(KWNO)- A change at the state level of the COVID-19 vaccine distribution method in Minnesota is causing headaches among greater Minnesota hospitals, including Winona Health.
President/CEO Rachelle Schultz told KWNO Monday she and other administrators of greater Minnesota hospitals shared their concerns about the new distribution methods during a call with MDH Commissioner Jan Malcolm Sunday. Shultz said as a result of the change, Winona Health will not get a vaccine shipment this week.
“You’re sort of on a list and you’re randomly selected. Not a single one of the organizations that were on this call yesterday was an organization that was selected for the vaccine so none of us will get a vaccine this week,” Shultz said.
Under the previous method, Shultz said the state would distribute the vaccine to six regional sites and the vaccine would be sent to local hospitals from the regional sites. She said MDH last week launched what she called a randomized selection to determine where doses go.
“It’s become incredibly confusing to know who’s going to get the vaccine? When will you get it and how will we get people taken care of?” said Schultz.
Schultz believes the state made the changes to get vaccine doses out faster and to test for mass vaccinations when the doses are available. She said greater Minnesota administrators asked for more stability around the number of vaccines they get.
Schultz says everyone on the call recognizes the challenge state officials face but said there was a lack of communication and input between the state and rural hospitals. Schultz and her fellow administrators called on the state to rely on their regional coalition for vaccine distribution.
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