HAP Recognizes LVHN’s Vaccine Strategy as a Top COVID-19 Initiative in Pa.

Lehigh Valley Health Network's (LVHN) COVID-19 vaccine strategy ranked among the top 10 initiatives in the 2022 COVID Response Innovation Awards selected by Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania (HAP). To be recognized, LVHN needed to demonstrate a commitment to keeping its patients safe, while taking meaningful steps to improve existing care or create new ways of solving problems posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"In addition to our tireless efforts to provide exceptional care for patients suffering from COVID infections, LVHN was passionate about furthering our mission to heal, comfort and care by informing and protecting the community we serve,” says  Timothy Friel, MD, Chair, Department of Medicine. “Our expansive vaccination initiative and multifaceted educational campaigns were hallmarks of our efforts. I am proud that our efforts actively engaged and inspired our colleagues, saved lives and reduced fear and misinformation throughout the region and beyond."

LVHN’s plan was complex and involved a number of tactics, including:

Drive-through COVID-19 vaccination sites

LVHN hosted 19 drive-through clinics at four different locations. By doing this, it was able to administer 57,000 doses of vaccine to its community.

Big box vaccine clinics

LVHN opened two clinics in large spaces that were once home to big box retail stores. This allowed LVHN to provide its community with 36,000 vaccine doses a week at its peak.

Mobile vaccine units

Mobile vaccine units helped LVHN reach large concentrations of people who were unable to get to hospitals or vaccine clinics.

Technology

Leading-edge technology helped LVHN measure vaccine inventory, track how many vaccines were administered and schedule vaccine appointments through the MyLVHN app.

Communications

LVHN stayed in constant contact with its community and colleagues about the COVID-19 vaccine by regularly posting on LVHN Insider (LVHN's internal communications center) and across its social media accounts and maintaining a strong web presence. LVHN did this to offer insights about the vaccines’ efficacy and safety while debunking misinformation. LVHN’s leaders were front and center in the media, making appearances on TV and radio and contributing op-eds to newspapers. They encouraged their community to get vaccinated and helped dispel vaccine misinformation.

HAP received nearly 80 entries for the award. The blinded applications were evaluated by a group of independent judges from Pennsylvania and across the nation.

“Pennsylvania hospitals have not only protected the health of their communities during this pandemic but have also been leaders in finding innovative solutions to the unprecedented challenges caused by COVID-19,” says Andy Carter, President and CEO, HAP. “These awards recognize the exceptional health care teams that developed creative strategies to meet their communities’ needs and address issues such as vaccine access, racial disparities in vaccination and medical supply chain disruptions.

Hospitals and health systems whose COVID-19 projects were recognized by HAP will be honored during HAP’s Leadership Summit in May.