Hospitals around the Northwest are busy vaccinating their highest-risk employees.
The Providence Health System in Spokane began that work last Friday. Spokeswoman Beth Hegde says inoculations will continue all week at Sacred Heart.
In western Washington, the CHI Franciscan Health System says it has vaccinated about 2,500 staff members since the middle of last week.
Some of the state’s smallest health care providers are relying on larger partners to protect their high-risk workers. In central Washington, for example, Confluence Health in Wenatchee is working with Cascade Medical Center in Leavenworth.
“Confluence received the Pfizer vaccine and they have helped vaccinate 21 of our employees who are in the high-risk category. We feel really grateful for that," said Diane Blake, the CEO of Cascade Medical Center.