Photo by: Ashley Golledge
A sign points to LMH Health’s new COVID-19 drive-thru vaccination center on Tuesday, December 15, 2020.
Lawrence’s hospital will begin administering 1,300 vaccines on Tuesday to residents 65 and older.
Monday night, the county contacted 1,300 randomly selected residents through the county’s alert system. These individuals indicated interest in receiving the vaccine through the county’s vaccine interest survey. The selected residents received instructions on how to apply online or by phone at one of the services.
Amy Northrop, a spokeswoman for LMH Health, said the county had not contacted more than 1,300 residents. As the Journal-World reported, previous Phase 2 vaccination applications seemed competitive to some residents because the applications were sent to more residents than the available doses.
The hospital’s drive-thru clinic is an addition to the Department of Health clinic for residents age 65 and older, which is scheduled for January 29 at the Douglas County Fairgrounds. As reported, all 960 consultations for this clinic were completed in about 30 minutes after the vacancies were made available.
LMH Health’s drive-thru clinic, which will begin on Tuesday at 1 pm, will operate until all vaccines have been distributed. Russ Johnson, president and CEO of LMH Health, said the hospital was prepared to deliver between 500 to 750 vaccines a day. The drive-thru clinic is located at 330 Arkansas St., in the parking lot northwest of LMH Health’s main campus.
Johnson said he was grateful that LMH Health could play a role in administering vaccines to people 65 and older.
“As we plan for this phase, we focus on ensuring an equitable approach that benefits from the support of our nonprofit community partners and Unified Command Equity Impact Advisers, and allows individuals to access this important service in a simple way and convenient, ”said Johnson.
Dan Partridge, director of public health for Lawrence-Douglas County, said the hospital would play a big role in Phase 2, vaccinating residents 65 and older, “regardless of where they receive their care.”
“With 30,000 to 40,000 Douglas County residents who qualify for this phase, this process will take some time and is obviously dependent on the availability of the vaccine,” said Partridge on discharge from the hospital. “While we definitely understand that everyone is looking forward to getting a vaccine, patience will be extremely important as we continue to vaccinate individuals covered by Phase 1, as we navigate the next steps to Phase 2.”
To complete the county’s vaccine survey, go to dgcoks.org/vaccineinterestform. Numerous paths are available for residents without access to a computer or transportation or who are at home to complete the survey and receive the vaccine:
• A family member or friend can send the county search form on behalf of a resident.
• Individuals can visit the Lawrence Public Library to complete the online application.
• Residents can request assistance from the Senior Resource Center at 785-842-0543. Calls will be returned in the order they were received.
• Residents who need assistance with access to the vaccine or transportation can contact United Way at 785-843-6626.
• The Visiting Nurses Association said it would help administer vaccines. More information about this will be released when it becomes available.
In another news story about vaccines at the hospital, pharmacy director Christina Crowley said that LMH Health has had no trouble receiving enough second doses for people who have already received their first dose. The state sends second doses based on the number of first doses it has already sent, Crowley said. Twelve people were in quarantine or out of state during the period they were due to receive the second dose, but these individual circumstances were handled appropriately by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Crowley said.