MDH Continues Work to Support LTC Vaccination

Posted on March 24, 2021 by Jonathan Lips

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) is continuing its efforts to support COVID-19 vaccination efforts in nursing homes, assisted living facilities and other congregate living facilities.

Knowing our settings will be completing third clinics over the next couple of weeks, MDH, in consultation with LeadingAge MN and other provider associations and existing long-term care (LTC) vaccine providers, has launched an interim process for staff and residents to access vaccine administration until more vaccine is made more widely available.

Earlier this week, MDH distributed a description of Vaccine Provider Models for Continuing COVID-19 Vaccination Efforts in Minnesota Long-Term Care Facilities to a variety of LTC COVID-19 vaccinators and asked them to reply by Wednesday, March 24, to indicate interest and plans for vaccination programming in LTC settings. 

This document outlines five models aimed to deliver vaccines to LTC residents and staff. Each model has a set of core programming functions outlining roles and responsibilities for the primary vaccine provider (e.g., pharmacies, health system affiliated hospitals/clinics, or LTC settings) and the supporting partner (e.g., LTC setting). A LTC setting may be a primary or supporting partner, depending on the model. As the work progresses, we expect MDH to publish a list of organizations partnering as a LTC COVID-19 vaccinator through this initiative.

Notably, one of the available models would allow a long-term care organization to become a primary vaccine provider, but there are several conditions and requirements:

• As a primary vaccine provider, the LTC organization would have to formally enroll as a vaccinator with the State and would be responsible for all core functions – inventory management, logistics planning, vaccine storage and transport, vaccine administration and vaccine reporting to the Minnesota Immunization Information Connection.
• Organizations wishing to explore this option should have a minimum of 75 new resident admits annually across primary and affiliate sites, have access to affiliated sites and be prepared to serve as a vaccine provider for other LTC residents/staff in their communities.
• To ensure that vaccine doses are fully utilized, MDH will also consider the total number of doses a participating organization could administer in a given month.

We expect that MDH will only enroll a limited number of long-term care provider organizations in this model. If your organization is interested in more information about becoming a COVID-19 vaccine provider, MDH asks that you complete this pre-registration form through REDCap. MDH will review these inquiries to determine possible participation.

These five models are not meant to be the only or exclusive sources of vaccines for our settings. Rather, the models are part of a larger initiative in accessing vaccinations for LTC staff and residents. It is important to leverage all available resources, including but not limited to the Minnesota Vaccine Connector, primary care providers, health systems, community mass vaccination events, and so on. Also, as MDH launches these models and allocates doses from the State’s supply of vaccine, the CDC is preparing to send additional doses from the federal supply to participants in the federal Retail Pharmacy Program. Visit the CDC's website to see which Minnesota organizations are participating in the federal program.

We will continue to follow the State’s work to support COVID-19 vaccinations and will provide more information to members as we receive it.