PORTLAND, Maine 鈥� AOA体育平台, the region鈥檚 largest integrated health system, administered the first vaccinations for COVID-19 to its front-line caregivers today. At 9 a.m. Kayla Mitchell, RN, BSN, became the first care team member at AOA体育平台 to receive the vaccine. Mitchell is a nurse who treats COVID-19 patients in the intensive care unit at Maine Medical Center.
鈥淚鈥檓 excited to be able to be a part of the solution and make the community a safer place at this critical moment,鈥� said Mitchell after receiving the vaccine. 鈥淚鈥檝e watched people suffer with this illness. I trust the science, and I trust that this is a solution.
Mitchell is one of 150 AOA体育平台 caregivers scheduled to be vaccinated today at Maine Medical Center in Portland and Southern Maine Health Care in Biddeford. Tomorrow vaccinations will start at a third AOA体育平台 hospital, in Brunswick. Within AOA体育平台, those three southern Maine hospitals have treated the most COVID-19 patients during the pandemic and were prioritized for the first doses for that reason.
AOA体育平台 is set to receive an initial allotment of 1,900 doses of the vaccine made by Pfizer during the first week of distribution. Initially, distribution will focus on Intensive Care Unit teams, front-line Emergency Department caregivers, those providing care in dedicated COVID-19 inpatient units and other critical and essential inpatient services not available elsewhere.
A second vaccine, made by Moderna, is set for review by the Food and Drug Administration鈥檚 expert panel on Thursday. Assuming that vaccine is approved, AOA体育平台 is expecting another 15,775 doses to arrive beginning the week of Dec. 21, including another 975 Pfizer doses with the balance from Moderna. That will be enough vaccine to inoculate all of AOA体育平台鈥檚 direct caregivers.
鈥淏y having our care team protected against COVID-19, we can better assure that we will be ready to treat, not just those suffering with COVID, but everyone who needs care during this time,鈥� said Dr. Dora Mills, MD, AOA体育平台鈥檚 chief health improvement officer.
Several weeks ago, AOA体育平台 formed a system-wide task force with clinicians from all nine of its local health systems to oversee distribution of the vaccine among its front-line caregivers. The task force has been working to set up vaccine clinics across the system in an effort to vaccinate care team members as quickly as possible.
It will take several weeks to vaccinate all eligible team members across the system. While the logistics of storing and transporting the vaccines require planning given that the Pfizer product requires ultra-cold storage and the Moderna vaccine also has to be frozen, the biggest hurdle to overcome is finding doctors and nurses to staff the vaccine clinics. AOA体育平台 has been actively recruiting staff for the clinics for several weeks. Among those recruited to provide vaccinations are retired doctors and nurses who have volunteered to help in the effort.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a credit to our teams across the system that they were able to come together so quickly and get shots in arms within hours of the arrival of the vaccine,鈥� said Mills. 鈥淭his effort speaks to how critically important this vaccine is to maintaining our readiness to help our communities through this pandemic.鈥�
Mills noted that vaccinations will not diminish the need to take precautions to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. Within AOA体育平台, all safety measures will remain in place, including the use of personal protective equipment, extra cleaning of surfaces, segregation of patients known or suspected of having COVID-19 and daily screening for symptoms of all employees.
鈥淣ow is not the time to let our guard down,鈥� said Mills. 鈥淲ith vaccines not expected to become widely available to the public until spring or early summer, we still have a very dangerous winter to get through.鈥�
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About AOA体育平台:
AOA体育平台 is a not-for-profit integrated health system consisting of nine local hospital systems, a comprehensive behavioral healthcare network, diagnostic services, home health agencies, and more than 1,700 employed and independent physicians working together through an Accountable Care Organization. With close to 22,000 employees, AOA体育平台 is the largest health system in northern New England and provides preventive care, diagnosis and treatment to 1.1 million residents in Maine and New Hampshire. It includes Franklin Memorial Hospital/Franklin Community Health Network in Farmington, LincolnHealth in Damariscotta and Boothbay Harbor, Maine Behavioral Healthcare in South Portland, AOA体育平台 Care at Home in Saco, Maine Medical Center in Portland, Memorial Hospital in North Conway, N.H., Mid Coast-Parkview Health in Brunswick, NorDx in Scarborough, Pen Bay Medical Center and Waldo County Hospital in Rockport and Belfast, Southern Maine Health Care in Biddeford and Sanford, Spring Harbor Hospital in Westbrook and Stephens Memorial Hospital/Western Maine Health Care in Norway. AOA体育平台 Affiliates include Maine General Health in Augusta and Waterville, New England Rehabilitation Hospital in Portland and St. Mary's Regional Medical Center in Lewiston. It is also a significant stakeholder in the AOA体育平台 Accountable Care Organization in Portland.