Medicine Wheel Village, located on the Cheyenne River reservation, in Eagle Butte, SD, has achieved impressive success in ensuring staff and residents are up-to-date with COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters; currently at 100 percent.
Medicine Wheel Village administration team implemented a plan to actively encourage and support staff to get their COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters. They included staff in onsite vaccination clinics, ensuring easy access. In addition, they offered a $500 bonus to all staff who completed a series of two COVID-19 vaccinations plus a booster. This encouraged and increased compliance and created positive momentum for vaccinations and boosters facility-wide.
Walgreen’s Pharmacy held three onsite COVID-19 vaccination and booster clinics to reach both staff and residents. Tribal Health subsequently provided a follow up onsite vaccination clinic to give boosters to eligible staff and residents.
Through strategies which support vaccination and booster clinics, and engagement in a robust education and peer support network, Medicine Wheel Village demonstrated a 29 percent increase in resident booster rates reported in the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) database in a six-month period; February through June 2022.
Medicine Wheel Village actively participates in the weekly BOOST sessions offered by Great Plains QIN and also frequently answers questions and offers advice to peers through the GPQIN nursing home listserv.
“Months after initiating their COVID-19 resident vaccination and booster efforts, Medicine Wheel Village’s rate remains at 100 percent. Deb Arbogast and her team have worked tirelessly to educate on COVID vaccination and help residents and staff understand all of the various changes in guidance. Their commitment and perseverance has been vital to the health and safety of Medicine Wheel Village Nursing Home residents and staff. We thank her and her team for being invaluable partners, added Tammy Wagner, RN, CADDCT, CDP, LSSGB: Great Plains Quality Improvement Advisor (pictured).
“I am very proud of our team at Medicine Wheel Village who had just opened as a nursing home one year before the COVID-19 pandemic. Our team works very hard and we strive to offer continuous education for all of our employees. I truly believe this has led to our success at Medicine Wheel Village in all aspects of care,” Deb Arbogast, Medicine Wheel Village Administrator.