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Unger: Hello, this is the American Medical Association s COVID-19 update. Today, we re addressing how one state is successfully approaching vaccine allocation and distribution. I m joined today by Dr. Tracy Collins, the New Mexico s health secretary. Dr. Collins joined the governor s cabinet from the College of Population Health at the University of New Mexico, where she served as dean. She assumed her new role in mid-December and is responsible for New Mexico s COVID-19 vaccination program. She s calling in from Albuquerque. And Dr. David Scrace is the New Mexico Human Services Department cabinet secretary. Dr. Scrace has been the governor s right-hand person since the pandemic began. And he s calling in from Santa Fe, New Mexico. I m Todd Unger, AMA s chief experience officer in Chicago.
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Unger: Hello. This is the American Medical Association s COVID-19 update. Today, we re talking about the challenges we ve seen with vaccine distribution and administration at the state level. I m joined today by James Blumenstock, senior vice president for pandemic response and recovery at the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials or ASTHO, in Brielle, New Jersey, Rebecca Coyle, executive director, American Immunization Registry Association in Washington D.C. and Claire Hannan, executive director, Association of Immunization Managers in Rockville, Maryland. I m Todd Unger, AMA s chief experience officer in Chicago. Mr. Blumenstock, let s start with you. Welcome back to our program. When we last spoke in November, we talked about what you referred to as the last mile of the vaccine rollout or the administration piece. And we have been hearing that the roll out is going much more slowly than expected. In your view, why is this the case?
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Unger: Hello, this is the American Medical Association s COVID-19 update. Today, we re talking to two AMA leaders about the outlook for the pandemic and the AMA s priorities to support physicians and patients in 2021. I m joined today by Dr. Susan Bailey, AMA s president, and an allergist and immunologist in Fort Worth, Texas. And Dr. Gerald Harmon, AMA s president-elect, and a family medicine specialist in Pawleys Island, South Carolina. I m Todd Unger AMA s chief experience officer in Chicago.
Unger: As we begin 2021, there s some good news. COVID-19 vaccines are rolling out after an emergency use authorization, but the bad news is we continue to see COVID-19 cases spiking across the nation. Dr. Bailey, what is the AMA going to continue to do in 2021 to support physicians and patients?
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Unger: Hello, this is the American Medical Association s COVID-19 Update. Today we re talking about Get Covered 2021, a national initiative urging Americans to mask up and get insurance. I m joined today by Dr. Susan Bailey, AMA s president and an allergist and immunologist in Fort Worth, Texas, and Peter V. Lee, co-chair, Get Covered 2021 and Executive Director of Covered California in Sacramento. I m Todd Unger, AMA s chief experience officer in Chicago. Dr. Bailey, for starters, can you tell us a little bit about Get Covered 2021 and how the AMA is involved?
Dr. Bailey: Yes. Get Covered 2021 is a new national coalition that s aimed at helping uninsured Americans enroll in health service and to promote COVID-19 safe practices. It s a nonpartisan effort of the states involved, patient and community organizations, other medical societies, including the AMA. And during the COVID-19 pandemic, I can t think of a worst time to not have health insurance and physicians really