Starke County EMS Director Travis Clary said his department will be helping Starke County Health Nurse Frank Lynch with upcoming vaccination clinics.
Clary told the commissioners Monday night that his staff can help vaccinate healthcare officials in the first phase of vaccines.
“This week we’re going to work on getting them into the State system so they can either do vaccines themselves, or Frank,” explained Clary. “We’ll also need some help with a medical professional to sit with these patients after they get vaccinated for approximately 15 minutes. They’re going to need help with registration, and more to keep things running smoothly.”
Lynch told WKVI News that the first phase of vaccines is currently being made available to medical/healthcare personnel and first responders who work face-to-face with patients who may have been exposed to COVID-19.
The Indiana Department of Health has a specific, phased system of how the vaccine will be distributed and the availability of the vaccine to the general public may not be for a few months.
If there are nurses who have retired in the last five years, or anyone with a valid license in nursing available to help with the vaccination clinics, call the Starke County Health Department 574-772-9137. The clinics for healthcare professionals who meet the criteria of the first phase are expected to begin next week. They will be open Wednesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. for healthcare personnel and first responders only. Saturday hours will be available in the next two weeks.
Additionally, Clary mentioned to the commissioners Monday night that he attended a webinar to learn more about the EMS service becoming a mass immunizer.
“It would basically be someone coming from our service to your home to vaccinate someone – the elderly to try to keep them in their homes and not getting them out near as much. The reimbursement rates were rather low which is kind of expected with Medicare and Medicaid rates. So, it’s kind of an aspect of community paramedicine and taking things to people’s homes. We’re researching that right now.”
Clary will provide an update on the status of that venture in a future meeting.
