February 9, 2021
The House Health Committee received updates today from the NC Healthcare Association, AARP of NC, the NC Medical Society, and the NC Retail Merchants Association on vaccine distribution across the state.
Leah Burns, Vice President for Government Relations at the NC Healthcare Association (NCHA), gave an update on COVID-19 response and vaccine distribution in hospitals. Hospitalizations of COVID-19 patients continue to be high in many hospitals across the state. Burns shared that there is still concern around the healthcare worker shortage, especially for nurses. Hospitals are currently vaccinating healthcare providers and adults aged 65 and up. Targeting historically marginalized populations for vaccines has been a top priority for healthcare providers across the state. Many hospitals are partnering with local health departments and counties to reach these underserved populations. UNC Health Care has launched a mobile vaccination clinic to reach marginalized neighborhoods, and is partnering with local health departments and counties to vaccinate community members. Burns also highlighted that Duke Health recently gave vaccine doses to Cape Fear Valley Health to help with an event to target historically marginalized populations.
Vaccine supply continues to be short, and there is not enough vaccine to treat populations in the current distribution phases. NCHA has shared with NC DHHS that hospitals need predictability and transparency in vaccine allocations from the state. NCHA has also communicated concerns to the department about the state’s COVID-19 Vaccine Management System (CVMS). In response, NC DHHS announced last week that a new pilot program would go live next week that would allow for hospitals and providers to accept file uploads into CVMS. This would help providers with a streamlined registration and reporting process for vaccine distribution. This update will likely not be integrated for all hospitals and providers until sometime in March.
Lisa Riegel with AARP of North Carolina presented next on NC’s older adult vaccine experience. COVID-19 has disproportionately affected the elderly population. People 65 and older account for 15% of the total COVID cases statewide, but account for 83% of COVID deaths in North Carolina. All older North Carolinians need access to the vaccine, and many are being left out of the vaccine distribution process, including those who are socially isolated with no support system, those without access to internet, those who are home-bound and can’t travel, and those who may have a vision or hearing impairment. AARP is working with community partners to target the elderly population, including working with Meals on Wheels, AAA, and NC DHHS on outreach efforts. Riegel said there needs to be more outreach to help keep older adults from being left behind, and that we must consider the unique needs of older adults.
The North Carolina Medical Society (NCMS) then presented on how the physician community has responded to the COVID-19 vaccine rollout. Dr. Phillip Brown, President of the NCMS, said that providers have made tremendous progress with distributing vaccines on an equitable basis. Physician practices have partnered with churches and other community organizations to reach patients who typically would get left behind. Brown said there had been a successful grassroots effort to reach these underserved populations, and that church and community leaders and physician practices have been doing direct outreach to those who are eligible to be vaccinated. Brown re-emphasized that vaccine supply continues to be a concern, and that every North Carolinian deserves the opportunity to be vaccinated as soon as possible.
Lastly, Andy Ellen with the North Carolina Retail Merchants Association presented on the role of pharmacies in administering the COVID-19 vaccine. State and federal legislation last year authorized pharmacists to administer the COVID-19 vaccine. Pharmacies can play a critical in vaccine distribution because they are a great access point for many Americans. Nearly 95% of Americans live within five miles of a pharmacy, and many visit a pharmacy every month to receive their medications. Pharmacies are a trusted, accessible and convenient health care provider both in rural and urban areas. Pharmacies also tend to serve a high population of Medicaid patients, and according to a recent article in JAMA, Medicaid recipients visit their pharmacies 35 times a year.
Ellen also discussed the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program, which is a partnership between the federal government, pharmacy partners, and
states to increase access to COVID-19 vaccination. The partnership involves 21 national pharmacy partners and independent pharmacy networks ─ representing over 40,000 retail and long-term care pharmacy locations nationwide. Walgreens was selected to be North Carolina’s initial Pharmacy
Partner and will receive 31,000 doses from the federal government to administer beginning February 12, 2021. Walgreens will utilize 313 locations across the state with 52% of the locations focused on underserved areas. Pharmacies have also been able to partner with hospitals and local health departments to assist with vaccine distribution. Both Halifax County and Durham County Public Health Departments have transferred doses to Independent Pharmacies to assist them in administering the vaccine.