A TALE OF TWO VACCINATION HUBS...

4,753 Views | 48 Replies | Last: 3 yr ago by chimpanzee
buffalo chip
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BIG GOVERNMENT:

-Arrive at 10 AM
-Park car and get in line
-Walk with others to vaccination point
-Receive the vaccination at 12:40 PM (2 hours and 40 minutes post arrival)
-No appointment for shot #2

PRIVATE COMPANY (HOSPITAL SYSTEM):

-Arrive at 9:20 AM
-Stay in car the entire time
-Drive to the vaccination point
-Receive the vaccination at 9:49 AM (29 minutes post arrival)
-Receive appointment card for shot #2 (same time, same place, 4 weeks later)

Personal experience; two 65+ family members getting Moderna vaccine on same day within about 10 miles of each other...
AgLiving06
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Minute Maid vs NRG?
Ted Lasso
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VA has been calling those vets in the eligible pool. Scheduled into 15 minute appointment. Took a family member there, received shot within 10 mins of arrival. Waited 15 minutes in an observation area, and was scheduled for the 2nd dose 21 days later. Received the vaccine card and a printout for next appt. easy.
pocketrockets06
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Hmm, almost as if government can be more efficient than big corporate in the right situation. Like maybe it's not the government per se that's the issue but whether or not the government has existing systems for creating appointments and running a mass vaccination campaign.
buffalo chip
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AgLiving06 said:

Minute Maid vs NRG?
Yes.
CinchAG97
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pocketrockets06 said:

Hmm, almost as if government can be more efficient than big corporate in the right situation. Like maybe it's not the government per se that's the issue but whether or not the government has existing systems for creating appointments and running a mass vaccination campaign.


THe gOveRnMent jUsT NeEdS MorE MonEY anD POwEr, ThEN ThEY'lL dO IT rIGHt!!!
DadHammer
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buffalo chip said:

AgLiving06 said:

Minute Maid vs NRG?
Yes.
Which place was the fastest? M maid or NRG?
Marauder Blue 6
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Minute Maid also ran out of vaccinations yesterday and they had to turn away people with verified appointments. Some people had been waiting 2+ hours before being turned away. Apparently at some point in the process they stopped checking for appointments and walk up traffic overwhelmed the system they had set up.
AgLiving06
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DadHammer said:

buffalo chip said:

AgLiving06 said:

Minute Maid vs NRG?
Yes.
Which place was the fastest? M maid or NRG?

NRG.

My dad got his first shot today at NRG. He had an 8:30 appointment.

Showed up around 7:45. They had the queue line set up to weave through with a couple ID/Paperwork checks along the way. Got his shot, waited the 15 minutes and was back on the road before 9. Has his second shot scheduled for the 14th.
TheMasterplan
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pocketrockets06 said:

Hmm, almost as if government can be more efficient than big corporate in the right situation. Like maybe it's not the government per se that's the issue but whether or not the government has existing systems for creating appointments and running a mass vaccination campaign.
Did the private companies have this beforehand or did the mobilise quickly to create one?

Thanks to big government - tons of vaccines are going in the trash.
buffalo chip
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DadHammer said:

buffalo chip said:

AgLiving06 said:

Minute Maid vs NRG?
Yes.
Which place was the fastest? M maid or NRG?
NRG as described by AgLiving06...

Thankfully, that is where my wife and I received our vaccinations. Absolutely, totally planned and coordinated; staffed with competent and welcoming professionals; protected by what looked like an army of HPD officers. No drama, no potential for line cutting or showing up without an appointment. They made what could have been a harrowing and anxious experience very calm and comforting.

My sister signed up for MM. She said it was an absolute zoo, with older people using walkers having to stand in line for hours. But not a problem for Mayor Sylvester Turner and his +/- 30 person entourage, who waltzed to the front of the line and received their vaccinations, all with smiles and waves to the plebes. I wonder if the Mayor and his staff actually signed up, or were they part of the supply problem?
buffalo chip
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buffalo chip said:

DadHammer said:

buffalo chip said:

AgLiving06 said:

Minute Maid vs NRG?
Yes.
Which place was the fastest? M maid or NRG?
NRG as described by AgLiving06...

Thankfully, that is where my wife and I received our vaccinations. Absolutely, totally planned and coordinated; staffed with competent and welcoming professionals; protected by what looked like an army of HPD officers. No drama, no potential for line cutting or showing up without an appointment. They made what could have been a harrowing and anxious experience very calm and comforting.

My sister signed up for MM. She said it was an absolute zoo, with older people using walkers having to stand in line for hours. But not a problem for Mayor Sylvester Turner and his +/- 30 person entourage, who waltzed to the front of the line and received their vaccinations, all with smiles and waves to the plebes. I wonder if the Mayor and his staff actually signed up, or were they part of the supply problem?
More from my sister at MM: "They never checked the appointment list against an ID. They were giving out wrist bands and paper work like it was candy!"
wbt5845
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FWIW - in Arlington, the gubmint got me in and out in 30 minutes, and 15 of those were waiting to see if I had any side effects.
BBQ4Me
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Israel is showing the efficiency of govt when you have centralized planning instead of the fed-state-local dynamics
pocketrockets06
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They had it beforehand. Just like the VA did. Because they give millions of vaccines every year (160 million flu shots/year).

As noted in this thread, both government and private vaccination hubs can be highly efficient. Both can also be inefficient.
czechy91
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Your assessment of BIG GOVERNMENT is not fair to the Harris County vaccine process. The City of Houston is a cluster fluck whereas Harris County was just as smooth as your PRIVATE COMPANY experience if not easier. My 85yo mother received her first Moderna shot last Wednesday at 1:40 pm in Spring, Tx. We drove up to a tent, there were NO cars in line, they scanned her barcode, checked her ID and then we were sent in line behind 1 other car. Within 10 minutes she received her shot and then we were directed where to wait in the car for 30 min (extra cautious due to her heart conditions). From the time we arrived to the time we left was less than 45 min. Also when they scanned her barcode we received a text automatically scheduling her next appointment for shot #2 in 4 weeks. The Harris Count process was streamlined and efficient. I am not sure how it could have been any better.
buffalo chip
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wbt5845 said:

FWIW - in Arlington, the gubmint got me in and out in 30 minutes, and 15 of those were waiting to see if I had any side effects.
That is good to hear. I hope that the inefficient learn from the efficient, and this crisis is managed better with experience.

This is all in the context of a massive response over a very short period of time to a pandemic. The fact that we are talking now about any vaccines being available is a medical miracle, greased by a government bureaucracy that has rarely responded so efficiently to a crisis.

buffalo chip
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czechy91 said:

Your assessment of BIG GOVERNMENT is not fair to the Harris County vaccine process. The City of Houston is a cluster fluck whereas Harris County was just as smooth as your PRIVATE COMPANY experience if not easier. My 85yo mother received her first Moderna shot last Wednesday at 1:40 pm in Spring, Tx. We drove up to a tent, there were NO cars in line, they scanned her barcode, checked her ID and then we were sent in line behind 1 other car. Within 10 minutes she received her shot and then we were directed where to wait in the car for 30 min (extra cautious due to her heart conditions). From the time we arrived to the time we left was less than 45 min. Also when they scanned her barcode we received a text automatically scheduling her next appointment for shot #2 in 4 weeks. The Harris Count process was streamlined and efficient. I am not sure how it could have been any better.
That is also good to hear, as was another poster's experience in Arlington. With experience, I hope all hubs, private and public, can do better and better. Maybe there should also be a culling of those who cannot deliver a professional experience. I have heard more and more about the City of Houston's effort, including the Mayor's comments, and I hope that somebody in the system has the ability to cull them as a provider.
ttuhscaggie
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That's it. Federalism is so 20th century. We're in the midst of a deadly global pandemic. We should have suspended our constitution and implemented a centralized government takeover a long time ago.
No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See full Medical Disclaimer.
wbt5845
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buffalo chip said:

wbt5845 said:

FWIW - in Arlington, the gubmint got me in and out in 30 minutes, and 15 of those were waiting to see if I had any side effects.
That is good to hear. I hope that the inefficient learn from the efficient, and this crisis is managed better with experience.

This is all in the context of a massive response over a very short period of time to a pandemic. The fact that we are talking now about any vaccines being available is a medical miracle, greased by a government bureaucracy that has rarely responded so efficiently to a crisis.
In Arlington, one deputy fire chief was put in charge and told "make it efficient". Within a week:

  • Check in was done via scanning your drivers license when you pull in the parking lot. There they gave you a card with your own QR code.
  • You walk in front of a wall mounted device to take your temperature
  • You scan the QR code with your phone to fill out the paperwork on your smartphone - otherwise, you wait for a human.
  • If you do it on the smart phone, you get a bar code in your e-mail and skip the medical line and go straight to the injection line.
  • Each injection table had two guys - one scanning your bar code and double checking medical details while the next guy is administering injections.
  • You then move up to the injection end of the table while next patient is coming up.

It was really pretty incredible how fast they had it operating.
traxter
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So this is what I would call confirmation bias. You see examples that fit what you believe (that government is inefficient) and you use those examples to confirm your beliefs. I'm not saying government is the model of efficiency, but I'd be willing to bet that if you looked at all vaccine sites around the country you'll see mix of efficiency and inefficiency among private sector sites as well as public sector sites.

Some of it will come down to leadership and some will come down to established infrastructure/personnel. Most hospitals (public or private) at least have the infrastructure/personnel, and often have the leadership to go with it. Government is obviously hit or miss on leadership. And often times well funded public health departments get their budget cut when nothing bad is going on.


From what I've seen, the government run site a couple friends/coworkers went to the other day had them run through the line in less than 10 minutes (including the time it took for them to fill out the screening form and get screened). Then they had to wait around 15 minutes after. I plan on going to the same place once they open up to my age group.
buffalo chip
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I am so glad that you explained it to me. Elated indeed. You can expand and interpret what I posted to meet your own biases. Enjoy...
culdeus
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It's a little concerning that a lot of these sites and municipal govts. knew this was coming, and waited to the last second or afterwards to get a viable system up and running.

I feel like ultimately the mass hub system will work better. The limiting situation seems to be whether you need to screen by something other than age. Once it just becomes 65+ this will get easier as those concerns will be gone.

mts6175
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culdeus said:

It's a little concerning that a lot of these sites and municipal govts. knew this was coming, and waited to the last second or afterwards to get a viable system up and running.

I feel like ultimately the mass hub system will work better. The limiting situation seems to be whether you need to screen by something other than age. Once it just becomes 65+ this will get easier as those concerns will be gone.


Not saying concern isn't valid, but reality they are having to learn on the fly. It's been that way through this whole thing. When's the last time we had a global pandemic like this, and even then, technology has changed processes so much that the process they went through back then is isn't relevant.
AgLiving06
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Saw on the news that the NRG site did roughly 14,500 shots from Thursday through today. That exceeded their high end estimate of 13,000. Not a bad weekend for them.
TopFlightReject
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How did your 65+ family members get these appointments? Just curious. I've got both parents, 65+, high risk, that I've been trying to help get them an appointment anywhere I can. I've been checking the hub website for available appts everyday with no luck.
TXTransplant
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Coworker got an appt this past weekend through Harris Co Public Health. He went to the Planet Ford site and said it was quick and well-organized. They didn't check ID, but they scanned a bar code on his phone that he was sent after he scheduled the appt. He didn't even get out of his car.

He was also given an appt to go back for the second shot.
3rd Generation Ag
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I second what was said about Tarrant County and Arlington Fire.

I want to add that by the 7th, the line was inside, out of the weather, it moved so fast I could not even check into my school sessions because it was moving so quickly, it went past rest rooms which old people NEED, and even needing the people line since my old android would scan the qr code but not move on to the next step (they said they had this issue with old androids, it works for the qr codes everywhere else) the people line was really quick and very nice. After that is was barely getting seated in the wait for injection section before called for shot, with appt card, and then to the wait 15 minutes. I waited 30 in an abundance of caution because I would hate to be driving and have a reaction, and then it was over.

I was beyond impressed with Arlington fire and their arlinton police assistants. I loved the care they were giving to those obviously so elderly they needed family assistance.

They are doing these in huge numbers every day they can get vaccine.
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wbt5845
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One thing you alluded to - people walking up and down the line to answer questions. This was invaluable as I didn't realize that once I had the bar code, I could skip right up to the injection line - until one of the "line roamers" told me.

When I took my parents to Fair Park, it was the Mad Max of vaccination sites. One person told us what to do and the next person told us 180 degrees away from what the previous person had said. No rest rooms - parents had to stand in line OUTSIDE in the cold for over and hour (both in their 90s). Only paper forms to fill out - one person asking for insurance cards, the guy right next to him saying you didn't need them. Hopefully they've gotten it streamlined.
94chem
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ttuhscaggie said:

That's it. Federalism is so 20th century. We're in the midst of a deadly global pandemic. We should have suspended our constitution and implemented a centralized government takeover a long time ago.
Oh, please. At some point don't they make doctors take a course on public health?
94chem,
That, sir, was the greatest post in the history of TexAgs. I salute you. -- Dough
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AustinAg2K
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A major difference I've noticed is how much screening places do. The areas that are doing really tight screening are having a lot more problems with long wait times. Places that are doing minimal screening don't really have a problem. I think places need to stop worrying so much about people cutting the line and trust that most people will be honest. Sure, some will lie and get through, but for the most part, I think we'll be able to roll through people much faster with less waste. Besides, someone getting their vaccine early isn't the worst thing. They will be getting it eventually anyways.
3rd Generation Ag
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Yes, Austin Ag....Arlington is not taking time for insurance filing or screening. Both things really could slow down lines. They do require an appointment you get by getting in virtual line. The appointment process asks screening questions.

buffalo chip
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TopFlightReject said:

How did your 65+ family members get these appointments? Just curious. I've got both parents, 65+, high risk, that I've been trying to help get them an appointment anywhere I can. I've been checking the hub website for available appts everyday with no luck.
I did the same as you for about one week with no success. Then my sister found out about a vaccination program through a push notification from KHOU (an app for a Houston broadcast channel). I downloaded the app about noon on Friday and listened to umpteen push notifications that were about other news items before, at 7 PM, there was a notice of a pending vaccination program with 2000+ slots. I jumped on line and was able to snag two spots for myself and Mrs. Chip for a Saturday AM vaccination. Pretty slick...

I also heard the same from somebody that used another local news app (KPRC). So, go download any local news apps for your area and set them to allow push notifications. Good luck!
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