Michael Mallory, Chicago District Chair
Hello Chicago District,
I hope all of you managed well during this weird holiday season and were able to find some respite during the small break with the holidays. I am sure that I can speak for some of us that with the recent release of the COVID-19 vaccination and the new year having arrived that there was some relief in sight… Yet, the events of the last 24 hours shook us.
It has been generations since we have seen an event like what took place yesterday in our nation’s capital. Thank you to our leaders for having continued their work of democracy despite the insurrection that occurred. Seeing the photos of the chaos in the chamber when the insurrectionists attempted to gain access sent chills through my body as I began to catastrophize of what this is the beginning of. Nonetheless, this horrible event has left many of us feeling despondent or uncertain about what is to come as we near the transition of power on Inauguration Day. That said, make sure to allow space for yourself to process how this could have impacted you and or your clients. Thinking of a trauma-informed way, I begin to worry about those who are refugees who fled their homes due to political insurrections like this. That said, it is important to check in with not only yourself but with your clients about how the last 24 hours has impacted them. As always, our resilience will continue to carry us forward despite our worry of what is to come in the next two weeks and for the rest of 2021.
In other news, I want to share some resources about the COVID-19 vaccination as I have seen a few threads in the MyNASW forum with members asking about how soon they can receive their vaccinations. Below, I have posted a response on the board from Rob Smith:
Vaccination is beginning now with frontline healthcare workers in Chicago hospitals and long-term care facilities and will begin to expand to higher-risk healthcare workers in other healthcare settings over the next month. We anticipate it will take a few months to be able to offer vaccine to all of Chicago's 400,000 healthcare workers.
Vaccination of staff from Chicago health care facilities that are not hospitals or long-term care facilities will take place at CDPH mass vaccination clinics, facility-based clinics and hospital -based clinics, beginning in early 2021.
To support CDPH's operational planning around where and how your staff will be vaccinated, each Chicago facility must complete the REDCap Facility Vaccination Planning Survey, at https://redcap.link/StaffVaccinationInquirySurvey by January 1, 2020. Each physical location should assign one administrator to complete the survey. Failure to complete this survey will result in delays in staff vaccination. Based on your responses to this survey, if it is determined that your facility should be enrolled as a COVID-19 vaccinator, you will also be directed to complete the CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Program Provider Agreement and Provider Profile, at https://www.chicagohan.org/covidvax.
Please let us know if we can provide additional assistance at this time.
COVID-19 Vaccine Management Unit
Immunization Program
Chicago Department of Public Health
2160 W. Ogden Ave. Chicago, IL 60612
Additionally, here is the link to the City of Chicago’s COVID-19 resource page which has further information about how the City’s strategy to release the vaccination. [City of Chicago: COVID 19]
Also, as a reminder, district chairs will be moving toward hosting more networking events. That said, in mid-March I will be hosting a virtual job fair. If any of you are hiring managers or in recruitment and are interested in representing your organization please reach out to me!
Humbly yours,
Michael