South Lake Tahoe drive-through vaccine clinic reaches over 1,250 residents

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - In under a week, the staff of Barton Health worked to complete a plan to get COVID-19 vaccines to the most vulnerable members of the South Shore community.

Barton was informed by El Dorado County they would receive 1,600 vaccines to inoculate eligible residents 65-years-old and older or identified in the vaccine rollout phases and tiers. Once notified they started reaching out to those who fit the categories through their My Chart accounts at Barton Health, phone calls, and from a list provided by El Dorado County.

Six thousand people were contacted by Barton on Tuesday, giving them until Thursday to book an appointment for the drive-through clinic. It was first come, first serve on booking times and of those contacted, 1,250 people made an appointment.

"Standing up this clinic to vaccinate more than 1,250 community members has been a very rewarding experience," said Mindi Befu, Barton Health public information officer. "It’s taken an immense amount of effort. This clinic could not have happened without the incredible support of so many people and organizations. LTCC continues to offer its site and staff to support the health of our community throughout this pandemic. Together we truly are making a difference for our community."

Barton staff and over 100 volunteers spent the day at Lake Tahoe Community College (LTCC), directing traffic through five lanes where those in cars were met at a check-in station at the Johnson Avenue entrance of the college. then directed to a consent form station, after which they entered a lane for the vaccine. At the end of the lane all had to wait at least 15 minutes to give their system a chance to accept the vaccine and to ensure there were no issues.

A sixth lane was provided for those getting COVID tests at the school's gym.

"Thank you to Barton for holding a COVID vaccination clinic for our community, and thank you for making the over 65 population the priority," said community member Vicky Brimer. "My husband and I received our vaccines this morning and were very impressed. I have lived here for 41 years and been to Barton many times. I have never had a bad experience there, so it was no surprise the vaccine clinic was so well organized. Thank you to Barton and all the volunteers. We live in such an amazing community!"

The set-up outside at the college looked like it had been organized for months. Supply tents, equipment, an off-sight pharmacy with refrigeration, volunteers with assigned job and nurses and doctors and other medical personnel ready to administer the vaccine. The first cars through the lines were led by a South Lake Tahoe Police vehicle with lights and sirens going. Traffic was a little heavy at the beginning but once the first patients made it through the process was smooth.

"We've never done a mass vaccination clinic before," said Barton Health CEO and President Dr. Clint Purvance. "Knew we wanted to get it in as fast as possible," he said of the vaccine. "This is exceeding expectations."

Those able to make an appointment and get in the vaccine line were very grateful, something they told volunteers over and over.

Dr. Purvance said the clinic was a big step in preventing the transmission of COVID-19.

He said a Barton nurse told him how good it felt to do something to help the community outside of the ICU.

The vaccines had been stored in very low temperatures in a special refrigeration unit at the hospital and transported to LTCC, all while maintaining proper temperature. A portable electric cooler on site kept the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines between 35 and 46 degrees, then they were taken up to room temperature, mixed and diluted with saline.

The vials of vaccine keep five-six doses, with most operations only getting five. Barton invested in special syringes that left no waste and they were able to get six.

Jeff Koeck, Director of Pharmacy for Barton was on site to oversee the operations all day Friday. Koeck, who is a 2002 graduate of South Tahoe High and born at Barton, still had a smile on at the end of a very hectic day.

"I am excited," said 45-year resident Brady Hodge. "There was no waiting, no hassles, and it was done very professionally." The 69-year-old said he could not say enough positive things about the process.

The clinic wouldn't be possible with the space and assistance LTCC provided.

"Throughout the pandemic LTCC has been committed to helping respond to COVID in our community. Being the facility host for this clinic is another step in our efforts to serve the South Shore community during this challenging time," said LTCC President/Superintendent Jeff DeFranco.

Another partnership for the day was with South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue, the Cal Tahoe JPA ambulance staff, and South Lake Tahoe Police Department.

Dr. Purvance said the State will measure the clinic's success by their administering of the vaccine and on their providing equal access to all residents. They had interpreters at LTCC to assist. The Latino population has been hit hard by the pandemic, with 55 percent of the positive COVID-19 cases statewide hitting this demographic, and 46 percent of deaths.

To date, El Dorado County has received 15,990 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID vaccine and 22,400 doses of the Moderna. As of Monday, 23,000 of those doses as of those doses had been administered with the balance committed for the Barton Clinic and ones at Red Hawk Casino and in Placerville.

To find out more about getting vaccines in El Dorado County, visit https://www.edcgov.us/Government/hhsa/Pages/EDCCOVID-19-vaccine.aspx. They will be getting the new Johnson & Johnson vaccines at some point but they have not been received by the states yet. Those are expected in California next week. To get on the State's vaccine notification list, visit https://myturn.ca.gov/.

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