The success of an organization is dependent on the success of its employees. GVH felt that a focus on the employees was paramount. With this in mind, they began a deliberate process to understand the potential rewards and obstacles that an impending employee vaccination program would bring.
The first step in this process involved trying to understand baseline employee acceptance of a promised COVID-19 vaccine. To do this, GVH surveyed their employees.
The survey was sent to all 451 employees of the health system. There were 236 responses in the pre-vaccination survey. Among respondents, 77.1% were female, 70.8% were age 25-54, and 79.2% were involved in direct patient care. In this cohort 56.4% of respondents reported that they would probably or definitely get vaccinated, 22.9% were undecided, and 20.8% were probably or definitely not getting vaccinated. There was no observed association with age or patient care responsibilities.
The above numbers from GVH demonstrated that the 56.4% of employees who intended to get vaccine trailed most other pre-vaccination employee surveys in the peer reviewed literature:
The rapid spread of COVID-19 in rural populations has further weakened the ability of rural health facilities to meet the needs of their communities.
Read MoreGunnison Valley Health began vaccinating employees on December 16, 2020. By May 18, 2021, 82% had received at least one dose of vaccine.
Read MoreIn response to their initial surveys, GVH recognized the need to actively support employee acceptance of vaccination. Educational sessions were held for staff. These sessions were facilitated by one of the organizations physicians and the director of infection prevention. Current research was discussed, and employees had the opportunity to ask questions.
Some organizations may want to target specific groups within their organizations. A blueprint for tailored outreach as presented by the Sprint to Accelerate Vaccination Equitably (SAVE) in Community program sponsored by the Harvard University Medical School Center for Primary Care is linked HERE.
Figure 1 shows a summary of the survey data on vaccine acceptance prior to the campaign rollout.
In response to their initial surveys, GVH recognized the need to actively support employee acceptance of vaccination. Educational sessions were held for staff.
The above numbers from GVH demonstrated that the 56.4% of employees who intended to get vaccine trailed most other pre-vaccination employee surveys in the peer reviewed literature.
In response to their initial surveys, GVH recognized the need to actively support employee acceptance of vaccination. Educational sessions were held for staff. These sessions were facilitated by one of the organizations physicians and the director of infection prevention. Current research was discussed, and employees had the opportunity to ask questions.
Some organizations may want to target specific groups within their organizations. A blueprint for tailored outreach as presented by the Sprint to Accelerate Vaccination Equitably (SAVE) in Community program sponsored by the Harvard University Medical School Center for Primary Care is linked https://info.primarycare.hms.harvard.edu/save..