Initial distribution of COVID-19 vaccines to front-line hospital workers and community first responders-A prospective descriptive study.

As one of the initial ten sites in Ohio designated to receive and distribute the first COVID-19 vaccines in December 2020, we initiated a self-reported IRB-approved research survey to describe the demographics, side-effects, and missed work time experienced by front-line health care workers in an urban tertiary care center and a rural regional hospital. First responders from both the urban and rural surrounding communities were also included in the initial Tier 1A vaccine distribution. The primary outcome measure was to identify the most frequently experienced side effects from the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, based on type of vaccine, first or second dose, age, gender, race and occupation. The secondary outcome measure was to document the total number of work shifts missed after receiving the vaccine. Of interest to health care risk managers, the survey identified the most common side effects and resulting missed time from work broken down by type of vaccine and first or second dose. This information will be helpful for those institutions who have not yet vaccinated a majority of their work force, employees who still need their second dose, and for strategic scheduling of employees when booster doses become available later in the year.

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on risk management practice: A report from the epicenter of the epicenter in New York City.

Health care organizations have had to respond to the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in unprecedented ways. In the United States, where health risk management is an established profession, health care risk managers (HRMs) contributed to the response by supporting organizations and frontline workers. HRMs advised administrative and clinical leadership on decisions and policies aimed at addressing the medico legal, ethical, and operational dilemmas raised by this public health emergency. This article describes these challenges from the perspective of a New York City (NYC) public hospital located in the "epicenter within the epicenter" of the pandemic and aims to provide practical guidance for HRMs on the front lines of this crisis.