COVID-19 community vaccination centers serving select patient populations in Virginia and Tennessee

TO: Ballad Health All

FROM: Ballad Health Corporate Emergency Operations Center

DATE: Jan. 12, 2021

TITLE: COVID-19 community vaccination centers serving select patient populations in Virginia and Tennessee

ACTION: Read, cascade and share with eligible team members and BHMA patients

PDF: Click here to view this email in PDF format.

Over the last two weeks, the Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) and Virginia Department of Health (VDH) have begun providing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines to community members over the age of 75. While these efforts are led by regional health departments, Ballad Health is now assisting them by offering the vaccine in both states to any patient who is older than age 75 and established with one of our Tennessee- or Virginia-based Ballad Health Medical Associates providers. This can be a Ballad Health primary care office, specialty clinic or even an urgent care center.

Since Ballad Health transitioned to Epic, our universal medical record platform, in 2020, we can more easily correspond with this patient population through the Ballad Health App, MyChart and our in-house scheduling processes, while the health department supports more of the general public in this phase.

Information has been shared in national media platforms that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will recommend that states give COVID -19 vaccine to anyone 65 and older. At this time, we have not received official direction from TDH or VDH to vaccinate this group of individuals. If or when that directive is received, we will communicate appropriately.

Ballad Health has opened two additional community vaccination centers – one in Abingdon, Va., and one in Norton, Va. – where we will provide the vaccine to established patients of Ballad Health Medical Associates clinics in Virginia who are over the age of 75. The health department is offering the vaccine to all other citizens over the age of 75; those who do not have an established Ballad Health Medical Associates provider.

Ballad Health Medical Associates patients who might qualify must call their physician’s office directly to schedule an appointment to receive the vaccine at one of the five Ballad Health community vaccination centers. The BHMA provider can be with a Ballad Health primary care office, specialty clinic or even an urgent care center.

About the community vaccination centers (CVCs)

Located in Abingdon and Norton, Va., and Bristol, Johnson City and Kingsport, Tenn.
Patients must book appointments through their BHMA primary care, specialty or urgent care provider.
Appointments are required.
No walk-in patients are permitted.
Physician orders are not permitted.
Patients should only present at their scheduled time, there is no need to arrive early.
Caregivers for those 75 or older are not eligible for the vaccine unless they fall in line with one of the other qualified categories for vaccine.
Patients are asked to bring their ID and insurance card, if they have one.
The vaccine is available free of charge. Patients will not be billed for the service; however, Ballad Health will file it with their insurance company.
After community members receive their vaccine, they will be observed for at least 15 minutes to ensure there are no serious side effects.
Masks are required on site.
Guest must remain physically distanced by six feet or more.

All patients over the age of 75 who do not have an established BHMA provider may call their local health department to schedule an appointment, or they may visit one of the drive-thru locations located throughout the Appalachian Highlands. Please see an extensive list of health department offices for both Tennessee and Virginia listed at the bottom of this memo.

In addition to all Ballad Health team members, medical staff and volunteers, as well as community healthcare workers who are receiving the vaccine through our internal hospital PODs, there are several other patient groups who have been approved to receive the vaccine through the health department. Except for patients over the age of 75 with established BHMA providers, these groups are not permitted to receive the vaccine at the Ballad Health CVCs at this time.

Eligibility through the local departments of health

VIRGINIA: Some examples of the 1a and 1b eligible populations:
- People age 75+
- Healthcare personnel
- Residents and staff of long-term care facilities
- Frontline essential workers such as police, fire, hazmat
- Childcare/PreK-12 teachers and staff, grocery store and public transit workers
- People living in correctional facilities, homeless shelters and migrant labor camps
TENNESSEE: Some examples of 1a1 and 1a2 eligible populations:
- People age 75+
- Inpatient and other high exposure healthcare workers
- Residents and staff of long-term care facilities
- First responders
- Adults who cannot live independently
- Outpatient healthcare workers with direct patient exposure, including mortuary services

To learn more or to set up alerts for when certain populations are eligible, visit the VDH and TDH websites:

Additional updates regarding the team member vaccination process

Now that the hospital PODs are closed for first-dose administration, new team members and current team members who desire to receive the first dose of the vaccine should please stand by for additional information coming soon or visit the local health department in your state of residence to receive the vaccine. Please do not visit the hospital PODs or the community vaccination centers (CVCs) at this time.
For team members or community healthcare workers to receive their second dose, the CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card and the MyChart Immunization Summary are not required upon arrival to hospital PODs, however, it is encouraged.
You must return to the same POD where you received your first dose to receive your second dose. Second doses are shipping to Ballad Health based on the number of first doses administered per site.
The time period between first and second doses is as follows: 21 days after first dose for Pfizer, 28 days after first dose for Moderna.
Per CDC guidelines, persons should not receive the second dose earlier than recommended, however, second doses administered within a grace period of 4 days earlier than the recommended date for the second dose are still considered valid.
CDC guidelines change frequently, so please be aware that team members and community healthcare workers could be turned away for your second dose after screening clarifications based on your possible reactions to the first dose.

If you or a team member has additional vaccine-related questions, please contact 423-302-6999 or BalladHealthCorporateEOC@balladhealth.org.

Information for the second dose administration for Ballad Health team members and community healthcare workers only:

Facility POD locations

JCMC – 7^th floor auditoriums
BRMC – Lower level conference center
HVMC – B Building; take the B elevators to the 3^rd floor
JMH – Medical Office Building, 1^st Floor
NCH – Urgent Care beside the emergency department

POD hours of operation

Virginia Health Department Resources

Bland County Health Department

209 Jackson St.
Bland, VA
276-688-3642

Bristol City (Va.) Health Department

205 Piedmont Ave.
Bristol, VA
276-642-7335

Buchanan County Health Department

1051 Rosebud Rd.
Grundy, VA
276-935-4591

Carroll County Health Department

605-15 Pine St.
Hillsville, VA
276-730-3180

Dickenson County Health Department

334 Brush Creek Rd.
Clintwood, VA
276-926-4979

Galax City Health Department

502 S. Main St., Ste 100
Galax, VA
276-236-6127

Grayson County Health Department

186 W. Main St.
Independence, VA
276-773-2961

Lee County Health Department

134 Hill St.
Jonesville, VA
276-346-2011

Russell County Health Department

75 Rogers Ave.
Lebanon, VA
276-889-7621

Scott County Health Department

190 Beech St.
Gate City, VA
276-386-1312

Smyth County Health Department

201 Francis Marion Ln.
Marion, VA
276-781-7460

Tazewell County Health Department

253 Chamber Dr.
Tazewell, VA
276-988-5585

Washington County (Va.) Health Department

15068 Lee Hwy., Ste 100
Bristol, VA
276-676-5604

Wise County and City of Norton Health Department

134 Roberts St., SW
Wise, VA
276-328-8000

Wythe County Health Department

290 S. 6^th St., Ste 300
Wytheville, VA
276-228-5507

Tennessee Health Department Resources

Carter County Health Department

403 East “G” St.
Elizabethton, TN
423-543-2521

Cocke County Health Department

430 College St.
Newport, TN
423-623-8733

Greene County Health Department

810 West Church St.
Greeneville, TN
423-798-1749

Hancock County Health Department

178 Willow St.
Sneedville, TN
423-733-2228

Hawkins County Health Department – Rogersville Office

201 Park Blvd.
Rogersville, TN
423-272-7641

Hawkins County Health Department – Church Hill Office

247 Silver Lake Rd.
Church Hill, TN
423-357-5341

Johnson County Health Department

715 West Main St.
Mountain City, TN
423-727-9731

Sullivan County Health Department

154 Blountville Bypass
Blountville, TN
423-279-2855

Unicoi County Health Department

101 Okalona Dr.
Erwin, TN
423-743-9103

Washington County Health Department – Johnson City Health Center

219 Princeton Rd.
Johnson City, TN
423-975-2200