THE VALUED VOICE

More than 120 hospital members registered to participate in a May 26 Wisconsin Hospital Association (WHA) webinar designed to share experiences and best practices related to vaccine encouragement.
 
As Wisconsin is now experiencing more vaccine supply than demand, the webinar, Strategies to Move the Vaccine Acceptance Needle, focused on successful initiatives implemented by health care leaders in different markets to promote acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine for their staff and communities.
 
WHA Senior Vice President of Workforce and Clinical Practice Ann Zenk noted in her welcome remarks, “Just like everything else COVID, vaccination has been a roller coaster ride, with demand far outweighing supply in the initial months and supply beginning to outweigh demand in April.” Zenk continued, “We virtually skipped that hoped-for phase of supply and demand equilibrium.”
 
Ascension Wisconsin Vice President of Pharmacy and Lab Vanessa Freitag described how the Ascension vaccine planning team’s “Now and Next” philosophy has helped this state-spanning health system keep a step ahead in the evolving vaccination picture. Prairie Ridge Health Vice President of Employee and Support Services Ann Roundy shared how making vaccine readily available within their Columbus hospital and rural clinic resulted in steadily rising vaccination rates. Door County Medical Center (DCMC) Chief Nursing Officer Christa Kraus and Medical Center Outpatient Services Coordinator Michelle presented the strategies DCMC and its community partners employed to achieve the second-highest county vaccination rate in the state.
 
Participants and presenters all agreed that as the vaccine supply and demand equation has changed, Wisconsin hospitals and health systems must continue to shift their strategies to ensure that vaccine can reach willing arms within their workforces and the communities they serve.