News
St. Luke’s has engaged in extensive planning and preparations to expand COVID-19 vaccination access to the general population in a smooth, orderly and safe fashion.
Following Pennsylvania Department of Health directives, St. Luke’s thus far has concentrated its vaccination efforts on Phase 1a priority groups, such as health care employees and first responders. As we prepare for the state to move into the next phase as announced today, St. Luke’s has developed a process to allow individuals to sign-up for notifications regarding the vaccine.
“We are proceeding in a thoughtful, orderly and safe way,” says Jeffrey Jahre, MD, St. Luke’s Senior VPMA regarding the Department of Health’s announcement today. “As per the state, we are opening scheduling to individuals age 65+ and those with medical conditions. To avoid lines and chaos, we are prioritizing individuals at the highest risk starting with individuals 75+ and rapidly working down the list as we have supplies. We anticipate that with increased supplies in manufacturing and the addition of other vaccines, like Johnson & Johnson’s, that there will be rapid increase in our ability to accommodate the entire population.”
As of today, anyone can pre-register for vaccination through the St. Luke’s MyChart portal at www.sluhn.org/vaccine. Those who do not have a MyChart account may create one.
After completing a brief questionnaire, MyChart users will be notified when it is their turn to schedule an appointment for the vaccine, which they will be able to do online.
If accessing MyChart via the St. Luke’s mobile app, users can find the COVID-19 Vaccine pre-registration under “Questionnaires -> Optional Questionnaires.”
Questions related to MyChart can found here or by calling 1-866-STLUKES (785-8537), option 5.
Alternatively, individuals who are currently eligible to receive the vaccine (health care providers, nursing home staff and first responders) may call, 1-866-STLUKES (785-8537), option 7.
St. Luke’s has made substantial investments to create new software, upgrade its Internet servers, expand its telephonic capacity and hire additional staff to accommodate what is expected to be unprecedented demand and ensure a smooth and orderly vaccination process.
“We are taking a thoughtful, steady and even approach to the COVID vaccination rollout,” says Chad Brisendine, vice president and chief information officer for St. Luke’s. “We recognized from the beginning that we not only had to medically treat those afflicted with COVID, but also we had to manage the intense fear and anxiety of the most serious public health crisis we’ve faced in a century. Now that vaccines are rolling out across the country, part of that management is to create a smooth and orderly system that does not overwhelm vaccination capacity. We want to ensure that when we schedule an appointment, we will absolutely have the vaccine to give.”
St. Luke’s receives a weekly allotment of vaccine from the commonwealth, which distributes to all health systems across Pennsylvania. The exact allotment is subject to change, making planning somewhat of a moving target.
“Our relationship with PA’s department of health is very collaborative and cooperative,” states Tracy Arnold, RN, BSN, director of vaccine management for St. Luke’s.
“We are in communication with them frequently and are following the guidelines and rules they set forth.”
Currently, vaccinations are taking place at 11 of St. Luke’s dozen hospital campuses, ensuring easy access throughout the greater Lehigh Valley area, surrounding counties and western New Jersey while minimizing traffic congestion and lines. These sites offer ample parking. The process includes on-site appointment scheduling for a booster, so people leave knowing when and where they’ll receive their second shot. (Supplies are reserved for this purpose.) Thus far, St. Luke’s has achieved a vaccination rate of 55 people per hour, or nearly one person a minute. Because the vaccinations are taking place in a hospital setting, patients can be monitored for adverse reactions and provided appropriate treatment if necessary.
“We have not seen any major adverse reactions,” Jahre states. “However, all of our sites have direct access to emergency medical care in case of a severe allergic reaction.”
Who Gets It When?
Who receives the vaccine and in what order is not up to any individual hospital or health care provider. Vaccine allotments are determined by each state’s Department of Health, and distribution is guided by the phased approach prescribed by the Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).
The PA DOH announced today that it is expanding Phase 1a to include a broader population. The current recommendation as outlined by federal and state officials is:
Initial phase: Health care personnel, first responders and long-term care facility residents.
Current phase: Individuals age 65 and older and individuals 16-64 with underlying medical conditions.
"Vaccines are an important tool in the prevention and spread of diseases like COVID-19,” Dr. Jahre states. “St. Luke’s medical leadership recommends the vaccine as an effective way to protect against COVID-19. However, we must remain vigilant and continue our infection prevention practices such as masking and social distancing."
Following the rollout of the currently outlined phases, recommendations will be made by the CDC/DOH for rollout to the remainder of our population. The above plan is subject to change, and updates can be found here. Additional information about future phases of vaccine distribution will be communicated as it becomes available. For updates from St. Luke’s, follow us on social or visit: www.sluhn.org/vaccine.
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Media Contact:
Sam Kennedy, Corporate Communications Director, 484-526-4134, samuel.kennedy@sluhn.org
About St. Luke’s
Founded in 1872, St. Luke’s University Health Network (SLUHN) is a fully integrated, regional, non-profit network of 14,000 employees providing services at 10 hospitals and over 300 outpatient sites. With annual net revenue of $1.9 billion, the Network’s service area includes 10 counties: Lehigh, Northampton, Berks, Bucks, Carbon, Montgomery, Monroe and Schuylkill counties in Pennsylvania and Warren and Hunterdon counties in New Jersey. Dedicated to advancing medical education, St. Luke’s is the preeminent teaching hospital in central-eastern Pennsylvania. In partnership with Temple University, St. Luke’s created the region’s first and only regional medical school campus. It also operates the nation’s longest continuously operating School of Nursing, established in 1884, and 28 fully accredited graduate medical educational programs with 226 residents and fellows. St. Luke’s is the only health care system in central-eastern Pennsylvania to earn Medicare’s five-star rating (the highest) for quality, efficiency and patient satisfaction. St. Luke’s has earned the 100 Top Major Teaching Hospital designation from IBM Watson Health (formerly Truven Health Analytics) repeatedly – six times total and four years in a row including 2018. It has also been cited by IBM Watson Health as a 50 Top Cardiovascular Program. Utilizing the EPIC electronic medical record (EMR) system for both inpatient and outpatient services, the Network is a multi-year recipient of the Most Wired award recognizing the breadth of the SLUHN’s information technology applications such as telehealth, online scheduling and online pricing information. St. Luke’s is also recognized as one of the state’s lowest cost providers.
