Area health care providers plan for vaccine distribution

Important Covid-19 vaccine announcement

Cedar County Memorial Hospital’s COVID-19 Vaccinator Enrollment application has been approved.  This means we can begin requesting Moderna vaccine from the State of Missouri.  Does this guarantee we will get vaccine?  No—allocation is up to the State.  We are crossing our fingers and hoping to get doses in the next few weeks.  With that said, we want to maintain a list of those individuals that would like to be contacted for an appointment when/if we receive vaccine.  If you would like to be on this list, please call 417-876-2511, and tell the operator you want to be placed on the COVID-19 vaccine waiting list.  The operator will then transfer you to our COVID-19 vaccine voice mail so you can leave us your name and contact information.  A member of our staff will contact you within 24 hours (unless it is over the weekend) to obtain the necessary information to get you on the list.         

We ask for your patience, as, like other entities providing the COVID-19 vaccine, this is new to all of us; and is a process that is constantly changing.  Please be aware we must follow the COVID-19 Vaccination Plan as set forth by the State of Missouri, including the tier prioritization for those receiving the vaccine.

If/when we receive vaccine, we will contact those on our list, per the prioritization tier set forth by the State, to schedule appointments for vaccination as it is available.

CMH asks patients to join COVID-19 vaccine wait list

Citizens Memorial Hospital patients and community members interested in receiving a COVID-19 vaccine can join the waitlist at http://bit.ly/CMHVAX2021 and be notified when the vaccine is available.

Current CMH patients will receive their vaccine at their CMH primary care clinic. Additional information about the vaccine is available at www.citizensmemorial.com/covid-19/index.html.

CMH is following the Missouri vaccination plan, which authorizes the administration of the COVID-19 vaccine in phases. Missouri is currently vaccinating Phase 1A and Phase 1B-Tier 1&2 categories, which includes frontline healthcare workers, long-term care facility staff and residents, law enforcement, fire service, public health professionals and high risk individuals and those age 65 and older.

For information about Missouri’s priority phases, go to https://covidvaccine.mo.gov/priority/.

Individuals who sign-up on the waitlist will be contacted by a CMH representative when vaccine is available and appointments can be scheduled.

Mercy supports State of Missouri’s COVID-19 vaccination efforts

Mercy appreciates the opportunity to support the state’s efforts to fully protect Missourians during this important time and will continue to do so long as the state’s vaccine supply allows.

For several weeks now, Mercy has been helping the State of Missouri facilitate the immunization of patient-facing health care workers in the state’s group 1A. Beginning today, we are also assisting with the vaccination of group 1B-1, which includes non-patient facing health care workers, first responders and emergency personnel.

Mercy has created an online method to help facilitate the process. If any 1A or 1B-1 providers or staff need the vaccine, please visit mercy.net/MOVaccine to confirm eligibility and to register. In addition, the state has asked hospitals and health care systems across the state to assist with the next phase of vaccinations, Phase 1B-2, beginning on Monday, Jan. 18 (see all MO phases at covidvaccine.mo.gov).

To determine your eligibility according to the state’s vaccination effort and to register to get your state supplied COVID-19 vaccine through Mercy, visit mercy.net/MOVaccine.

NRMC to host Phase 1B vaccine clinics

Nevada Regional Medical Center (NRMC) has received their first shipment of COVID-19 vaccines for Phase 1B. Only individuals registered through waiting lists will be notified and scheduled for one of two upcoming mass vaccination clinics that will provide more than 500 individuals with their first dose of a two-part Moderna vaccine. Second doses will be given at follow-up clinics four weeks after the initial clinics. It is important to note that COVID-19 vaccination may only be done by appointment and walk-ins are not accepted.

As supplies continue to come in, NRMC will continue to reach out to those who have requested a vaccination. Anyone who believes they fall into one of the tiers in Phase 1B and wishes to be notified when an appointment for vaccination is available may call NRMC’s vaccine call center at (417) 448-2120 or visit the hospital’s website at www.nrmchealth.com to register online.

The vaccine call center is open 24/7 and staffed by live receptionists. In the interest of making scheduling as efficient as possible, NRMC requests that individuals register for the notification list only once as multiple requests are unnecessary and not helpful.

“Getting a vaccine to everyone that wants one is not going to be a fast process,” said NRMC Chief Executive Officer Steve Branstetter.  “However, we are dedicated to not wasting any vaccine that we receive and ensuring the most efficient and safe vaccination process that we can for our community. We are as anxious as everyone else to start a new chapter in this story, where we defeat our antagonist, the virus.”

NRMC reminds readers to frequently check local media and the hospital’s Facebook page for updates on COVID-19 vaccines.