I want to give everyone an update on the COVID vaccination process.
First off, please know that I and my staff are very excited and committed to the process. We are so glad to be a part of the solution to the pandemic, and proud to serve our patients and our community! Please see some specific info on the process below.
To my regular patients: Thank you so much for your encouragement for our team as well as your extra patience with us. I know you have come in some times and it has been an absolute zoo. You've been gracious as we try to juggle this vaccination effort with our regular jobs of caring for each of you!
1) We have been told to expect vaccine allocations weekly. This week several pharmacies including myself haven't received it. Please know that the minute I have shots come through the door I will resume calling on our waiting list (according to phases) to make appointments for folks to come in. This is very disappointing to me as we are putting a lot of effort into providing this service to the community. These types of sudden issues are very challenging to handle.
2) The governor's press conference today announced that certain parts of Phase 1B would be eligible to receive vaccine *****beginning Monday, January 18th.****** This is great news! Many pharmacies in the area that I have contact with were nearing the end of their healthcare/first responder 1A lists so the timing is pretty perfect. AS SOON AS I get vaccine to finish my last two healthcare provider clinics (originally scheduled for today (1/12) and Thursday) my team will begin calling eligible phase 1B folks.
3) If you have at any point submitted our online form please know that we have received your submission and we will call you once we get to you on our list. Many of you have signed up at multiple pharmacies and that is ok. If you hear from someone else first go for it! We are currently swamped with phone calls about the daily changing information, so please don't call to confirm your form was received or even to tell us that you've gotten the vaccine elsewhere. My staff is having trouble staying off the phone!!
4) TO BE ADDED TO OUR LIST PLEASE ONLY USE THE ONLINE FORM. In the last two weeks since we began the online form we have received over 1,400 submissions. The form is working great. But we cannot possibly keep up with the dozens who have still been calling to be added to the list manually. CALLING TO BE ADDED TO THE LIST WILL DELAY GETTING YOUR SHOT as we are unable to leave our workflow to add you to the list at that time. Names are added manually to the list only very occasionally. This could be a difference of several days getting your shot. Please, please, please use the form. If you called us before we began the online form, you are at the top of the list and we will call you first!!
5) We will call you to make an appointment for the shot whenever we reach your name on the list. We are scheduling up to 50 appointments a day between the hours of 1 and 4 pm. If we reach the end of a day with extra doses we will call the next eligible names on the list until we find someone to come get the shot. WE WILL NOT WASTE A DOSE. Many folks have said they are willing to come any time on short notice. I completely understand! Most folks are willing to drop everything to finally get this ball rolling, so we will continue to call straight down the list of eligible recipients. If in the coming weeks we have exhausted our 1B list of willing/available recipients for these last minute doses, we will call from 1C list, and so on. We know how important this is to people. We are doing everything we can to provide as many doses to people as fast as we can.
We will post more updates as things change. Thanks!