CMCSS to partner with TCAT to vaccinate teachers and staff for COVID-19

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – Teachers in the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System will get some help with COVID-19 vaccinations thanks to a partnership with a community college.

During a press call with Chiefs for Change, Director of Schools Millard House revealed more details about the plan to get teachers and employees vaccinated.

Chiefs for Change is a bipartisan network of state and district education leaders, and the call, moderated by CFC’s CEO Mike Magee, was intended to urge the federal and state governments to release the entire supply of the vaccine immediately, and to begin vaccinating teachers and school employees around the country.

“This is such an important part of getting back to the normalcy of educating our students across America,” House said of the vaccines.

The game plan

In addition to offering both PCR and rapid COVID-19 testing free of charge to all employees at their clinic, the development of what House called a “Closed P.O.D.,” or point of dispensation, for employees and teachers to come to if they wish to receive the vaccine is crucial to not just the district, but the community as a whole.

“We meet with (the Department of Health) at least three times a week, and toured the current point of dispensation site, which is moving but moving at a rate that will take quite some time to vaccinate enough individuals to make a major difference in public education,” House said.

So, to help offset some of that stress on the county’s resources, CMCSS developed this “Closed P.O.D.” plan in collaboration with the Montgomery County Health Department and the Tennessee College of Applied Technology.

“Our plan consists of working with a local, career-tech college (TCAT) and bringing 32 students from that career-tech college along with the 40 nurses that we have in our school system. What we will do is shut down one of our district administrative offices, and use that office as the point of dispensation for the vaccine,” House said.

So far, and based on current survey results, approximately 43% of CMCSS’ work force is open to receiving the vaccine.

“We estimate that we’ll be able to vaccinate, of our 5,200 employees, and 2,200 of them have indicated that they want the vaccine, we’ll be able to essentially vaccinate 500 people a day,” House said.

Essential collaborations

Director House said the district’s relationship with the Montgomery County Department of Health has been invaluable in both keeping schools open and maintaining accurate communications with the public.

“We’re excited about that partnership, with our local career-tech as well as the health department. Of course the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System had a major focus on COVID-19 testing as well,” House said.

The school district offers both PCR and rapid COVID-19 testing at their on-site clinic free-of-charge for employees. “Generally, we only test those who appear symptomatic,” House said, which explains the high positivity rate among those who have been tested.

Of the 574 tests the school district has administered, 338 have tested positive.

“One of the big pushes that our governor has had here is around local control. So, our school district has taken that to heart, and our local health department is seen as a valued partner and has an active seat on our Communicable Disease team that we, as a school district, developed,” said House.

Continuing efforts

CMCSS will receive its supply of vaccines from the Tennessee Department of Health, according to Lauren Richmond, who is the Safety & Health coordinator for the district.

There are still some details about this plan that have yet to be finalized, including who will be actually administering the vaccine.

“It has not been determined who will give the COVID-19 vaccine; whether it be CMCSS Onsite Employee Health and Wellness staff, school nurses, and/or TCAT. Anyone administering the vaccine will be required to complete all necessary training. A TCAT nursing instructor would have to be present. We know with the amount of staff that has signed up for the COVID-19 vaccine, that it will take a team effort,” Richmond said.

Of course, priority will be given to those who fall into the 1b phase of the state’s COVID-19 vaccination distribution plan, which now includes K-12 teaching staff. Richmond said additional priority will be given to those teachers and school employees who are in high-risk groups.

“Our instructors will be coordinating with the (CMCSS) staff to set up the schedules and the plan essentially,” sad Stephanie Murphy, TCAT’s Health Careers Coordinator.

“We appreciate those opportunities to assist in the community, and COVID-19 has been one of those situations where it’s put a lot of stress on our healthcare system, so we’re grateful to be able to help,” Murphy continued.

“The majority of this first semester, as I’ve mentioned, we wouldn’t have been able to operate in that manner without the relationship, again, with the health department, without the transparency, without the (COVID-19) dashboard. Those things have made a major difference, and we’re looking forward to being a part of the push to get our employees and school systems across America vaccinated as quick as possible,” House said.