Volunteers were included in the count early on.   

In November at the last surge our healthcare system went to a "pause" with having volunteers on site volunteering.  However some services have been ongoing remotely.

This week I was given the go ahead to offer the vaccine in this first round to volunteers that were coming in on site prior to the "pause" as well as to other services that will be helpful as we prepare to open vaccines to the community.

Have found that all I have contacted thus far have been interested in getting the vaccine and excited to return.

There have been some services that we are attempting to bring back that I have found just a few that due to health reasons, or getting more involved in other services that they volunteered for have decided to end their services here at the hospital.  This has been just a couple in the 35-40 that I have already contacted in this first round. 

The next offering will go to those volunteer service assignments that are on the floors, such as our volunteer patient ambassadors, etc...

Working closely with our CNO and Director of Pharmacy on this.  I would suspect that there will be changes along the way, due to number of doses received, number giving out etc..., but excited that we are moving in this direction as well as having supportive leadership at this facility. 

Very hopeful. - Alice

My volunteers are all still furloughed but have been included in the vaccine. "Technically" volunteers are suppose to be treated as staff-is what I have been preached to from surveyors.  They will be receiving their vaccines starting Monday.  they are in the last tier of "staff" tiers to receive their vaccines.  I was called way back at the beginning when we found out that the vaccine would be available for healthcare workers and they were included in the count. 

Madison - to your question about tiers:

Mount Carmel has four tiers - our COVID-facing/ICU/ED providers, all other patient-facing providers, our on-site support staff (EVS, dietary, etc.), and off-site/work from home staff. 

Volunteers weren't specifically included in a tier but were given the green light to schedule their vaccination when we opened it to our fourth tier colleagues.  I didn't quite understand that placement but tiers three and four opened within a few days of each other; the difference was negligible.    

Mount Carmel is offering the vaccine to any volunteer who is currently serving in the hospitals.  Currently I have about 80-90 who are serving, with about 50 new candidates going through the on-boarding process.  I do not know if furloughed/LOA volunteers will be included in future.  We have an online platform for appointment scheduling, which I have shared with the active volunteers.  The vaccine is not being considered a requirement.   

My volunteers are all still furloughed, but I received word last week that they will be included in the next tier of staff that can received the vaccine.

I am waiting to see if they put any "restrictions" on it-technically they can't because they need to be treated just like staff, but we will see what happens.