CLC Communities Registered for COVID Vaccine

In the News  |  December 3, 2020

All 23 CLC-Cappella Communities Prepared to Receive COVID-19 Vaccine

Priority distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine to seniors and healthcare workers who are at the most risk of contracting the virus is welcome news. CLC-Cappella is ready to receive the vaccine to protect residents and associates in all 23 of our communities as soon as it is available. We remain in constant communication with state health departments, the CDC, and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) as details of the distribution process continue to develop.

We want to share with you what we know now about the vaccine, how it will be distributed, what we are doing to keep associates, residents, and families informed about the process, and our continued commitment to testing, virus mitigation, and the overall quality of life for residents.

Vaccine Benefits

COVID-19 is a serious, life-threatening virus that has impacted the entire world. Protecting the most vulnerable Americans has been the top priority and vaccines have been developed at unprecedented speeds. The U.S. vaccine safety system has procedures in place to ensure the vaccine is as safe as possible. Clinical trials must show a vaccine is safe and effective before it can be approved for use. Nearly all of the nation’s long term care providers have signed on to participate in the government’s delivery program.

The FDA will meet in mid-December to discuss both the Pfizer and Moderna 2-dose vaccines which have reported to be 95% effective. Once approval is given, the federal government will distribute the vaccine to the states for inoculations. Each state has its own specific timeline and process for distribution and administration. We anticipate all of the states we support will follow the CDC tier guidelines for distribution but that has not been confirmed.

Having early access to the vaccine to protect residents and associates is the first step in being able to lift restrictions. Combined with current safety measures such as face masks, physical distancing, and testing the vaccine will significantly reduce the spread of the disease and chances of exposure to the virus.

Pharmacy Partnership for Distribution

All CLC-Cappella communities are registered with the Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care Program. We will work with our assigned pharmacy, Walgreens, CVS, or both, who will store, distribute, administered the vaccine which is free of charge to residents and team members. The pharmacy will also:

• Order vaccines and associated supplies (e.g., syringes, needles, personal protective equipment).
• Ensure cold chain management for the vaccine.
• Report all required vaccination data to the local, state, and federal jurisdictions within 72 hours of administering each dose.
• Adhere to all applicable Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) COVID-19 testing requirements.

We anticipate the pharmacy will set up clinic dates and times for resident vaccinations and the pharmacy teams, working closely with our clinical teams, and will come to our communities to administer the vaccines to residents. Three visits over approximately two months will likely be needed to administer both doses and vaccinate new residents.

Some of the details of how and when and who will get the vaccine first are still being worked out. At the moment, we believe team members will be included and that the first tier to receive the vaccine will be residents of skilled nursing and assisted living communities. We are waiting to hear if residential (independent) living residents and team members will also be included in the first-tier distribution.

Pat McBride, RN, BSN, MSN – CLC and Cappella VP of Clinical and Compliance

Keeping Team Members, Residents and Families Informed

We know many residents, team members and families have questions about the vaccine benefits and side effects, what options, if any, will be offered to residents or team members who decline the vaccine, etc. We will share more information as soon as it is available. We will continue to share resources from the CDC that answer questions specifically around vaccine development, safety, and why getting the vaccine is beneficial. Read more about the safety of the vaccine here and answers to questions about the vaccine administration in our communities here. Learn more about the benefits of the vaccine from the CDC here.

8 Things to Know about Vaccine Planning

In addition, we anticipate we will hold Family Town Hall Webinars as more information becomes available and throughout the process, giving team members, residents, and families an opportunity to ask questions and feel comfortable with the process. We are also providing hand-out materials to communities as they become available.

Continued Diligence

We are excited to add the vaccine to our arsenal of tools that will help eradicate the virus from our communities, and eventually, assist in a return to normalcy. We also understand that many are experiencing “COVID combat fatigue,” growing weary from restrictions and isolation. While the vaccine will help control the virus, it will not completely eradicate it for quite some time, so we must continue to take precautions to stay healthy and protect ourselves and each other from this virus. We will continue with our robust infection control and testing program, and we ask for your continued diligence and patience as we all do our part to stop the spread of the virus.

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