minimum of 80% of the first doses of vaccine received to be administered within seven days of delivery. The order only applies to first doses. The second dose of the vaccine is secured at the time the first dose in administered.
Should a vaccine provider fail to comply with the order, which includes additional requirement updates, the provider may have their allocation of first doses reduced or temporarily suspended.
The order went into effect Feb. 12 with the allocation enforcement taking effect Feb. 22.
Under the order, vaccine providers are required to have both an online and a phone-based registration system for direct vaccine appointment scheduling.
The phone-based registration system must provide prompt access to live representatives or agents who can directly schedule appointments.
This part of the order goes into effect Feb. 19.
Updated requirements for vaccine providers in the order also include:
• Following all requirements and recommendations in the COVID-19 interim vaccination plan.
• Adhering to the current phase of Pennsylvania’s vaccine rollout, as defined by the state Department of Health.
• Providing the COVID-19 vaccine reminder card with a date for a return appointment for the second dose of vaccine.
• Making every appropriate effort to ensure available appointments for second doses, including designating appointment times for second doses or scheduling second doses at the time of first dose administration, or both.
As vaccine demographic reporting has been incomplete so far, according to the state Department of Health, the order makes it clear to providers that they must follow reporting requirements including race and ethnic data.
Provider network
Beam also announced the state is narrowing its vaccine provider network to those who have demonstrated they have the ability to vaccinate the most people quickly. As a result, some providers will not get as many first doses of the vaccine as they have in the past.
The department has 1,710 providers who said they would be willing to help with vaccine distribution; 780 of them have received vaccine.
“Seventeen hundred providers have really risen to the challenge and volunteered to be enrolled to be a vaccine provider,” Beam said. “It’s a much smaller amount that are even currently receiving vaccine. We know that there are going to be opportunities to grow that network at a future date. This week we have narrowed that to much less, closer to around 200 to 300 providers as we move forward in this narrowing of the provider network.”
The larger network included more diverse providers such as primary care physician offices and other types of small provider offices. Beam said the larger network helped to fulfill the mission of vaccinating health care workers. With the staff at those facilities now vaccinated, Beam said the state wants to hone in on having vaccine allocations going to four types of providers.
“With the limited number of vaccines, we need to make sure that we focus in on the providers that are able to reach the communities quickly,” Beam said. “We found that our hospitals and our health systems, our federally qualified health centers, our county and municipal health departments, and our independent pharmacists have had demonstrated experience with their ability to move quickly and effectively pushing first doses into the community. We’ve focused our allocation on making sure that doses are concentrated to those types of providers.”