Yesterday, HCA shared information about vaccination sites and appointment scheduling. Several county health departments have also begun posting vaccination information. All of this is compiled in a new series of spreadsheets on our COVID-19 resource page to further assist in your effort to facilitate staff vaccinations. Please also be sure to review the state and city vaccine eligibility sites.
While not all county agencies are actively vaccinating at this time, many are doing so, and this information is constantly changing.
As we’ve extensively reported, much of the early statewide vaccination effort has been delegated to ten hospital-led regional vaccination hubs, prompting many county health departments to urge a more prominent role for their agencies in the statewide vaccination effort. Recent press reports now indicate that more and more counties are receiving vaccines and making announcements about mass vaccination opportunities, so this effort is expected to grow with time.
HCA strongly encourages all home care and hospice providers to closely monitor local vaccination announcements, as this information is being reported by county departments of health and your region’s vaccination hubs, as well as on local news and social media. We will keep updating our informational spreadsheets and informing you of any significant changes or developments.
Educating Staff and Patients about the Vaccine
HCA again reminds providers about the vital need to educate your staff and your patients about the vaccine.
Please become familiar with resources available to agencies and individuals pertaining to COVID-19 vaccination. Health education materials are available free of charge to provide to your staff and help generate responsiveness around the COVID-19 vaccines.
Research indicates that vaccine hesitancy and the reluctance to obtain vaccines decreases as vaccine literacy/knowledge increases. Below are some sample messages provided by the CDC offering three reasons why home care, hospice, and other health care workers are given priority to the vaccine:
- You are on the front lines and risk being exposed to people with COVID-19 each day on the job.
- Protecting you also helps protect your patients and your family, especially those who may be at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19.
- You matter. And you play an essential role in keeping your community healthy. Lead the way! Encourage your coworkers, patients, family and friends to get vaccinated.
Please share this message with your staff as you encourage vaccination.
Additional education materials are available for your use on various sites without charge, including HCA’s COVID-19 Resource Page.
Education builds trust in the vaccine. Get the facts out to help build awareness, and to educate staff, patients, family, friends, and communities. The vaccine is safe and effective. It was approved by the FDA, the CDC, and by New York’s independent vaccine panel.
Reminder: HCA Zoom Meeting on Wednesday, January 13
We also remind providers to join us on January 13 for a Zoom meeting at 10 a.m. where HCA will discuss the most current home care and hospice vaccination guidance (including the distribution process and sites), answer your questions, and listen to your experiences or needs so that HCA can further address issues with vaccine planners and policymakers on your behalf. Please register here. You will receive access instructions after HCA confirms the membership status of registrants.