Michigan Medicine asked UMRA to help identify retirees with health care backgrounds to assist with the administration of the COVID-19 vaccine. A call for volunteer vaccinators was posted in UMRA News and eight members (that we know of) responded. Kathleen M. Lanava was one of the volunteers and has shared her inspiring experience with us. Volunteering can be quite rewarding for the people you help and for the volunteers. – Al Hermsen, UMRA President
My volunteer experience as a COVID-19 registered nurse vaccinator was a wonderfully rewarding experience. A February 2021 UMRA email described Michigan Medicine’s initiative to invite retired U-M community members with an active license to administer vaccines. I experienced a growing excitement with the thought of taking action and fighting back in a meaningful way against COVID-19. For the first time during this pandemic, I felt empowered.
After Michigan Medicine approved my volunteer vaccinator application, I was offered an opportunity to give vaccines for county health departments, as Michigan Medicine had met their required quota for vaccinators. I jumped at the offer and worked in many different capacities. I assisted people as they filled out paperwork prior to getting the vaccine, directed traffic, drew up vaccines and restocked supplies. Every role was essential to the vaccination process and every day was a different experience. I also worked in a drive-up (not drive-through) clinic which was more complex and chaotic than the walk-in clinics. An electronic scheduling system was appreciated because shifts requiring more staffing were readily visible. Some clinics were cancelled due to a lack of volunteers.
It was heartbreaking to know that we had enough of the vaccine, but not enough health care workers to get them into arms.
I met such wonderful people during my time vaccinating the public. Some were excited, some apprehensive, and all grateful. During my first day as a volunteer, one person gifted me with a mocked up $1,000,000 paper bill. He was handing them out to all the volunteers as a token of his gratitude. The smile on his face after he received the vaccine was worth even more!
I enjoyed getting to know other volunteers and those employed by various health departments who were truly responsible for running and organizing the clinics. There was a real sense of teamwork and satisfaction. At times, the cost of the pandemic could be seen etched on faces and seen in the tears of those who had been throwing everything they had into fighting this vaccine from the very start. There was a sense of weariness around how much longer they could sustain the onslaught of the virus and questioning when this all might end. My heart went out to them, and I repeatedly thanked them for their work and contributions. The volunteers brought fresh energy and manpower. I thought of it as a relay team; we were taking the baton and running the next leg (albeit a very short one) in the long race against this virus.
As more and more people were vaccinated, the need for my services waned. I will forever be grateful for this opportunity and am ever appreciative of my time as an employee of Michigan Medicine. The experience helped mold me into the clinician I became and the person I am today. Forever Blue!
Sincerely, Kathleen M. Lanava