After getting his foot in the door at UCSF through a temporary agency, licensed vocational nurse Julian Villanueva began his role as the flu vaccine clinic coordinator in Occupational Health in 2018. We talked to him about his day managing a flu clinic.
What’s a day in your work life during a flu vaccine clinic?
It gets started early. At the beginning of the season, we are busy getting our vaccine staff ready and ensuring our flu deputies have the right access. On the day of a vaccine clinic, I wake up at 4:30am to get to the clinic by 6am. We are “all-hands-on-deck” all day, but I try not to micro-manage the team. The most important thing is to have a presence, and ensure they know how to get in touch with me at any time. We end around 4 or 5pm. It's not sustainable to do that every day, but the teams can be more independent after a few clinics. When clinic season is over, I help Occupational Health with other tasks until the new cycle begins.
What’s new this year?
Improved access is key to ensuring equity. We are reaching out to more departments and offering flu vaccines at their location. We are especially targeting those with more challenges to get the vaccine, such as doctors, nurses and custodians who have swing shifts or don’t have the flexibility to leave during their shift. It takes a bit more work to hold these in addition to the pre-planned clinics, but when we get a good turnout, we know it’s worth it. This is what increasing vaccine equity looks like to us.
