OSF contacting patients in vaccine signup
Star Courier
As the State of Illinois moved into Phase 1b of COVID-19 vaccine distribution, OSF HealthCare is preparing to offer vaccinations to some patients. The Henry and Stark County Health Department is managing the Henry and Stark county allocation of vaccines.
On Monday, online registration through the Health Department opened for those 65 years and older, Phase 1A, and 1B residents.
“In some areas across our Ministry, OSF HealthCare received a limited number of doses, which will be offered to those who are 65 years old and older, who are at the highest risk of contracting COVID-19 and developing complications,” said Sarah Overton, RN, MSN, chief nursing officer and vice president of clinical services for OSF Multispecialty Services. Patients who meet the age requirement with multiple chronic diseases such as congestive heart failure, chronic pulmonary disease and diabetes, to name a few, will be among the first contacted. “W
Tim Shelley / Peoria Public Radio
By the end of this week, the first few thousand residents of Peoria, Tazewell, and Woodford Counties in the 1B group will have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Local health departments are allocating their vaccine shipments to OSF HealthCare, UnityPoint Health, and Heartland Health Services for wider distribution to the 1B population.
That population is a large group, and the process will take quite a while, said Peoria City/County Health Department Administrator Monica Hendrickson. With the amount of allocation that we re getting, which is limited, if we as a Tri-County see anywhere between three and four thousand vaccines coming into our counties each week, it will take us over eight weeks to vaccinate that population, she said. So the short answer is, we need patience during this time.
PEORIA COVID-19 vaccinations began this week for folks in the 1B category, and a large number of area seniors has been lucky enough to get the call.
Last week, when area health officials announced a don’t-call-us-we’ll-call-you policy for vaccinations, it was disconcerting news for many residents. After all, how would health officials know who to get hold of and how to reach them?
But as the system was put into action this week, a number of people were happy to see that it is working.
“It was like a phone call out of the blue,” said 75-year-old Peoria resident Pat Goitein on Wednesday. “They called on Monday, and within 24 hours I was vaccinated.”