Press release from Pardee UNC Heath Care:
Pardee UNC Health Care announced today that they have begun transitioning their mass community vaccination clinic model towards a more streamlined, direct-to-consumer model. Pardee will begin administering vaccines within their Urgent Care clinics and directly to employers this week, with all first doses transitioning immediately and second doses wrapping up at Blue Ridge Community College by May 6. To schedule a vaccination appointment for a first dose, eligible community members are encouraged to visit www.pardeehospital.org/vaccine.
“With the recent decrease in demand for vaccines, coupled with an increase in supply and community vaccination options, the time has come for Pardee to shift our approach in order to better respond to the changing trends around vaccinations, while meeting consumer expectations of convenience and accessibility,” said David Ellis, MD, chief medical officer, Pardee UNC Health Care. Pardee has operated a community vaccination clinic on the campus of Blue Ridge Community College since January 2021. “This vaccine clinic is a testament to innovation and collaboration at work. Through the efforts of many partners, volunteers and health care professionals, Pardee has been able to manage the vaccination distribution for roughly 50% of the people currently vaccinated in Henderson County.”
The Pardee mass vaccine clinic model relied on reliability and predictability. Recent decreases in demand have made that challenging. “In addition to vaccine stewardship and Pardee’s goal of not wasting one single dose, we have had to factor in scheduling staff who may be pulled from other areas of the hospital in order to support the needs of any one day of the clinic, as well as hundreds of volunteers,” adds Ellis.
By transitioning to this direct-to-consumer model, Ellis acknowledges that there will be a lessening of the strain on not only Pardee’s staff, but their partners and hundreds of volunteers who stepped up to meet the need within the community. “We can’t thank our partners or volunteers enough,” said Ellis. “Blue Ridge Community College, in particular, really stepped up and allowed this clinic to happen. We could not have done it without them and I’m happy to be able to turn their conference hall back over to them after May 6 for use by their faculty, staff and students.”
All patients currently scheduled for a second dose at the Blue Ridge Community College location will still receive their dose there until May 6. No new first dose appointments will be scheduled at that location, effective immediately. Any questions or cancellations related to second dose appointments should be directed to 828-694-8222. All new appointments should be booked via the web address provided: www.pardeehospital.org/vaccine.
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