Who’s Getting Vaccinated?

As of March 30, all Minnesotans 16 years of age and older will be eligible to receive a vaccine.

Minnesota has directed providers to prioritize vaccine appointments for people most at risk of getting COVID-19, or those who could develop severe illness if infected. This includes older Minnesotans, those with underlying health conditions*, and those in essential jobs.

How to get your vaccine:

  • Sign up for the Minnesota COVID-19 Vaccine Connector. The Vaccine Connector will inform you about vaccine opportunities in your area.
  • Use the Vaccine Locator Map to find vaccine providers near you.
  • Contact your primary health care provider or a local pharmacy.
  • Vaccine Connector users may also be randomly selected to make an appointment at one of the state’s COVID-19 Community Vaccination Program sites. If you are selected, you will be notified by text, email, or phone call by one of the state vaccination partners running those sites: Vault Health, Primary Bio or SpeciaLysts (Solv). 
  • Your employer may also reach out with information about vaccination opportunities.

Stay safe before your opportunity to get the vaccine:

While all Minnesotans 16 years and older are eligible, not every Minnesotan will be immediately able to make an appointment. It’s important to continue taking easy steps to slow the spread of COVID-19:

Get vaccinated at the first opportunity you have. After you have been vaccinated, continue following these safe practices to protect your neighbors as they receive their opportunity to get the vaccine.

At this time, providers should prioritize:

  • Minnesotans 65 years of age or older
  • Health care personnel
  • Long-term care residents
  • Pre-k to 12th grade educators and child care personnel
  • People with specific underlying health conditions
    • Sickle cell disease, Down Syndrome, or oxygen-dependent chronic lung or heart conditions, and those who are in active cancer treatment or immunocompromised from organ transplant
  • Targeted essential workers
    • Food processing plants
  • People with rare conditions or disabilities that put them at higher risk
  • People 45 years of age and older with ONE or more underlying medical conditions; or, age 16 and over with TWO or more underlying medical conditions*
  • People 50 years of age or older in multi-generational housing
  • Essential frontline workers
    • Agricultural, airport staff, additional child care workers not previously eligible, correctional settings, first responders, food production, food retail, food service, judicial system workers, manufacturing, public health workers, public transit, Postal Service workers
  • Minnesotans 16 years of age and older with any underlying medical condition*
  • Minnesotans age 50-64 (regardless of health condition)
  • All other essential workforces
    • Transportation and logistics, finance, housing/shelter construction, IT/communications, energy, media, legal, public safety, water, and wastewater

https://mn.gov/covid19/vaccine/whos-getting-vaccinated/index.jsp

Vaccine Update

Who can get their vaccine now?

  • Minnesotans aged 65 or older
  • Health care workers and people working at health care facilities, first responders who provide direct patient care as part of the EMS system, and primary caregivers for people with complex medical needs or disabilities
  • Long-term care residents and staff members at long-term care facilities in Minnesota
  • Pre-kindergarten through Adult Basic and Community Education school staff members, or contracted school staff members, at schools in Minnesota
  • Child care staff members at licensed and certified child care centers or programs in Minnesota
  • People with specific underlying health conditions:
    • Sickle cell disease, Down Syndrome, or oxygen-dependent chronic lung or heart conditions, and those who are in active cancer treatment or immunocompromised from organ transplant
  • Targeted essential workers
    • Food processing plants
  • People with rare conditions or disabilities that put them at higher risk
  • People age 45 and older with ONE or more underlying medical conditions; or, age 16 and over with TWO or more underlying medical conditions*
  • People 50+ in multi-generational housing
  • Essential frontline workers
    • Agricultural, airport staff, additional child care workers not previously eligible, correctional settings, first responders, food production, food retail, food service, judicial system workers, manufacturing, public health workers, public transit, Postal Service workers

Who will get their vaccine soon?

May-June

  • 16+ with any underlying medical condition*
  • Age 50-64 (regardless of health condition)
  • All other essential workforces
    • Transportation and logistics, finance, housing/shelter construction, IT/communications, energy, media, legal, public safety, water, and wastewater

Summer

  • General public
    By this summer, every Minnesotan who wants a shot will be able to get one!

*Underlying Medical Conditions

  • Active cancer
  • Chronic kidney disease
  • COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
  • Diabetes – Type 1 or 2
  • Down Syndrome
  • Heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies
  • Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) from solid organ transplant, HIV, bone marrow disease, chronic steroids for more than 30 days, immunodeficiency disease, or taking immunosuppressive medications
  • Obesity – body mass index (BMI) greater than 30 kg/m2
  • Pregnancy
  • Sickle cell disease

Weekly Live update with Stacy Longnecker, MD and Allan Ross, MD

COVID Vaccine Update

OAHS’s rollout of vaccine to Phase 1a vaccinations came to completion this week. Local public health also continued vaccination of Phase 1a individuals. 

Vaccine planning is changing rapidly. 

This week following federal guidance, MN Governor announced that individuals 65+ should be able to get the vaccine. We are excited and ready to administer to the 1b group of patients, but we do not yet have the vaccine to do this. South Dakota Department of Health is also moving quickly to meet these changes on priorities. The announcement is overall good news; it opens the vaccine up to many more individuals. However, vaccine shortage still exists making it difficult and, in some cases, impossible to make vaccine widely available in Minnesota and our region. Currently, Minnesota is receiving about 60,000 doses per week, and there are estimated to be over 2 million Minnesota residents ages 65+. Despite the reports that the federal government has released all held doses, Minnesota and other states have not seen an increased allocation and no confirmation on when to expect increased allocations.  

However, SD and MN are approaching this announcement and priority groups differently, making clear messaging for a border community challenging.  

On Monday, January 18th, South Dakota partners will begin scheduling and vaccinating residents in South Dakota’s next phase. Our understanding is that South Dakota is not holding any second dose allocations. SD residents will have designated vaccination sites within each county. South Dakota distribution of vaccination is thru the health systems designated by the county. Sanford, Avera, Monument Health, Mobridge Hospital, and Northern Plains Health Network are the vaccine providers. Patient messaging to South Dakota residents and patients of those South Dakota partners has begun as well as the ability to be screened and to get scheduled. Our understanding is that at this time, MN residents cannot get vaccinated in SD.

Minnesota and our specific region continue to vaccinate any individuals in Phase 1a at this time. Contrary to the South Dakota decision, the Minnesota department of health’s guidance is that all second doses in MN freezers identified for second doses should be held for second doses. The latest information shows that we are at least 2.5 weeks out from the possibility of receiving a vaccine that may be available to begin vaccinating individuals who are 65+.  

We do not yet know when people in phase 1b and 1c will be able to get the vaccine in Minnesota. People do not need to get on a waiting list or make an appointment at this time. Updates will be provided when we are able to start vaccinating more people, and we will provide more information at that time for how eligible people can get vaccinated. OAHS does not know when we will be allocated vaccine to begin Phase 1b or when we can begin to vaccinate the next priority groups.  

If South Dakota patients have the opportunity to get vaccinated, we encourage them to do so at those designated sites and locations.  

Minnesota COVID-19 Vaccine Information 

https://mn.gov/covid19/vaccine/index.jsp

South Dakota COVID-19 Vaccine Information

https://doh.sd.gov/COVID/Vaccine/

When will I get my COVID Vaccine?

Lots of excitement last week as FWV Senior Communities received COVID vaccinations.

Phase 1a roll out of COVID-19 vaccination had many levels of priority within it, by the end of this week OAHS along with public health will have been able to offer and deliver COVID vaccinations to those Phase 1a groups in our communities.

The Phase 1b groups that will come after the Phase 1a groups are frontline essential workers and adults 75 years and older for phase 1b. For phase 1c, adults ages 65-74 years, people ages 16 to 64 years with high-risk medical conditions, and other essential workers will be able to get vaccinated. We do not yet know when people in phase 1b and 1c will be able to get the vaccine in Minnesota.This will depend on how much vaccine the manufacturers are able to make and send out, and how many people get vaccinated in the first priority groups. People do not need to get on a waiting list or make an appointment at this time. Updates will be provided when we are able to start vaccinating more people and we will provide more information at that time for how eligible people can get vaccinated. OAHS does not know when we will be allocated vaccine to begin Phase 1b or when we can begin to vaccinate the next priority groups.

Health systems in our region along with Sanford have started to provide patient education with Phase 1b groups thru various messaging and letters.

For more information:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/

 

https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/vaccine.html

2021 OAHS New Year’s Baby

Welcome, Kysen Adriel, our 2021 New Year’s Baby! He was born to Mary and Terry from Twin Brooks, SD and joins siblings Keishana, Chadwin, & Zaiden. Dr. Stacy Longnecker delivered Kysen on January 3rd at 2:05am, weighing 6lbs 6oz and measuring 20.5″ long.

Happy New Year!

OAHS Christmas Baby 2020

Introducing Waylon Nell, the 2020 OAHS Christmas Baby.

Waylon Nell was born December 29th at 8:39 pm to Ashly and Matt from Madison, MN. Waylon measured 19.5″, weighed 7lbs 15oz and was delivered by Dr. Amanda McMahon. Pictured here with with mom, dad, and big brother Wesley. Congratulations!

 

 

 

 

Introducing Dr. Sarah Fischer – Part 1

Dr. Sarah Fischer Joins OAHS

(Ortonville, MN) August 28, 2020 – Ortonville Area Health Services (OAHS) is pleased to announce that Sarah Fischer, MD has joined Northside Medical Clinic and is now seeing patients.

Dr. Fischer received her Medical Degree from the University of Minnesota Medical School in Duluth and Minneapolis. She completed her Family Medicine specialty training at Altru Health Systems in Grand Forks, ND. In coordination with OAHS providers and leaders, she also completed an additional obstetrics fellowship at Altru Health Systems in Grand Forks, ND. Dr. Fischer is originally from the Dumont, MN area and over the past 8 years she has spent time training at OAHS as part of her formal medical education.

“I went into medical school with the hope of returning to my hometown region to serve my community and practicing at OAHS is fulfilling that goal” said Dr. Fischer. “Family Medicine allows me to see every patient, no matter the age and treat them like a person or friend instead of a time slot on my schedule. I want to work with my patients to help attain their health goals and stay out of my office so they can enjoy the gifts this world has to offer. While my subspecialty is obstetrics, don’t let that deter you from seeing me as I have a soft spot for farmers being the daughter of a 3rd generation farmer. I’m happy to be ‘home’ and am looking forward to forming lasting relationships with the community and each of my patients.”

For more information on Ortonville Area Health Services or to schedule an appointment with Sarah Fischer, MD please contact 320-839-6157.

Dr. David Collins Joins OAHS


(Ortonville, MN) July 7 –
Ortonville Area Health Services (OAHS) is pleased to announce that David Collins, MD has joined Northside Medical Clinic and is now seeing patients.

Dr. Collins received his Medical Degree in 2017 from the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Additionally, he completed his Emergency Medicine Residency this spring through University of Missouri – Columbia Program in Columbia, MO.

“”I didn’t realize how much of an impact doing rotations at OAHS had made on my medical school education” said Dr. Collins. “When I had gotten back to my main site during my third year of medical school, one of my classmates made the observation I talked about Ortonville a lot. I came to appreciate a great deal of what I’d experienced at Ortonville shaped me into the physician I am today. Being able to return to where it all began and provide acute/urgent/emergent care to Ortonville and its surrounding communities is one of the best ways I can think of to pay it forward.”

For more information on Ortonville Area Health Services or to schedule an appointment with David Collins, MD please contact 320-839-6157.

Spanish Resources

OAHS quiere que nuestra comunidad tenga toda la informacion que necesitan sobre la pandemia de COVID. Creamos estos videos de YouTube para la poblacion hispana. Tambien incluimos enlaces educativos adicionales de COVID a los sitios web del Departamento de Salud de Minnesota y de los Centros para el Control de Enfermedades. Si tiene mas preguntas, no dude en responder a esta publicacion o llame a OAHS al 320-839-6157.

MyChart Video Visits at Ortonville Area Health Services

Northside Medical Clinic is encouraging the use of MyChart video visits during this pandemic. Video visits are a great way to limit the time you spend in the clinic while still having a regular visit with your provider. You do need a MyChart account for this, but luckily, setting up an account is easy. If you need to set up an account, call the clinic at 320-839-6157 and our registration staff will be happy to help you. Once you have an account, this video will show you how to check-in for a MyChart video visit that has been scheduled for you.

*** Please ensure you login to your MyChart account on a device with both camera and microphone capabilities.***

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