Covid Vaccine DC- "Separate, but Equal"??

[Anonymous]

How is it that DC hospitals are running their own private lists, apart from the central DC Gov web/telephone sites? Their patients are getting called directly to sign up from their patient lists. How is this equal access?

[Anonymous]

I've thought the same thing. But there are other practical considerations - Hospitals know who is actually critically or chronically ill or, for that matter, old, with legit info. It's the simplest way to get the sickest people vaccinated first. Also, hospitals can actually store the stuff so it makes sense that they would distribute it.

[Anonymous]

Well if you’ve been to a histories in the past two years there’s a goof chance you are high on the list for the vaccine.

[Anonymous]

I’ve been told Howard Hospital is doing walk in vaccinations, anyone on the street. Does anyone have any info on that?

[Anonymous]

Howard University Hospital
MedStar Georgetown University Hospital
MedStar Washington Hospital Center
The George Washington University Hospital
Sibley Memorial Hospital
United Medical Center
Kaiser Permanente

All are reaching out to their eligible patients as they have vaccine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've thought the same thing. But there are other practical considerations - Hospitals know who is actually critically or chronically ill or, for that matter, old, with legit info. It's the simplest way to get the sickest people vaccinated first. Also, hospitals can actually store the stuff so it makes sense that they would distribute it.

Yes, it absolutely makes sense they would distribute it, but why are they distributing it to THEIR patients with no access to those people who enroll through the DCGOV web or telephone portal?

I completely understand going through rolls for nursing home or critically ill patients, but will this continue through ALL the next categories? It seems very unfair that if you happen to be in their rolls due to a visit in the past 2 years you get a call from the hospital and skip all the website/phone bank mayhem.

My husband thinks it is an insurance thing; that since the vaccines are 'free' (but administration, storage and distributions cost money) the city is excited to work through hospitals as the hospitals have all the insurers on record and can bill directly. He thinks the city is trying to save a few pennies. This may be bunk, but it was the only theory we have come up with for why the city would be running these 'two systems'. if so, it is less of an altruistic motive than the above.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've thought the same thing. But there are other practical considerations - Hospitals know who is actually critically or chronically ill or, for that matter, old, with legit info. It's the simplest way to get the sickest people vaccinated first. Also, hospitals can actually store the stuff so it makes sense that they would distribute it.

Yes, it absolutely makes sense they would distribute it, but why are they distributing it to THEIR patients with no access to those people who enroll through the DCGOV web or telephone portal?

I completely understand going through rolls for nursing home or critically ill patients, but will this continue through ALL the next categories? It seems very unfair that if you happen to be in their rolls due to a visit in the past 2 years you get a call from the hospital and skip all the website/phone bank mayhem.

My husband thinks it is an insurance thing; that since the vaccines are 'free' (but administration, storage and distributions cost money) the city is excited to work through hospitals as the hospitals have all the insurers on record and can bill directly. He thinks the city is trying to save a few pennies. This may be bunk, but it was the only theory we have come up with for why the city would be running these 'two systems'. if so, it is less of an altruistic motive than the above.

There is no bill for the shots. They are free to everyone.

The reason they are allocating some shots through the hospitals is to get more access points into the community.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've thought the same thing. But there are other practical considerations - Hospitals know who is actually critically or chronically ill or, for that matter, old, with legit info. It's the simplest way to get the sickest people vaccinated first. Also, hospitals can actually store the stuff so it makes sense that they would distribute it.

Yes, it absolutely makes sense they would distribute it, but why are they distributing it to THEIR patients with no access to those people who enroll through the DCGOV web or telephone portal?

I completely understand going through rolls for nursing home or critically ill patients, but will this continue through ALL the next categories? It seems very unfair that if you happen to be in their rolls due to a visit in the past 2 years you get a call from the hospital and skip all the website/phone bank mayhem.

My husband thinks it is an insurance thing; that since the vaccines are 'free' (but administration, storage and distributions cost money) the city is excited to work through hospitals as the hospitals have all the insurers on record and can bill directly. He thinks the city is trying to save a few pennies. This may be bunk, but it was the only theory we have come up with for why the city would be running these 'two systems'. if so, it is less of an altruistic motive than the above.

There is no bill for the shots. They are free to everyone.

The reason they are allocating some shots through the hospitals is to get more access points into the community.

Except its a "selective" community of patients in the past 2 years. To be a patient, you could literally have had a hangnail removed. Heck, Im thinking of heading in now to have my rosacea checked. DC hospitals should administer shots, and they should administer them to patients who select them as a site from the DC GOV Web and telephone portals (thus opening up more sites and appointment slots through these transparent mechanisms). Why are we running 2 systems here in a city of 750,000?

[Anonymous]

My 70-year old relative got vaccinated this way -- they called her up without her even registering on a vaccine list. She's a patient at the hospital's cancer center.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 70-year old relative got vaccinated this way -- they called her up without her even registering on a vaccine list. She's a patient at the hospital's cancer center.

I am happy for your family. I dont begrudge anyone who is called , taking the appointment. Also, as mentioned above I dont begrudge special allotments for nursing homes and critically ill. However, there is going to be a group called up soon of the medically high risk, and then just people in other different categories. Will the ones who happen to be registered with the hospitals be the "lucky winners" who skip the crap DC web + telephone portals?

DC Government should make sure the hospitals vaccinate as many people as possible daily since they have a good set up for it, but there should be ONE clearinghouse - the DC GOV portal and phone line. They can set that up to prioritize whomever they wish, they can even connect patients like your relative to the preferred facility if they want to finesse it to keep patients with established providers as a sub group, but they need to be the center of distribution efforts. That is the only way to be transparent. And this precious vaccine demands transparency.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve been told Howard Hospital is doing walk in vaccinations, anyone on the street. Does anyone have any info on that?

I'd heard they're doing it for otherwise eligible people (i.e. over 65s) Not just anyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve been told Howard Hospital is doing walk in vaccinations, anyone on the street. Does anyone have any info on that?

I'd heard they're doing it for otherwise eligible people (i.e. over 65s) Not just anyone.

The people I know who got it are young (under 30) and working from home...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve been told Howard Hospital is doing walk in vaccinations, anyone on the street. Does anyone have any info on that?

I'd heard they're doing it for otherwise eligible people (i.e. over 65s) Not just anyone.

The people I know who got it are young (under 30) and working from home...

I know someone who got it in DC and doesn't even live in DC. They are a healthy 50-something working from home. They are also a substantial donor to the place where they got the vaccine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 70-year old relative got vaccinated this way -- they called her up without her even registering on a vaccine list. She's a patient at the hospital's cancer center.

I am happy for your family. I dont begrudge anyone who is called , taking the appointment. Also, as mentioned above I dont begrudge special allotments for nursing homes and critically ill. However, there is going to be a group called up soon of the medically high risk, and then just people in other different categories. Will the ones who happen to be registered with the hospitals be the "lucky winners" who skip the crap DC web + telephone portals?

DC Government should make sure the hospitals vaccinate as many people as possible daily since they have a good set up for it, but there should be ONE clearinghouse - the DC GOV portal and phone line. They can set that up to prioritize whomever they wish, they can even connect patients like your relative to the preferred facility if they want to finesse it to keep patients with established providers as a sub group, but they need to be the center of distribution efforts. That is the only way to be transparent. And this precious vaccine demands transparency.

Why should there only be one clearinghouse? Shots are shots. It's never going to meet everyone's idea of what is equitable or wise, at least while the supply is so limited. Homeless people aren't registering online or calling for hours and hours, so there are some shots dedicated to those folks. The lady above was a CANCER patient. I'm happy that hospitals are reaching out to their patients if they have extra vaccines.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 70-year old relative got vaccinated this way -- they called her up without her even registering on a vaccine list. She's a patient at the hospital's cancer center.

I am happy for your family. I dont begrudge anyone who is called , taking the appointment. Also, as mentioned above I dont begrudge special allotments for nursing homes and critically ill. However, there is going to be a group called up soon of the medically high risk, and then just people in other different categories. Will the ones who happen to be registered with the hospitals be the "lucky winners" who skip the crap DC web + telephone portals?

DC Government should make sure the hospitals vaccinate as many people as possible daily since they have a good set up for it, but there should be ONE clearinghouse - the DC GOV portal and phone line. They can set that up to prioritize whomever they wish, they can even connect patients like your relative to the preferred facility if they want to finesse it to keep patients with established providers as a sub group, but they need to be the center of distribution efforts. That is the only way to be transparent. And this precious vaccine demands transparency.

Why should there only be one clearinghouse? Shots are shots. It's never going to meet everyone's idea of what is equitable or wise, at least while the supply is so limited. Homeless people aren't registering online or calling for hours and hours, so there are some shots dedicated to those folks. The lady above was a CANCER patient. I'm happy that hospitals are reaching out to their patients if they have extra vaccines.

Because of PPs point in post directly above. "Healthy donor". Not EVERYONE getting them now is a CANCER patient, and if DC wanted CANCER patients (who I am incredobly sympathetic to) or homeless at the verymost front of the line, they could eaaily set that up based on their planning rationale. Right now they have created two confusing pools, people who are lucky to be on hospital lists and people who have to roll the dice on the crap DC GOV website and phone line.