Penn State Health prepares for DOH-mandated expansion of vaccinations
Penn State Health is preparing to launch larger-scale COVID-19 vaccination sites and a new online and call center scheduling system to meet new mandates announced by the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) on Feb. 12.
Among the new requirements outlined by the DOH:
- All vaccine providers, including Penn State Health, must make their vaccine allocations available to all members of the public in the current phase (1A) — not only patients.
- All vaccine providers, including Penn State Health, must have both online and phone-based registration systems for direct-appointment scheduling beginning Friday, Feb. 19.
- All vaccination providers must administer 80% of first doses within seven days of receiving them or risk their ability to receive future doses.
- No vaccine providers are permitted to offer preferred scheduling for their patients. Everyone must use the online or call center scheduling system to schedule their vaccinations.
Penn State Health is moving forward with its plans to launch online and phone registration for four new, dedicated vaccination sites on Friday, Feb. 19.
- Berks County: EnerSys Technology Center, 2400 Bernville Road, Reading
- Centre County: Penn State Health Medical Group ― Colonnade, 32 Colonnade Way, State College
- Cumberland County: Penn State Health Holy Spirit Medical Center ― 431 N. 21st Street, Camp Hill (tent outside of Urgent Care)
- Dauphin County: Former Power Train Gym, 30 E. Granada Avenue, #200, Hershey
Hours of operation will vary at each site, based on vaccine availability. Instead of having its own dedicated site in Lancaster, Penn State Health is collaborating with other health systems on a large, joint vaccination site there, which is expected to open in March. Due to reporting requirements, appointments must be made online or by phone; walk-in appointments are not available at the sites.
Public demand for the COVID vaccine is extremely high and expected to remain so for several weeks and months ahead. As additional vaccine becomes available, members of the public can register online at vaccine-scheduler.pennstatehealth.org.
As a result of the new mandates, the health system expects an overwhelming influx of calls as soon as this week from patients and the public at large who want to schedule their vaccinations. Penn State Health is working to establish a larger call center to better accommodate the high volume of calls, but that could take two weeks to make operational.
Leadership has provided updated scripting to help provider offices and medical center staff address questions from patients and the general public. Additionally, the Employee FAQs about the COVID-19 vaccination have been updated.
Penn State Health will reach out to its patients, identified through electronic health records as meeting the Pennsylvania Department of Health criteria of Phase 1A, by email, text or phone and direct them to the online registration and scheduling system specifically developed by Penn State Health for the vaccination sites.
Note that providers cannot register their patients for the vaccination, nor have their names added to a list. Penn State Health asks staff to tell patients not to call their providers’ office or our hospital operators to schedule their vaccination appointments, so that phone lines can stay free for other acute care needs. The phone number and URL for direct-appointment scheduling will be shared on our vaccine website, pennstatehealth.org/coronavirus/vaccine, as well as in the Daily Brief later this week once plans have been confirmed.
To date, Penn State Health has vaccinated more than 15,700 employees, more than 1,500 community health care providers and more than 7,500 of its highest-risk patients within the Department of Health’s Phase 1A. The patients’ documentation of their vaccination can be seen in the Immunizations component of the medical record.
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