COVID-19 Vaccine Redistribution to Practices - A Year in Review

COVID-19 vaccines first became available in December 2020, just 9 months after the pandemic reached northern Michigan. As a vaccine champion, Munson Healthcare (MHC) partnered with both employed and independent regional practices to facilitate getting shots in arms once distribution was opened at the community level.

To support this initiative, MHC launched a collaborative multidisciplinary team to oversee redistributing the vaccines that Munson Healthcare had been allocated to primary care practices. MHC started with two pilot offices: Munson Family Practice Center and Munson Healthcare Cadillac Primary Care. The team then worked quickly with additional interested practices, sharing standard work and learnings from the pilot practices so that each additional practice wasn’t starting on its own from scratch.

“The pilot was very well organized with regular meetings to make sure everyone was on the same page,” said Terry Mickelson, Manager, MHC Cadillac Primary Care. “We had all the experts at the table which made it very easy to stay informed and have all of our questions answered.”

The COVID-19 Vaccine Redistribution Program then expanded to encompass 39 practices (17 owned; 22 independent) representing almost 300 providers across 14 counties. Our MHC Physician Liaisons supported the vaccine redistribution team and independent practices by:

• Helping to onboard new practices, including thorough review of practice eligibility and readiness; participating offices signed a legal agreement with MHC
• Sharing standard work to support efficient and effective setup of vaccine clinics, including vaccine fact sheets, vaccine administration workflows, reporting details, and toolkits for both providers and their patients
• Worked with team to facilitate equitable redistribution of vaccine doses throughout northern Michigan
• Communicating allocation information weekly
• Tracking doses requested and doses administered
• Providing timely updates and information, including how best to minimize waste per vial and later, once supply and tiered distribution directives were no longer barriers, how to maximize shots in arms prior to vaccines starting to expire

“The (COVID-19 vaccine redistribution) program gave clinics the ability to vaccinate their patients and members of the community. Our patients were so grateful to have vaccines available at their doctor’s office where they were most comfortable,” said Rebecca Zipser Hoffman, DO; Family Medicine physician. “It’s great when small offices and hospital systems can work together. I’m proud to be independent but know how valuable the support of a good hospital system is as well.”

“All who participated were there for the cause of getting as many eligible patients vaccinated, as quickly as possible,” said Renae Fogarty, MHC Physician Liaison. “We really enjoyed working with the offices.”

“Everyone was very engaged,” agreed MHC Physician Liaison Evan Gray. “There was great energy and collaboration throughout the project.”

In recognition of its vaccination efforts, the Michigan Lean Consortium presented Munson Healthcare’s Vaccination Team with a 2020 Best in Healthcare Continuous Improvement award on June 16, 2021 for the system’s tireless efforts to help vaccinate the communities it serves against COVID-19.

“The COVID-19 Vaccine Project team Improved the Lives of tens of thousands of community members by strong gritty teamwork and compassion for all the patients we serve,” said Kaleb Foss, Manager, MHC Continuous Improvement. “MHC and independent clinics seized the opportunity to collaborate with our community members, health departments, and MHC hospitals across northern Michigan. As a care team, we worked collaboratively to evolve and grow our relationships for a stronger future for our patients. I am proud of all who contributed to this effort.”

Now, more than a year since the COVID-19 Vaccine Redistribution Program kicked off, MHC is still providing vaccine to those participating offices who request it. Although vaccine is also available directly from the state, the minimum quantities are typically larger than most offices, even the larger practices, can administer. So, MHC helps by redistributing a large shipment into smaller quantities for use by offices.

We would like to highlight our pharmacy team who were exceptional partners throughout. We would also like to share a heartfelt THANK YOU to all the team members and 39 participating offices that have been working together to make this possible!

*As of 2/4/22 (no longer track this data)
**As of July 2021