You can’t go to any news outlet without seeing stories about the logistics nightmare hampering the coronavirus vaccine distribution.
State and local governments, as well as healthcare systems, are being tasked with a process unlike one they have ever faced before. Between changing timelines and phases, new vaccine approvals, and the massive demand from the public, this is nothing short of daunting.
Part of this challenge is that states and local governments lack the tools needed for success with this constantly evolving endeavor. Current legacy systems and point solution technologies were not built for a workflow this dynamic—so they are failing. We are seeing phases running behind, vials of vaccines going to waste, and communities growing more and more frustrated with their lack of access to vaccinations.
So who has figured out how to do this?
Tarrant County, Texas excels at vaccine distribution to vulnerable population
Tarrant County, the third largest county in Texas, has found a way to eliminate the friction in the process of vaccine deployment and get shots into arms at a rate higher than most in the country.
“Tarrant County Public Health was able to stand up a vaccine registration portal in a matter of days, which has processed over more than 500,000 requests for vaccination in a little less than two months,” said Angela Hagy, Deputy Director of Public Health, Tarrant County “At its peak the system was able to process more than 40,000 requests on a single day without issue. By utilizing a web–based platform, we have been able to engage community partners to assist us in the COVID-19 response while being able to maintain social distancing (sharing a system, without sharing an office).”
Texas has distributed more vaccines by volume than any other state except California, and of 254 counties in Texas, Tarrant County ranks among the top 10 by percentage of individuals who have received at least one dose of the vaccine.
The Tarrant County Quickbase app acts as a request portal for residents to register and check eligibility to receive an approved COVID vaccine. The app then takes residents through the process of scheduling a date, time, and vaccination site for the first dose. It is also used on-site to check in individuals and schedule booster shots either 21 or 28 days later, depending on which vaccine they’ve received.
The City of New Orleans races to the challenge
New Orleans is one of America’s most energetic cities, but the energy has turned from parade floats and beignets to fighting coronavirus. The city has even canceled their beloved Mardi Gras celebrations and is closing bars and other venues during peak celebration days.
As a part of this effort, the city is moving quickly to get as many citizens registered and vaccinated as possible.
“We are excited to say that 100% of the NOLA-311 public vaccination campaign is running on the Quickbase platform,” said Executive Director, Orleans Parish Communication District (New Orleans 911/311), Tyrell Morris. “With the applications we’ve built, the public is able to check their eligibility, register and schedule their appointments to get the first dose of the vaccine, then schedule their second dosage appointment. We’ve been able to get hundreds vaccinated in a matter of weeks following the app roll-out.”
New Orleans 911/311 are utilizing Quickbase to update their applications in real-time, including when new doses become available, managing both Pfizer and Moderna vaccines and the different dosage timelines, and updating the public on the city’s efforts. The user experience is simple and straightforward – New Orleans citizens can visit ready.nola.gov/getvaccine to check their status, and make an appointment if they’re eligible. Quickbase then automatically sends reminder notifications via text and phone call to limit the number of no-shows and increase the number of shots in arms each day.
The successes go beyond local governments. Healthcare systems are seeing the value of flexible and adaptable technology to roll out their vaccine distribution plans.
PeaceHealth, a not-for-profit health care system across Washington, Oregon and Alaska, is using Quickbase to schedule and monitor their vaccine distribution. CIO, Will Weider has shared in a Tweet: “The COVID-19 Vaccination scheduling app we built with Quickbase is amazing. Our low-code platform strategy solves lots of problems quickly and elegantly.”
The COVID-19 Vaccination scheduling app we built with @Quickbase is amazing. Our low-code platform strategy solves lots of problems quickly and elegantly.
— Will Weider (@CandidCIO) December 17, 2020
A proven solution for vaccine distribution management
Quickbase is committed to helping state and local governments immediately stand up vaccine roll out solutions that are tailored to their unique workflows and can be modified in real time as needs change.
We are offering:
- A dedicated implementation team to get you started rapidly
- Fundamental training to help you sustain success
- A set of templates, based on best practices of current customers, that serve as a headstart for your vaccine distribution management solution
- Fast customization and iteration to meet the unique needs of your community and keep up with changing regulations
For more information visit http://quickbase.com/coronavirus-vaccine-distribution.
