Great Plains Quality Innovation Network launched a COVID-19 Staff Vaccination Ambassador Program to support COVID-19 vaccination efforts and recognize community-based organizations, healthcare providers and nursing homes with high staff vaccination rates throughout North Dakota and South Dakota. We want to recognize and applaud those organizations that have a current COVID-19 staff vaccination rate of 75% or greater. This is a major accomplishment and something to celebrate.
As of today, nearly 75 organizations have met this milestone and have been recognized as a COVID-19 Staff Vaccination Ambassador. Visit the COVID-19 Vaccination Ambassador page for a list of Ambassadors, a summary of how they accomplished this goal and the form to submit vaccination rates for your organization.
With the submission, organizations offer best practices for vaccination numbers; a few are highlighted below:
- It did not take much convincing! Our staff were pretty excited to get the vaccine. Vaccine clinics were offered during all shifts. Care packages were given with each vaccine, which included Tylenol, Powerade and chicken soup. Prior to the vaccine rollout, all employees were required to watch Paul Carson’s video on vaccine safety and efficacy.
- Our organization is participating in the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine trial. As a result, our staff believes in science behind the vaccine and we have a 96 percent vaccination rate.
- Persistence and education are key. We also had a mandatory PowerPoint presentation and education meeting discussing the science and facts on the vaccines. We included testimonials from staff who are suffering from long-hauler COVID symptoms as well as those who had family members impacted by severe COVID. We shared resident testimonials on reasons why they hope staff will get vaccinated and what they are looking forward to post vaccine. We actively worked with local pharmacies and the county to get people vaccinated when we don’t have doses on hand. If someone wants a vaccine, we will find them one.
To our COVID-19 Staff Vaccination Ambassadors, we applaud you! If you have not completed the Great Plains QIN Staff Vaccination Inquiry Form or have updated numbers, please submit – links are provided on the Vaccination Ambassadors page. We will continue to update this page as new information becomes available. **All information is self-reported.