Some California healthcare systems begin vaccination of patients as deployment expands

The University of California, Davis vaccinated the first patient with COVID-19 on Tuesday. This was fired in Sacramento County by the first non-healthcare workers and residents of long-term care facilities.

After vaccination of their employees, the healthcare system began encouraging certain patients over the age of 75 to be vaccinated by appointment. They have put together a list of about 500 high-risk patients to invite, including patients with cancer or severe lung conditions and those waiting for a transplant.

Jim Clark, an 86-year-old Folsom resident with diabetes, high blood pressure, and several other medical conditions, said he was willing to make an appointment on a phone call from the University of California, Davis on Monday night.

“I was very happy,” he said. “If they gave it to me, I would have taken this shot six months ago.”

Clark, a 28-year military veteran, said he had no safety concerns regarding vaccines. He says he misses going to the casino and drinking coffee with his friends.

“I hope the next person will do what I need to do,” he said of the second dose he would receive within a few weeks. “I want to live for another couple of years, but I don’t know.”

According to Chief Medical Officer Dr. Doug Kirk, the hospital serves more than 17,000 people over the age of 75. Healthy patients over the age of 75 have not yet been vaccinated.

“We expect it to change on a regular basis and identify an increase in the number of vaccinated patients as more vaccines arrive,” he said. “Our limiting factor is not the work and personnel here at UC Davis Health, but the vaccine supply chain.”

The vaccination event on Tuesday Phase 1A — Frontline healthcare professionals and long-term care facility residents and staff — Up to Phase 1B. This includes people over the age of 75 and workers in education, agriculture, and public security.

The healthcare system notifies the patient that it is their turn through the online patient portal or calls the patient as needed. UCD patients who feel eligible for the vaccine at this point and have not been notified should contact their primary care provider.

According to Kirk, the health system manages all the supplies they have and holds nothing for the second vaccination, hoping that more doses will arrive by that time. not.

“What’s in our freezer now that we’ve been given by the county, we vaccinate them as soon as they pass through that door,” he said. “And every day as much as possible, as much as possible … they keep doing it. We keep vaccination.”

The health care system also called on health workers who did not belong to their system who did not yet have access to the vaccine. They found these providers through the Sierra Sacramento Valley Medical Society, a specialized organization for physicians of all forms.

Sutter Health says it plans to start vaccination for patients over the age of 75 later this week.

This Thursday and Friday, Dignity Health will begin vaccination of patients with the goal of administering the 400 doses set aside for them. Dr. John Gisla, director of quality and value operations at Mercy Medical Group, said he is in direct contact with patients over the age of 75.

“In reality, the demand for vaccines is so high that the word” requesting a vaccine “overwhelms the telephone system,” he said.

He says they do not distinguish between the elderly who have the underlying medical condition and those who do not.

“We are considering a very simple line of patients over the age of 75, which is the best approach for efficient deployment,” he said.

Kaiser Permanente says it has not yet begun vaccination of patients as it continues to provide vaccines to healthcare professionals during Phase 1A.

Bobby Nower, 77, a patient at the University of California, Davis, received a call from the medical system on Wednesday that she could be vaccinated.

“I feel very, very lucky. It really is,” she said. “It’s a blessing and makes me feel a little safe … it’s another layer other than a mask to protect against this virus.”

California has been vaccinated more than 2 million times by the federal government Just over a quarter of them are being administered By the local public health department and hospital system.

Governor Gavin Newsom is calling for faster vaccine deployment, allowing counties to vaccinate multiple priority groups at once instead of waiting for one group to finish before moving on to the next. I changed the rules.Find out Here is a breakdown of state priorities by age group and occupational sector.

Sutter Health is a major donor to CapRadio.

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