Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

As Hospitals Roll Out COVID-19 Vaccines, Health Care Workers Describe Chaos And Anger

As Hospitals Roll Out COVID-19 Vaccines, Health Care Workers Describe Chaos And Anger

Problems included a glitch with a sign-up app and some staff jumping to the front of the line ahead of medical workers with more exposure to the coronavirus.
Health care workers across the country have started receiving COVID-19 vaccines, but doctors and nurses at some of the nation's top hospitals are raising the alarm, charging that vaccine distribution has been unfair and a chaotic "free-for-all."

At hospitals in Massachusetts, New York, Arizona, California and elsewhere, medical professionals say that those with the most exposure to COVID-19 patients are not always the first to get vaccinated. And others who have little or no contact with COVID-19 patients have received vaccinations.

"It definitely feels a little bit like a slap in the face," said Jennifer DeVincent, who has been a neonatal intensive care unit nurse in the prestigious Mass General Brigham hospital system for 16 years and attends deliveries with coronavirus-positive mothers.

At Mass General Brigham, the plan was for hospital staff to use an app to sign up for vaccinations. Everyone is sorted into different "waves" meant to prioritize those most at risk. However, the plan relies on the honor code, and internal emails obtained by NPR instruct employees to "self-police."

There were problems from the beginning. The app crashed when too many people tried to sign up at once. Then, when it was up and running again, all the appointments were snapped up within minutes. DeVincent was taking care of a patient the entire time appointments were available. Some night shift workers at Mass General Brigham woke up to learn they had slept through the announcement of the new system and the sign-up windows.

"It turned into somewhat of a free-for-all," DeVincent said. "Those that work the most have had the hardest time getting an appointment because you can't always log on at that exact moment."

DeVincent said her frustration turned to anger when she realized exactly who was getting the shots: Some of the first to be vaccinated were managers, coordinators and others who do not do hands-on patient care.

"It makes me feel awful that anyone feels anything less than fully valued," said Paul Biddinger, medical director for emergency preparedness at Mass General Brigham. He acknowledged the challenges and miscommunications, saying they should have managed expectations better given the limited number of doses available. However, he said, the honor code is necessary for an organization with a staff of more than 80,000.

"It's actually relatively complex to figure out who is working where," he said. "We have staff who move among our hospitals and work in different roles in different hospitals."

Biddinger has been going through the data and said it's relatively rare for people to jump the line and usually a misunderstanding. He said they're working on making the guidelines clearer and fixing issues in the app.

While vaccine rollout has gone smoothly at many hospitals, similar challenges have arisen at places such as New York-Presbyterian and Stanford Medicine.

In Arizona's Maricopa County, the county government is responsible for distribution. While the county tried to survey health care workers and prioritize them based on various risk factors, many have scrambled to find workarounds. Rumor proliferated about a link that was supposed to be private but let anyone get an appointment. Same with a phone number. One doctor, who requested anonymity for fear of retribution, called the Maricopa County rollout "a bit disorganized and ripe for exploitation."

In New York, a doctor affiliated with Northwell Health conducts 10 or more COVID-19 tests a day on patients but has not been able to get a vaccine appointment.

"It's really very upsetting," said the doctor, who also requested anonymity for fear her residency privileges would be taken away. "Throughout this whole pandemic, I've never felt so dejected as I do right now."

The doctor said Northwell – a network with 23 hospitals and 74,000 employees – has not been sharing much information. The main communication, the doctor said, is: " 'Wait your turn, and you'll get invited when you get invited.' "

While waiting, the doctor saw colleagues, such as radiologists, posting vaccine selfies on social media. "Many of these physicians are people who either work remotely or work in fields where they are not treating COVID patients every day," the doctor said. "There really seems to be no rhyme or reason to who is getting vaccinated."

But Mark Jarrett pushed back, insisting there's a detailed rollout plan. As the chief quality officer and deputy chief medical officer at Northwell, he said, "This is a monumental task that we've never had to do before."

He said they are taking into account not just who has the most exposure to COVID-19 patients, but a lot of other factors as well. For example, he said, a hospital may have only two interventional radiologists. Not wanting them both to fall sick, they may get moved up in the line. Or, since the vaccine can have side effects that might make someone miss work the next day, Northwell is making sure not to vaccinate a whole unit at one time. Its system is also taking into account how bad the outbreak is in a hospital's particular area.

Jarrett acknowledged the system hasn't been perfect. And, he said, they are trying to adjust as they learn about the issues. But the doctor affiliated with Northwell said each day treating COVID-19 patients is stressful – and knowing there's a vaccine available, but not being able to access it, just adds to the challenges facing front-line workers.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Trump Says Ukraine Can Fully Restore Borders with NATO Backing
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Germany Weighs Excluding France from Key European Fighter Jet Programme
Cyberattack Disrupts Check-in and Boarding Systems at Major European Airports
Björn Borg Breaks Silence: Memoir Reveals Addiction, Shame and Cancer Battle
When Extremism Hijacks Idealism: How the Baader-Meinhof Gang Emerged and Fell
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
Trump Orders $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visas and Launches ‘Gold Card’ Immigration Pathway
France’s Looming Budget Crisis and Political Fracture Raise Fears of Becoming Europe’s “Sick Man”
Three Russian MiG-31 Jets Breach Estonian Airspace in ‘Unprecedentedly Brazen’ NATO Incident
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
EU Proposes Phasing Out Russian Oil and Gas by End of 2027 to End Energy Dependence
×