LRGH preparing to vaccinate vulnerable

LACONIA — LRGHealthcare is gearing up to give COVID vaccinations to a limited segment of the general population starting next week, but is still waiting to hear how much vaccine the state will be providing for the program.

The area’s largest health provider will be offering inoculation clinics for people age 64 and under who suffer from two or more chronic conditions and who are already being treated at one of LRGH’s practices for those ailments, Jamie LaRoche, director of provider network operations, said Tuesday.

According to the current plan, the clinics will be offered on Tuesdays at Franklin Regional Hospital, and on Wednesday and Thursdays at Lakes Region General Hospital.

The hope is that the state will be able to provide 200 doses of the vaccine for each day. But right now “we are just waiting to hear from the state just how many doses they will be sending us,” LaRoche said. She said the state has assured them it will send the same number of doses for every day a clinic is scheduled.

People in the limited age-64-and-under group will be able to register either by calling LRGH’s COVID hotline or via email. Both the phone line and email will be staffed starting Friday, the same day as online registration begins for residents age 65 and older.

LaRoche said LRGHealthcare was chosen to do the inoculations for the 64-and-under cohort because information about their conditions is already in LRGH’s medical records system, and so their eligibility to receive the vaccine can be confirmed efficiently and easily.

The chronic health conditions that are covered are cancer, chronic kidney disease, COPD, Down syndrome, heart condition, compromised immune system, obesity, pregnancy, sickle cell disease, and type 2 diabetes.

Residents who are 65 and older will be able to get their COVID shots at one of 13 inoculation sites around the state, including one at Lakes Region Community College. People in that group need only to provide proof of age to show they are eligible to receive the vaccine during Phase 1b of the coronavirus vaccination program, LaRoche said. Administration of the vaccine to that group is scheduled to begin next Tuesday.

New Hampshire is currently working to wrap up vaccinating those within phase 1a, which includes frontline health care workers, first responders, and residents and staff at long-term care facilities.

LaRoche said the state has had problems providing a consistent supply of vaccine needed to inoculate members of its direct care staff. On occasion the state was unable to send as many doses as the week before, which resulted in canceling a clinic altogether or having to postpone some people’s appointments.

About 1,000 employees have received their first dose of the COVID vaccine and about 150 have already gotten the second dose, LaRoche said.

The clinics for the 64-and-under group are being organized in coordination with the Partnership for Public Health. Once the clinics are up and running the shots will be administered by a mix of LRGH staff and other licensed providers who are volunteering to assist in the effort under the Partnership’s auspices.

LRGH’s COVID hotline number is 527-7069. The email address for registering is covidvaccine@lrgh.org. Both the phone line and email will be monitored and staffed Mondays through Fridays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Meanwhile, LaRoche is anxiously waiting to hear from the state what the vaccine allotment will be.

“We are ready to move into action as soon as we get word from the state,” she said. “I would really like to hear today (Tuesday) or tomorrow (Wednesday).”

Those who will be receiving their inoculations at LRGH will access the site through the Spring Street parking lot. Partnership volunteers will be on hand to escort patients to the room where the clinic is being held.

In Franklin, those getting their shot will enter through the hospital’s main entrance. There, too, volunteers will be on hand to guide patients where they need to go.

LRGH will be updating its website with the latest vaccine clinic information, said spokeswoman Cass Walker, vice president of administrative and supportive services.