By Rich Larson, News Director
After vaccinating more than 400 people age 80 or older on Saturday, Northfield Hospital & Clinics said they will now begin contacting patients 75 and
older to be vaccinated against Covid-19.
In a statement released yesterday, NH&C said they will begin to vaccinate patients 75 and older, plus healthcare workers, today. Additionally, NH&C said they will vaccinate teachers and school staff on Wednesday, in partnership with Rice County Public Health and the local school districts.
The statement also said that a waitlist for anyone 65 years and older has been established on the NH&C website. To visit that page, click here.
Aside from the lower age requirement, the program protocols remain the same. Patients will be contacted via phone call or text message, with a phone number to call to make a vaccination appointment. Allina Clinic patients 75 and older will also be contacted according to Allina criteria, via phone call or email. Please do not call the clinic to make an appointment. Northfield Clinics Director asked last week that people have just a little more patience and trust that the clinics will get to everybody.
Draheim wants dentists to give vaccinations
So, as vaccination efforts continue to grow in Minnesota, there is more concern about the need for front line workers to distribute the vaccine. The Governor has said 80% of all Minnesotans – 3 million people -will need to be vaccinated for the effort to be effective. President Biden has stated many times that he expects 100 million Americans to be vaccinated in his first 100 days in office, and as we have just heard, local health systems are now reaching out to the oldest members of the population to be vaccinated. So as these programs expand and more vaccine comes available, it is unknown if there will be enough people to administer the shots.
State Senator Rich Draheim has chief-authored a bill that would allow dentists to join the ranks of those who can help. He said that dentists are highly trained and administer injections everyday as a part of their work. Indeed, he pointed out, that Minnesota is one of the few states in the country that allows dentists to give patients a flu shot. In the fight against the Coronavirus, dentists, he said, are an untapped resource.
“Especially in rural Minnesota, where you don’t have a lot of medical staff. And they’re being overworked, so what we’re asking them to do is go work your full-time job and then come help with vaccines. So, we need all hands on deck. So why not use the dentists? They want to help, and they want to be part of the solution.”
As the Senator said, the American Dental Association’s House of Delegates passed a resolution in October stating the dentists have “the requisite knowledge and skills to administer critical vaccines that prevent life- or health-threatening conditions.” And though they are not included in the bill, the American Opthamology Association has offered their services as well.
Draheim acknowledged that the first priority is to manufacture enough vaccine, but, he said, this is a solution to a problem that is on the horizon.
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with Senator Draheim can be heard here.
Grant applications available from Rice County Area United Way
And grant proposals are now being accepted by the Rice County Area United Way for local non-profit organizations providing service in the areas of
education, health or human services.
Proposals will be considered to support an organization’s general operations, or for specific programs, in the Rice County Area, which is defined as Faribault, Northfield, Dundas, Dennison, Lonsdale, Montgomery, Morristown, Nerstrand, Warsaw, Webster and Kilkenny.
Applicants should address a demonstrated need in the community, explain how the organization or program helps solve that need, and describe how it measures results. Rice County Area United Way will consider quantifiable outcomes, not simply activities, when reviewing applications.
Proposals must be received by March 15, 2021. Grant application information, forms and instructions are available at ricecountyunitedway.org/grants.
