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About 10% of rural Texas hospitals have yet to receive a single dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, according to a group representing rural hospitals in the state.
Of the 16 hospitals that did not receive vaccine shipments, 15 have requested doses from nearby vendors or pharmacies to vaccinate their staff, Don McBeath, director of government relations for the Texas Organization of Rural, told CNN. & Community Hospitals (TORCH).
“There was a very high level of frustration for a number of weeks with a lot of rural hospitals in Texas, because they were watching the state move into the mainstream category, administering vaccines, but we had so much. rural hospitals that weren’t even able to receive it for their frontline workers, ”McBeath said.
As of last week, 25 of the state’s 157 rural hospitals had yet to receive vaccine shipments, according to McBeath. A state update on vaccine allocations on Sunday found that 16 rural hospitals were still not on the distribution list, including the Golden Planes Community Hospital.
“We didn’t get a single dose,” said Don Bates, CEO of Golden Planes. Some of his employees received a vaccine from their local United supermarket, which had extra doses to share.
McBeath said the outbreaks of Covid-19 seen in Texas and across the country are “as bad or worse” in rural areas, where small hospitals cannot afford to have staff off duty as there are so many patients who need care.
While some of these hospitals have staff who are sick or quarantined from exposure to Covid-19, “you don’t even have enough staff to run a 24-hour operation,” he said.
“That is why we have repeatedly pleaded with the state to make rural hospitals a priority – to find a way to make it work,” he added.
Registration issues
Hospitals must have a request approved by the Texas Department of State Health Services before they can receive and administer vaccines.
“Some hospitals are still working to complete their registration as a vaccine supplier. We have worked diligently with TORCH and the facilities directly to help them complete this process so they can receive the vaccine,” Chris Van Deusen, director of media relations for the Texas State Department’s health services, told CNN. “Rural hospitals play an important role in providing care in their communities, and we will assign them vaccines as they enroll.”
Some hospital CEOs say the enrollment process is not that simple.
Bates said he tried to submit the request for his hospital at least a dozen times. “When you’re on the computer with an application, and they ask for another overhaul, it puts you in a waiting loop of another 14 business days,” he said.
Bates likened it to calling the fire department when your house is on fire and having them say, “Well, how many buckets of water do you need?
He said his request was approved last week, but the hospital had not been told how many doses he would receive and when.
“If we’re approved, send me the vaccine,” Bates said. “Let me take the shots.”
Nathan Staggs, CEO of Anson General Hospital, another hospital awaiting vaccines, said his request was approved on Wednesday. He said nearly half of his staff had recently had coronavirus and others had received doses at local pharmacies.
“There was a lot of frustration for my staff – ‘Why can I go to a pharmacy in Abilene’s grocery store and get vaccinated, but I can’t get one at work? “Staggs said.
Expanding access to vaccines
Nationwide, the rollout of the coronavirus vaccine has been slower than federal officials initially expected. Just over 10 million people have received their first coronavirus vaccine and 29.3 million doses of the vaccine have been distributed, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Wednesday. At the request of federal officials, many states are opening up vaccines to additional priority groups.
The Texas Department of State Health Services said in a statement on its website that during the week of January 11, Texas will direct most of the Covid-19 vaccines received to major sites or centers in the world. ‘State to vaccinate more than 100,000 people.
Bates said those main centers could be hours away for people living in rural communities. As vaccines become available to the wider population, he said his employees are still waiting their turn.
“What does this mean to us? Do we continue to wait?” he said.
Texas, like other states, is working to speed up vaccine delivery. The health service communicates regularly with the heads of hospitals.
Bates said the state’s message was clear: “Get more shots.”
“Well, send me vaccines and I will,” he said.
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