COVID-19 vaccinations.
OKANOGAN – Partners across Okanogan County have announced the launch of a new county wide, COVID-19 vaccine appointment notification system.
These partners include Okanogan County Public Health, Okanogan County Emergency Management, North Valley Hospital, Three Rivers Hospital, Family Health Centers, Mid-Valley Hospital and Clinic, Confluence Health, Okanogan Douglas Fire District 15, LifeLine Ambulance, and AeroMethow,
This coordinated system will replace the individual vaccine registration process at each hospital or clinic. All residents who wish to receive the vaccine can now register through this centralized system, even if they are not yet eligible to receive the vaccine. Residents will be asked to state their preferred location to receive the vaccine (North, Mid or South County; Methow Valley or no preference) and, following registration, will be sent a notification with appointment details when (1) they are eligible to receive the vaccine and (2) there is a dose available.
Okanogan County residents who wish to receive the COVID-19 vaccine should go to the Okanogan County Public Health COVID-19 webpage (https://okanogancountycovid19.org/ or https://spanish.okanogancountycovid19.org/), or their local provider’s webpage, to create an account. The system is available in multiple languages by accessing the translation function on the registration landing page.
“Family Health Centers is excited to work with our community partners on this registration process,” said Julie Wehmeyer, Infection Control Nurse with Family Health Centers. “Having a centralized registration process will eliminate the confusion for our patients and the duplicated work of multiple phone and sign up portals. We want to make it as easy as possible for patients from all our service areas to quickly and easily receive their vaccine when their phase opens up.”
Residents who are already on a vaccine waitlist at one of the hospitals or clinics will be transferred to the centralized system without losing their place in line. They will be sent a unique link to access the system and review their preferences and contact information.
To use the notification system, residents must have either an email address or a phone number that receives SMS text messages.
Registrants will be asked to enter information about their occupation and health history to help healthcare providers assess and determine their eligibility to receive the vaccine.
“This centralized system will enhance the efficiency of our vaccine distribution process in Okanogan county,” said John McReynolds, CEO of North Valley Hospital. “Because all vaccinating clinics and hospitals will now be scheduling from one master list, we can quickly match eligible people to available vaccine doses throughout the county.”
The system is accepting registrations as of March 15, 2021. If there are questions or difficulties accessing the system, residents should call the Okanogan County COVID-19 Hotline at 1-866- 458-0169. If residents do not have computer access, they are encouraged to call this local COVID-19 hotline so an operator can assist them with creating an account.
