Volunteers ensure shot clinics' success

Since the Medical Reserve Corps was activated to help with the pandemic, its volunteers have donated more than 25,000 hours in North Idaho alone.

"Through the end of November, the dollar value of the hours that these people have donated is $1.176 million worth of volunteer labor," Nanette Swendig, MRC unit coordinator for the Panhandle Health District, said.

For health district staff, the volunteers are priceless, said Katherine Hoyer, PHD public information officer.

"We couldn’t do this without the MRC volunteers," she said. "They have truly been a wonderful and dedicated group throughout this pandemic for us and have helped in a wide variety of areas."

Nationally, the corps was formed in the aftermath of 9-11 when medical volunteers headed to the site to offer their help. However, first responders had no way to verify if those who showed up were the medical professionals they claimed to be, Swendig said. There are now almost 1,000 groups and 200,000 volunteers across the country, with the North Idaho group being the 73rd one to form.

The North Idaho unit was among the first in the country to open a call center to answer questions about the pandemic, about COVID, and about the shots. The 600 volunteers include everyone from medical personnel to clerical workers and in-between, Swendig said.

The objective is simple, she said, help out and ensure the shots get out to the region's residents.

"Idaho in general has kind of more of a vaccine hesitancy than we would like," said Swendig. "But we want to get it out there and make it available to the people who are willing to take the shot."

What many may not realize is that most of the people manning the shot clinics in the region are community-minded volunteers, giving up their time because they want their communities to be safe, Swendig said.

"Without them, we couldn't do this," she said. "The health district doesn't have the staff and there is a demand here for [the] vaccine. We're doing what we can to try and get this blasted thing behind us."

It has been heart-warming to see the region's volunteers pitch in and come together to put on the shot clinics. It has been fun to see the teams in the five northern counties form friendships and bond as the result, Swendig said.

Although those bonds did present a challenge when Swendig decided to put on a last-minute shot clinic in Sandpoint but none of her regulars were available.

"They've developed a group and they all went to St. Regis, camping for the weekend," the MRC coordinator said, chuckling. "I wanted to have a clinic and they weren't going to cancel their camping trip so that we could do a clinic. So I brought nurses from Coeur d'Alene up that day, to do what needed to be done. But yeah, it's priceless."

Swendig said being a part of the clinic is a "feel good" for her. Retired EMS, she joined the corps in 2017 as a unit coordinator, what was then a part-time job. While it's now much more than full-time due to the pandemic, she said being a part of something like MRC, like the shot clinic, is a delight.

"There's so much ugliness going on in the world right now that this gives me hope," she added. "You know, there are good people out there. Not everybody is looking for the people under the carpet."

What is encouraging is that the shot clinics are seeing a request for some first and second doses, Swendig said.

"[We're seeing] people who have put it off and put it off and didn't want it but they finally decided that maybe this is real, maybe this is not something that was made up for political reasons and they're doing a smart thing, they're protecting themselves," she said.

For Jayne Sturm, being a part of the shot clinics is a way to give back to the community — and to help ensure COVID vaccines are available to the community.

"Being retired, I had some time on my hands," said Sturm. "And I've enjoyed it — a lot. It's nice to have people appreciate the service that is offered here in Sandpoint, and we're able to get vaccinated."

Overall, the retired teacher said those coming to the clinic are thankful the vaccine is available and appreciate the staff who make them possible.

As a retired licensed practical nurse, Carole Thorell said it was natural to get involved with the corps. Before she retired, giving vaccines was part of her job and the clinics were "something she could do to help."

"It's a nice place to come, everybody's happy, everybody is thankful to get the vaccines," Thorell said. "We'd like to see more of the community in here are getting vaccines. The sooner everybody gets immune to this disease then the sooner life gets back to normal and so this is a nice safe way to become immune."

The goal is to improve immunity in the community — and to help out medical professionals at the region's hospital, stressed and stretched thin by the pandemic.

"We all just want to help out," she said. "We also want to help out the nurses and doctors in the hospital. That's something that we think about, because they're being overworked, and we're worried about losing 'em, losing doctors and nurses … so, yeah, we want to do our part to help out."

Another volunteer, Rotary member Donna Lorenz, started volunteering with the corps back in March, attracted by the spirit of giving at the center of its core. For the folks who walk into the clinic, the vaccine is an easy sell; for others, it's a tougher sell, she said.

"I would tell them that public health is different than personal health and that to take responsibility for your personal health is to be aware of public health," Lorenz said. "That there's over 200 million people that have received this shot successfully so that's enough research in and of itself, that it's safe and effective. And the people that are dying, unfortunately, are 99% unvaccinated."

The shot clinics are open to everyone over the age of 12. In the five northern counties, pediatric COVID-19 vaccines are only being done in the PHD offices to ensure patient privacy.

The clinics are fully staffed to ensure an easy, smooth process with minimal wait. While the Johnson & Johnson booster shot is not available, both the Pfizer and Moderna shots are.

Appointments for the region's shot clinics can be booked via the Panhandle Health District website, panhandlehealthdistrict.org/covid-19/vaccine. Those who need assistance can call the health district's COVID hotline, 1-877-415-5225.