AdventHealth forms COVID-19 vaccine task force: 6 things to know

In anticipation of a future COVID-19 vaccine, AdventHealth has put together a task force to ensure the health system is prepared for a fast and efficient distribution when a vaccine is approved. 

Marisa Farabaugh, senior vice president and chief supply chain officer of the Altamonte Springs, Fla.-based health system, and Brent Box, MD, the health system's CMO, recently spoke with Becker's about the task force's structure and priorities. 

Six things to know:

1. Dr. Box and Neil Finkler, MD, CMO of acute care services for AdventHealth Orlando, co-chair the vaccine task force, which consists of about 40 people. The team began meeting in early September.
   
   
2. The task force is broken up into five subcommittees: prioritization; supply chain and logistics; legal and government; administration, tracking and reporting; and communication, marketing and consumer.
   
   
3. The task force's top concern is to gain a full understanding of the scientific, federal and state guidance concerning COVID-19 vaccines to ensure the health system's work streams are aligned to protect its team members and consumers.
   
   
4. With so many unknown variables surrounding a vaccine, AdventHealth's strategy has been to assess multiple scenarios, communicate often and plan for the most complex and expensive scenarios.
   
   "If we can successfully work toward that strategy, the other scenarios will be simpler. We know any plans we make may change as more information becomes available, so there is grace, understanding and support among executive leaders as we navigate this," Ms. Farabaugh said.
   
   
5. Ms. Farabaugh and Dr. Box said that instead of speculating about when a vaccine will be approved, AdventHealth aims to be prepared for the soonest case scenario.
   
   "With November being the soonest possible time that we anticipate an approved vaccine, we are planning to be ready by then," they said.
   
   
6. When a vaccine is approved, one of AdventHealth's first goals will be to review all available information to understand whether it can trust and recommend the vaccine to its team members.