Small and independent medical providers in northeast Minnesota get one chance each week to appeal for their share of next week's COVID-19 vaccine supply — an online meeting titled "rants, raves, recommendations."
Alternating between competition and cooperation, the providers decide who is in the best position to get vaccine to Minnesota's priority groups, including health care workers and senior citizens. The plan is finished Wednesday and vaccine orders go out Thursday for delivery the next week.
"Those Tuesday meetings serve as a back alley to discuss who got vaccine the week before, which communities are served by which streams of vaccine ... and how we together can ensure that each community is served the following week," said Adam Shadiow, a leader of Minnesota's Northeast Healthcare Preparedness Coalition, which spans from Aitkin to Grand Portage.
Minnesota's little-known network of eight health care regions has become a key cog in vaccine distribution — filling in geographic or population gaps that are otherwise missed by the state's strategy.
Providers in regional meetings make their weekly pitches, knowing that they have a buildup of anxious patients awaiting vaccination against a COVID-19 pandemic that has caused 6,378 deaths and 474,169 known infections in the state.
That includes two deaths and 611 infections newly reported on Monday.
"Right now, we are not talking about large amounts of vaccine coming into our region," said Shawn Stoen, whose eight-county West Central region has a population of 200,000 but distributed 600 doses this week.
Minnesota expected 87,925 more first doses this week — with 19,400 going to local public health agencies for vaccination of teachers and seniors, and 9,700 going to state-run vaccine sites in Minneapolis, Duluth and Rochester. Among 39,625 doses designated for health care providers, most went directly to the state's 10 largest hospital systems. About 10,000 doses went to the coalitions to distribute to smaller hospitals, pharmacies and other providers.