Weld County + HWL
Finding a Way to “Yes”: Nimble Approach and Creative Outreach Boosts Community Vaccine Access
Finding a Way to “Yes”: Nimble Approach and Creative Outreach Boosts Community Vaccine Access
Somewhere between the winter COVID surge and the summer reopening, national attention shifted from rising case numbers to rising vaccination rates. States putting up the highest numbers were applauded and looked to as examples of successful rollouts. Initially, Colorado was one such state. By mid-March, Colorado had vaccinated more of its elderly population than most other states. However, as eligibility widened, Colorado fell behind. If they hoped to remain ahead in terms of percentage-of-population vaccinated, something would have to change.
The Situation
Since early January, the Weld County Department of Health and Environment (DHE) had been working double-time to meet the demand for the vaccine. The Weld County DHE clinics throughout the county were serving as full-time vaccination sites while also meeting the community’s primary care needs. Director May wanted the clinics to return to primary care services only, but this would mean opening a new site, with a dedicated staff, where residents could go for vaccinations. May and his team identified the County Clerk and Recorder’s Office, which shared a building with the DMV, to serve as the new clinic’s location. HWL would take it from there with a turnkey community vaccination solution. This involved hiring staff, sourcing supplies, finding adequate storage, and of course, procuring the vaccine itself.
Key Challenges
Immediacy of need —minimum time to plan
Unprecedented nature of task
Shifting priorities as demand decreased
I appreciated Lauren, Robert, and the whole HWL team right away. They had experience opening vaccination clinics in other states, but they came in with a servant mindset and wanted to really understand the conditions on the ground here.
Shaun May
Director of Public Health Services at Weld County Department of Health and Environment
The Goal
In partnership with the Department of Public Health of Weld County and Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, HWL was tasked with opening a Vaccination Site at the Weld County Clerk and Recorder Office and developing mobile and pop-up vaccination solutions to provide greater access to the citizens of Weld County.
Critical Steps
Leverage vendor-neutral staffing model to hire 40 employees
Source supplies such as PPE and syringes
Work with facilities management to source chairs, tables, tents, and other wraparound services
Secure refrigerated storage for vaccines Train staff on registration and appointment technology
Apply for status as “vaccine provider” with the state in order to procure the vaccine
Work with the county to identify key demographics for education and outreach
Execute outreach strategy through mobile and pop-up clinics
As vaccine eligibility changed, vaccine access to diverse communities needed to quickly change as well. HWL’s pop-up vaccination solutions made it possible to cater to eligible age groups and community demographics. These solutions have and will continue to assist Weld County Officials in achieving their vaccination goals
Robert Middlebrooks,
CEO and Managing Consultant at RPM Consulting
HWL In Action
With the location already secured, HWL first focused on hiring staff for the clinic. With its classic vendor-neutral staffing model, HWL leveraged multiple agencies to source, vet, credential, and hire 40 employees for the site, including a Clinical Site Leader, Pharmacy Leader, Pharmacist and Pharmacy Techs, Observation Staff (RNs), Vaccinators and Vaccination Assistants, Greeters, and Registration and Facilities Management. Approximately half of this newly hired staff was bilingual, a fact that would prove extraordinarily useful in reaching out to the Hispanic community, which accounts for 30% of Weld’s population.
Results
Outreach continues in Weld County with pop-up clinics scheduled well into the coming months. The clinic at the Clerk and Recorder’s office, however, is starting to scale down based on community needs. “We plan to keep it open month to month,” explains Cabral. “If the vaccine becomes available for children under 12 or if there are booster shots to administer, we’ll be able to scale up again as needed. I think it’s this ability to nimbly adapt to new circumstances that have made us so successful in community vaccination services.”