Beyond the Needle - A Physician's Guide to Increasing COVID-19 Vaccination Rates

View Details

Today, we delve into the changing landscape of COVID-19. Corinne Kohler, MD, FAAFP and Santina Wheat, MD, MPH, FAAFP provide valuable insights into this complex scenario.

COVID-19's shift from a designated public health emergency isn't an end. Rather, it’s a transition in the battle against the virus. We explore the impacts of this decision, the continued need for testing and vaccinations, and the vital role of vigilance against new variants. It's clear that even as the emergency status ends, the importance of sustained public health education and understanding the nuances of reported data remains paramount.

As we navigate the evolving landscape of COVID-19, we discuss the imminent introduction of monovalent vaccines in the fall. These vaccines will undoubtedly bring about new counseling challenges. Dr. Wheat and Dr. Kohler share their concerns and discuss programs to ensure the availability and continued coverage of vaccines for our patients. Furthermore, they address the potential impacts of changing regulations on cross-border healthcare for those practicing in states serving neighboring residents; as well as the need for increased flexibility and vigilance in response to these changes.

As clinicians, we need to pay attention to information that is continuing to evolve and speak with our organizations about how our processes are changing. At the same time, we must remain good advocates for our patients throughout these transitions.

Topics include:

Updates since public health emergency (PHE) ended
What has remained the same since the PHE ended
Changes in perception of COVID-19 and vaccines
Keeping up with new information about changes regarding COVID-19 vaccines

Objectives:

Review items that have changed or remained the same with the end of the public health emergency
Discuss the introduction of future COVID-19 vaccines and the changing landscape

Visit us at illinoisvaccinates.com/podcasts.

View Details

We are witnessing alarming levels of trust erosion and vaccine skepticism that have emerged in the post-COVID world. Join us as we take a deeper look into this critical issue with Christina Wells, MD, MPH, DipABLM, FAAFP and Marian Sassetti, MD, FAAFP.

These seasoned family doctors, with over five decades of combined experiences, address the concerning decline in vaccine confidence. They share their encounters with unexpected mistrust within their practices. They also bring to light the startling number of children missing out on critical vaccines, painting a picture of the current state of vaccine uptake worldwide.

Yet, all is not doom and gloom. As we progress through this enlightening conversation, we map out effective strategies for overcoming these challenges.

Topics include:

Practical methods to track and communicate vaccine schedules
The vital role of healthcare providers in advocating for vaccines
Innovative ways to improve vaccine delivery

Emphasizing the significance of accurately communicating the effectiveness of the COVID vaccine, we delve into the potential repercussions of decreased vaccine uptake.

We wrap up by tackling the pivotal task of fostering vaccine trust, sharing insights on how to effectively communicate vaccine information to patients and parents.

Join us on this deeply impactful journey as we navigate a path to promote vaccination access, trust, and ultimately, the health and well-being of our communities.

Objectives:

Awareness of alarming levels of trust erosion & vaccine skepticism post-COVID
Understanding where vaccine skepticism and mistrust stem from
Ways to navigate challenging conversations with patients who don’t trust vaccines
Explore strategies to rebuild trust and improve vaccine uptake in our patients

Visit us at illinoisvaccinates.com/podcasts.

View Details

Do you know the true impact of COVID-19 vaccinations in preventing severe illness, hospitalizations, and death? Join us for a vital conversation with our faculty experts. Together, we uncover the latest research on the vaccines' role in preventing complications from the virus and reveal exciting new findings on potential anti-inflammatory benefits and a reduced risk of long COVID for those who have been vaccinated.

As new data is published, we should be continually providing that information to our patients. We can keep those conversations going by sharing that data in meaningful ways for our patients. Amid the misinformation that circulates, we can be a trusted resource for patients for reliable information about vaccines and their importance.

We also explore the importance of vaccination for high-risk patients, the risk factors associated with COVID-19 complications and how chronic illnesses can increase the severity of symptoms. Learn how to effectively communicate the risk and the benefits of getting vaccinated. Boost your resolve to be a role model and advocate for COVID-19 vaccinations in our healthcare practices and communities.

Topics include:

Preventive benefits of COVID-19 vaccination
Factors that contribute to a higher likelihood of experiencing severe issues from COVID-19
Benefits of vaccines pre and post infection
Incorporating COVID-19 vaccines into regular immunization schedules
Research specific to pregnant women and children
- More evidence of safety and benefits of the vaccine
- Additional risks from contracting COVID-19 & other inflammatory or chronic conditions that might arise
Recently added populations who are at higher risk of developing complications from COVID-19

Objectives

Understand how to discuss the evidence for the continued recommendation of the COVID-19 vaccine
Recognize the additional impacts of COVID-19 on special populations
Identify the current higher risk groups for COVID-19 complications

Hosted by: Corinne Kohler, MD, FAAFP, Christina Wells, MD, MPH, FAAFP, and Santina Wheat, MD, MPH, FAAFP
Meet the Faculty

Your thoughts are very important to us! Please take 2 minutes to review this episode.

Review

Earn CME Credits for Each Episode!

Listen to our pre-recorded episodes and earn .50 credit for each episode. Take a short post test and evaluation on the Illinois Academy of Family Physicians online education library and earn credits for your time.

Accreditation
The Illinois Academy of Family Physicians (IAFP) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

AMA PRA Category 1 - The Illinois Academy of Family Physicians designates each Online enduring material for a maximum of 0.50 AMA PRA Category 1 credit™

Nurses and nurse Practitioners can submit Certificates of Attendance to their accrediting board to claim credit for participation.Claim Credit

Visit us at illinoisvaccinates.com/podcasts.

View Details

The new normal. As clinicians, it is important to have new plans for how we're going to enjoy our lives, enjoy each other, and continue to care for our patients the best way we can. Our patients count on us to be their trusted caregivers.

Santina Wheat MD, MPH, FAAFP and Marian R. Sassetti, MD, FAAFP discuss the importance of our interactions with patients to show we are thinking about their health and disease prevention. This includes mainstreaming COVID-19 vaccinations and maintaining protections to keep patients healthy.

Rather than isolating COVID-19, they share ways they are integrating these conversations as part of the normal discussions about immunizations and preventative health.

They remind us that as trusted caregivers, if we don't bring something up, it doesn't seem important. So, the more we bring it up, the more important it becomes.

Topics include:

· Integrating COVID vaccines into day-to-day medicine going forward since so many of our patients have moved on and resumed "normal life"

· Reminding patients that COVID remains a threat, if not to them, to other people they care about

· Discussing all vaccinations – especially with parents since there are so many childhood immunizations

· The importance of promoting and talking about the vaccine and boosters

· Normalizing wearing masks for more than just COVID

Objectives:

· Identify ways of discussing and adjusting to the “new normal” with patients

· Review the importance of knowing where vaccines are available

· Discuss how primary care clinicians can continue to improve vaccine confidence and uptake, even if they don’t provide the COVID-19 vaccines in their clinic

Your thoughts are very important to us! Please take 2 minutes to review this episode.

Review

Earn CME Credits for Each Episode!Listen to our pre-recorded episodes and earn .50 credit for each episode. Take a short post test and evaluation on the Illinois Academy of Family Physicians online education library and earn credits for your time.

AMA PRA Category 1 - The Illinois Academy of Family Physicians designates each Online enduring material for a maximum of 0.50 AMA PRA Category 1 credit™

Nurses and nurse Practitioners can submit Certificates of Attendance to their accrediting board to claim credit for participation.Claim Credit

More details:
Mainstreaming COVID-19 Vaccinations & Maintaining Protections

Visit us at illinoisvaccinates.com/podcasts.

View Details

In part two of this series, Dr. Stephanie LaBedz, a pulmonary and critical care physician at the University of Illinois at Chicago, joins Dr. Christina Wells, a family physician, also with UIC, to discuss her experience with long COVID. She shares how it has helped in her approach to patients suffering from long COVID. They talk about what family physicians should understand about long COVID.

There are many ways that patients with long COVID can present. We may not always know or recognize which conditions are related to long COVID. As physicians, it is important to review a patient’s medical history in order to identify what may be causing the current symptoms. Topics Dr. LaBedz covers include:
· Her symptoms, and others, associated with long COVID
· Ways to treat patients in the absence of an overriding long COVID treatment
· Suggestions for family physicians treating patients who may be presenting with symptoms suggestive of long COVID
· Lessons she has learned since she first had COVID
· The importance of helping patients listen to their bodies in order to get better
· What makes diagnosing long COVID more difficult than other medical conditions

Objectives:- Identify how long COVID may present in patients
- Understand what an “energy envelope” is and its importance in treating patients with long COVID
- Recognize the distress long COVID patients may experience
- Determine the best ways to assist your patients in their recovery

Meet the Faculty

Your thoughts are very important to us! Please take 2 minutes to review this episode. Click Here.

Resources:

Illinois Vaccinates - www.Illinoisvaccinates.com
CDC - https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/index.html
CDC
- Underlying Medical Conditions Associated with High Risk for Severe COVID-19: Information for Healthcare Providers
- To share with your patients: People with Certain Medical Conditions at Increased Risk for Severe Illness

Other terms that are used when discussing long COVID symptoms include PASC, post-acute sequelae SARS-CoV-2 infection, post-acute sequelae of COVID-19, post-acute COVID-19, chronic COVID-19, post COVID-19 syndrome, long-haul COVID-19, post exertional fatigue, post exertional malaise, POTS. postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome,

Earn CME Credits for Each Episode!

AMA PRA Category 1 - The Illinois Academy of Family Physicians designates each Online enduring material for a maximum of 0.50 AMA PRA

Visit us at illinoisvaccinates.com/podcasts.

View Details

Dr. Heather Prendergast, an emergency medicine physician, Dr. Stephanie LaBedz, a pulmonary and critical care physician, and Dr. Christina Wells, a family medicine physician, all from the University of Illinois at Chicago, share their experiences and insights on long COVID. Their goal is to help primary care physicians be more equipped in dealing with patients who present with long COVID symptoms.

We know COVID-19 vaccines help reduce the chances of developing severe cases of COVID and long COVID. However, approximately 1 in 5 adults that have COVID are at risk of developing long COVID. The symptoms may present in many ways, often not directly after having COVID. That can delay the diagnosis in a lot of patients. Individuals can have relatively mild courses, or even be asymptomatic, and still develop symptoms associated or consistent with long COVID.

It is important to understand the broad differential, listen to patients when they say, "Something doesn't feel right," and be familiar with the full variety of symptoms in order to help our patients.

Topics include:

What is long COVID – what does that really mean? Clarification on what is commonly referred to as long COVID
Some of the most common symptoms of long COVID
Overview of major systems that are impacted by COVID-19
- ENT, nephrology, pulmonary, cardiovascular, neurological, dermatologic
What should I know as a family physician?
- When should I refer a patient to a specialist?
- What are common complications?
- Are there any treatments I should be aware of?
- Are certain patients more susceptible to getting long COVID?

Meet the Faculty

Learning Objectives:

Understand what long COVID is
Identify the most common symptoms of long COVID
Determine the best ways to assist patients presenting with long COVID symptoms
Recognize the impacts long COVID can have on multiple systems in the body

Your thoughts are very important to us! Please take 2 minutes to review this episode.

Review

Earn CME Credits for Each Episode!

Listen to our pre-recorded episodes and earn .50 credit for each episode. Take a short post test and evaluation on theIllinois Academy of Family Physiciansonline education library and earn credits for your time.

AMA PRA Category 1 - The Illinois Academy of Family Physicians designates each Online enduring material for a maximum of 0.50 AMA PRA Category 1 credit™

Nurses and nurse Practitioners can submit Certificates of Attendance to their accrediting board to claim credit for participation.Claim Credit

For more information:
Long COVID – Part 1 of 2, What We Know, What We are Learning

Visit us at illinoisvaccinates.com/podcasts.

View Details

The conversation continues. Dr. Corinne Kohler, Dr. Marian Sassetti, and Dr. Christina Wells reflect on the evolution of the pandemic in the past year. They share their experiences and engage in a discussion about how we, as a community of healers, can collectively move forward.
Meet the Faculty

Topics include:

How practices have changed - both in day-to-day activities clinical activities and long-term
Ways to incorporate technology to improve patients’ overall health
Impacts from COVID on stress levels and mental health for patients and clinicians
Ideas to we keep momentum going to incorporate these "crisis management" principles currently in place

Objectives:

Discuss how clinicians can use technology to improve patients’ overall health and wellness
Introduce ways to approach patient visits more holistically, rather than strictly problem-centered
Identify resources and options to help people with behavioral health issues

Earn CME Credits for Each Episode!

Accreditation
The Illinois Academy of Family Physicians (IAFP) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

AMA PRA Category 1 - The Illinois Academy of Family Physicians designates each Online enduring material for a maximum of 0.50 AMA PRA Category 1 credit™

Nurses and nurse Practitioners can submit Certificates of Attendance to their accrediting board to claim credit for participation.Claim Credit

Additional Resources:

Physicians’ Reflections & Moving Forward After the Pandemic – Part 2 of 2
IL DocAssist - https://docassistillinois.org/
American Psychological Association Services, Inc. (ASA) - Provider Well-being In a Pandemic
Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress - Recovery and Reintegration for Healthcare Workers Following COVID-19 Surges
Medical Practice Changes Made During COVID-19 Pandemic are Here to Stay
Frontiers in Pediatrics - Barriers and Facilitators for Implementing Paediatric Telemedicine: Rapid Review of User Perspectives
Illinois Vaccinates - www.Illinoisvaccinates.com
CDC - https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#datatracker-home
CDC - https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/index.html
COVID Year in Review - https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2022/covid-year-in-review

Visit us at illinoisvaccinates.com/podcasts.

View Details

Trauma, collaboration, community, crisis, grief, perseverance, fear, uncertainty, mistrust, resilience…

What words summarize the pandemic for you? Have they changed over time?

Dr. Corinne Kohler, Dr. Marian Sassetti, and Dr. Christina Wells reflect on the evolution of the pandemic in the past year. They share their experiences and engage in discussion about how we, as a community of healers, can collectively move forward.

The unimaginable has happened. What have we learned? How do we prevent this from happening again? What can we do to rebuild the trust of our patients? How does the medical community heal from our own trauma?

Objectives:

Address the challenges and opportunities encountered during the pandemic
Identify ways you can address misinformation, changes in public perception, and COVID fatigue
Understand the importance of communication with your patients

Physicians’ Reflections & Moving Forward After the Pandemic – Part 1 of 2

Earn CME Credits for Each Episode!

AMA PRA Category 1 - The Illinois Academy of Family Physicians designates each Online enduring material for a maximum of 0.50 AMA PRA Category 1 credit™

Nurses and nurse Practitioners can submit Certificates of Attendance to their accrediting board to claim credit for participation.Claim Credit

Additional References:

COVID Year in Review - https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2022/covid-year-in-review
Medical Practice Changes Made During COVID-19 Pandemic are Here to Stay - https://www.thedoctors.com/articles/medical-practice-changes-made-during-covid-19-pandemic-are-here-to-stay/
Illinois Vaccinates - www.Illinoisvaccinates.com
CDC - https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#datatracker-home
CDC - https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/index.html

Visit us at illinoisvaccinates.com/podcasts.

View Details

With so much attention in the news about bivalent boosters and trying to keep up with changes in vaccination schedule guidelines, some of the focus has shifted away from having conversations with adults who remain unvaccinated. Corinne Kohler, MD, FAAFP, Carl Lambert, Jr., MD, FAAFP, and Marian R. Sassetti, MD, FAAFP remind us of the importance of making certain that everyone who is eligible receives the COVID-19 vaccines. Join our experts as they discuss where we are now, what we can do to keep the traction, and what has improved, or sometimes hurt, encouraging people to get vaccinated.

Topics include:

Ways the COVID vaccination recommendations have changed in the last year and how patients perceive the vaccine
Successful approaches they have used to get the message out to the adult population to get them into the clinic to be vaccinated
Sharing responses to frequently asked questions
Addressing vaccine hesitancy
Ways to change the narrative around immune strength and why getting vaccinated isn’t just about preventing death

Objectives:

Understand reasons why it is important to continue to have conversations with adults who have not been vaccinated
Explore ways to increase the vaccination rates for your adult patients

Faculty Bios

Visit us at:

The Importance of COVID-19 Vaccination in Adult Populations

https://www.illinoisvaccinates.com/15-the-importance-of-covid-19-vaccination-in-adult-populations/

Visit us at illinoisvaccinates.com/podcasts.

View Details

No one is immune to COVID affecting their lives. This is especially true for people with compromised immune systems and people they interact with. Christopher Smyre, MD, Timothy Ott, DO, FAAFP, IAFP President, and Carl Lambert, Jr., MD, FAAFP, will discuss the additional challenges & concerns these patients may have when considering whether to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. They will talk about ways to prevent getting COVID and treatment options for those in various immunocompromised states.

Objectives:

- Clarify what constitutes someone as being immunocompromised
- Identify different immunocompromised levels
- Discuss ways to help these patients prevent contracting COVID-19

Faculty Bios

How to Compromise with Immunocompromised Patients about COVID-19

https://www.illinoisvaccinates.com/14-how-to-compromise-with-immunocompromised-patients-about-covid-19/

Visit us at illinoisvaccinates.com/podcasts.

View Details

With multiple types of practices in various locations that serve patients with a broad range of access to medical care facilities and health insurance, there is not a “one size fits all” answer for implementing COVID-19 vaccines within a facility. Join Corinne Kohler, MD, FAAFP, Marian Sassetti, MD, FAAFP, and Santina Wheat, MD, MPH, FAAFP as they discuss how they overcame challenges as they introduced COVID-19 vaccines into different practice settings. They share their experiences with rural, city, and suburban locations in private practice and Federally Qualified Health centers (FQHCs) and discuss the ongoing changes and opportunities facing their practices.

Objectives:

Recognize how various types of practices implemented COVID-19 vaccinations in their clinics when they first became available
Describe the evolution of various challenges & opportunities they have experienced since the introduction of COVID-19 vaccines & suggestions they share to make it easier for other practices
Overcoming COVID-19 Challenges in Different Practice Settings - I-VAC (illinoisvaccinates.com)
https://www.illinoisvaccinates.com/13-overcoming-covid-19-challenges-in-different-practice-settings/

View Details

Carl Earl Lambert, Jr., MD, FAAFP, Christina Wells, MD, MPH, FAAFP, and Marian Sassetti, MD, FAAFP continue their discussion in part 2 of this podcast series addressing disparities in healthcare and the importance of preventative medicine in reducing them. Today, the focus is on the primary care provider’s impact on COVID-19. They will share what they think a primary care doctor's role is in helping to address and prevent disparities. Their message is one of hope and the opportunity primary care providers have to make a positive, lasting change in their patients’ lives in regard to their health and wellness.

In their own words:

As primary care providers, we have the optimal role. We should be at the forefront. We are the ones that will essentially take the lead on this, and it'll be important and pivotal that we lead and guide because we know patients from a more chronic, a more long term, a more intimate relationship, and that's going to help us to be able to really have the greatest impact.

Helping people understand how what they do every day is going to impact how well they're going to have quality of life. That quality of life goes beyond the medication they're taking, goes beyond a vaccine they're taking; and it goes on to how are they managing stress? How are they sleeping at night? Are they eating their vegetables? Are they exercising? Are they getting fresh air? All of these things are going to be important.

And that is why we as primary care physicians are in an optimal place to be able to address this and impact it because we are the ones at the forefront of dealing with these chronic issues that impact quality of life.

Join this panel as they discuss:

The impact of preventative care and the primary care provider’s (PCP) pivotal role in their patient's lives
Reflection on the PCPs roles historically as healers and spiritual leaders
Ways to use influence to evoke change and help your patient recognize the vision of their “best self”
Improving health literacy among patients
Ways to reduce compassion fatigue

Learning Objectives:

Realize how much influence and impact you have as a primary care provider
Ways to partner with organizations and people with strong ties to struggling communities
Reiterate the importance that rest for the clinician is vital to maintaining energy and personal health

View Details

Daniel Johnson, MD and Christina Wells, MD, MPH, FAAFP host this expanded episode to discuss, in detail, the COVID-19 vaccines for children under 5 years to 6 months old . They acknowledge that many physicians may be hesitant to recommend parents vaccinate their infants. They will help listeners understand more about these vaccines so they are better equipped when recommending the COVID-19 vaccination and answering questions that parents may have.

The COVID-19 vaccine has been studied more than any other vaccine in history. Drs. Johnson and Wells will discuss the experiences they encountered in their practices and share information to help other clinicians include these vaccines as part of a regular patient visit.

Our subject matter experts encourage clinicians to always take the opportunity to vaccinate. The best time to vaccinate is when the patient is in your office and agrees to it. Don’t wait for the child to move up to the next age group if they are in an age group that is eligible for a vaccine now.

In this episode, they will share:

Strategies they have used to address parental concerns
Resources that may be helpful to give to the parents to help them make their decision
Challenges, other than vaccine hesitancy, they have encountered, as well as positive experiences
Best practices to mitigate concerns about the various COVID-19 vaccines and reduce the risk of improper dosing
Staffing issues & strategies that have been useful to help staff feel comfortable administering the vaccines
Ways you can use every visit as an opportunity to offer and discuss the COVID-19 vaccines, not only for the infant or toddler, for the parents and anyone else in the household
Resources that are available to clinicians
Details about the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines- differences, similarities, dosing, side effects, etc.
How this vaccine is similar to vaccines we have for other viruses and how vaccinations vary for respiratory and non-respiratory viruses.

Objectives:

Understand various concerns parents have when deciding whether to have their infants or toddlers receive the COVID-19 vaccines
Identify the differences between the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for this age group
Utilize various strategies to help to increase the uptake of Covid vaccines within your office
Explain how vaccines for respiratory viruses differ from non-respiratory viruses and why boosters are needed
Discuss best practices for storage and administration of vaccines
Gain confidence to address concerns that the COVID-19 vaccines were developed too fast & the details to support why they are the most researched of any vaccine up to this point

www.illinoisvaccinates.com/podcasts

Daniel Johnson, MD: At the University of Chicago Medicine, he is Professor of Pediatrics, Vice Chair for Clinical Services, Section Chief of Academic Pediatrics, Section Chief for Pediatric Infectious Diseases. He practices at Comer Children’s Hospital, Edward Hospital, and Mount Sinai Hospital.
Christina Wells, MD, MPH, FAAFP is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Family Medicine in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Illinois-Chicago.

View Details

Santina Wheat MD, MPH, FAAFP and Corinne Kohler, MD, FAAFP talk about some of the different aspects of their experiences with patients pre-conception, during pregnancy, and while nursing. They will share conversations, additional concerns, and fears that this special population has as the decision to get vaccinated not only effects them, but it also effects the fetus and newborn. They also discuss reasons why these patients are choosing to get fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and what they can do to help protect their newborn once they go home (such as setting guidelines and communicate them to friends and family who can’t wait to meet the new baby).

The guidance for pregnant women has shifted since the COVID-19 vaccinations became available. Learn what some of these changes have been regarding the vaccine, protocols for what to do if the mother has COVID, and treatment options.

This isn’t the first time we have dealt infections in this population. Drs. Kohler and Wheat provide information to help you educate your patients who may test positive for COVID and show that we do have a track record in other infections using treatment options in the same class of medications.

Objectives:

Understand various concerns pregnant patients have when choosing to get or not get the COVID-19 vaccine
Identify ways to help protect the baby in utero and after delivery

https://www.illinoisvaccinates.com/covid-19-vaccination-for-pregnant-and-nursing/

View Details

Christina Wells, MD, MPH, and Corrine Kohler, MD discuss the phases they went through to implement vaccine clinics and how they have evolved at two Federally Qualified Health Centers. Candice Oberlies, DMS, PA-C and Clinical Manager and Nancy Bell, Practice Administrator share their experiences from the clinical and administrative perspectives and offer tips for setting up vaccination clinics and integrating the COVID-19 vaccines in routine visits.

Learning Objectives:

- Identify key changes with the COVID-19 vaccine that have made the administration & back-office work easier in the past year

- Summarize ways to make adding the COVID-19 vaccine easier in your practice

View Details

Christina Wells, MD, MPH, FAAFP and Santina Wheat MD, MPH, FAAFP discuss challenges and opportunities when vaccinating pediatric patients in the ages five to eleven and why we really do need to focus on this younger population. They share some of the most common conversations they are having with parents of this age group.

Learn how you can use every interaction with your patient as an opportunity to find out what parents are thinking and to be able to find the real reason that they're worried or resisting the vaccine. Then provide the appropriate information that might help them decide to vaccinate in the future.

Drs. Wells and Wheat also share suggestions to help get parents to bring in their kids to complete the vaccination series after they have received the first dose in your clinic.

Additionally, they will explore ideas for working with partners to get kids vaccinated in locations outside of the clinic.

Objectives:

- Understand the need for varying resources and new approaches to be effective with different patient populations

- Become familiar with V-safe and how to promote it

- Identify ways to make the dosing schedule and related information simpler for clinicians and parents to understand

- Recognize the value of using a team approach within your clinic so that everyone is on board and connected

View Details

Christina Wells, MD, MPH and Santina Wheat MD, MPH discuss challenges and opportunities for vaccinating adolescent patients ages twelve to seventeen. They share some of the most common conversations they are having with patients and their parents in this age group.

Learn how you can use every interaction with your patient as an opportunity to find out what families are thinking and to be able to find the real reason that they're worried or resisting the vaccine. Then provide the appropriate information that might help them decide to vaccinate in the future.

Additionally, Drs. Wells and Wheat will explore ideas for working with partners to get adolescent patients vaccinated in locations outside of the clinic.

Objectives:

- Understand various reasons why 12 – 17-year-old patients & their parents are choosing to get or not get the COVID-19 vaccine

- Identify some of the logistical challenges clinics may face

View Details

In part 2 of this two-part podcast, Mustafa Alavi, MD and Christina Wells, MD, MPH, FAAFP continue their discussion with Rachel Caskey, MD, MA and Amy Christison, MD. They explain major factors that influence vaccine hesitancy and ways to apply motivational interviewing techniques to address these concerns.

They remind us, although people get their information from multiple sources, enormous amount of research have confirmed year after year after year that, in fact, having a physician or health care provider recommend a vaccine is actually one of the most influential pieces of information. And so, though it doesn't feel like it all the time, by recommending the vaccine or continually recommending the vaccine is very effective at eventually leading to change.

Join this panel as they discuss some of the do’s and don’ts to having meaningful conversations with your patients.

Objectives:

- Discuss how to address vaccine hesitancy with motivational interviewing principals

- Identify different reasons for vaccine hesitancy for various patients

- Explain the 3Cs model of the vaccine hesitancy

View Details

Vaccine recommendation fatigue is very real. We’ve all been experiencing it. But don’t beat yourself up over it! Join Mustafa Alavi, MD and Christina Wells, MD, MPH, FAAFP as they host Rachel Caskey, MD, MA and Amy Christison, MD to help breakdown motivational interviewing (MI) into simple steps and lay the groundwork for addressing vaccine hesitancy. They address ways of dealing with a patient’s “no” or “not now” decision, without taking it personally or getting burn out.

This two-part series is intended for clinicians with any range of MI familiarity. In part two, they will share how to apply these techniques and share real world experiences.

Learning Objectives:
• Summarize the principles and main concepts of motivational interviewing
• Recognize a patient’s state of change
• Discuss ways to help patients make a more informed decision without building resistance against open communication.

View Details

Join Dr. Timothy Ott, an academic doctor with 30 years of experience and is currently teaching the family medicine residency at Southern Illinois University, as he hosts a round table with Dr. Kristin Davis, Dr. Satina Wheat, and Dr. Chris Smyre to discuss barriers to COVID-19 vaccine implementation including the obstacles they faced at their own practices, what they wished they knew then, and what has changed throughout the course of the pandemic to make things easier. They will also share the new issues that they are encountering and how they are managing them and doing what they can within the constraints each practice has.

We are all facing these challenges. Through this series of podcasts we hope to walk together to face and overcome these barriers and frustrations.

View Details

Join Dr. Mustafa Alavi, a family physician at a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), Erie Family Health Centers and co-site medical director and Dr. Marian Sassetti, a partner at Lake Steet Family Practice in Oak Park with over 30 years of experience and IAFP’s “2021 Family Physician of the Year,” as they introduce you to our new podcast series Beyond the Needle – A Physician’s Guide to Increasing Vaccination Rates.

It’s been over 2 years since COVID-19 shook the globe on March 13, 2020. Join them as they look back and honor our struggles and traumas that got us to this point and pause to acknowledge how much we have accomplished in such a short time. They will share the highs and lows of their experiences and lessons learned throughout the pandemic, as well as stories of support and encouragement.

For centuries, we have been trusted allies in preventative health for individuals, families, and communities. Research has shown that the number of primary care physicians per capita was independently associated with higher COVID-19 vaccination rates. We know patients come to their physician as a trusted source. We are the single greatest weapon in fighting this pandemic. We want all of you, our listeners, to come out of this podcast series empowered to get your patients vaccinated whether it's on your site or somewhere else in your community.

It is our hope to make every clinic in Illinois successful in implementing vaccinating against COVID-19 within their own clinical encounters. There are still several barriers to doing this within many of our colleagues’ practices, so over the course of the next few podcasts we hope to tackle those barriers and give helpful hints and solutions to any clinicians hoping to vaccinate within their own practice.

Thank you for joining us as we come together to vaccinate against COVID-19.

Visit us at www.illinoisvaccinates.com

Beyond the Needle - A Physician's Guide to Increasing COVID-19 Vaccination Rates: Recent Episodes

I-VAC & IAFP