We are trying to reach out to more departments and offer a flu vaccine clinic 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 without the flexibility to leave during their shift.

Julian Villanueva, RN
‌Flu Vaccine Clinic Coordinator
UCSF Occupational Health

Julian's Flu Clinic Day

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.

FAVORITE COOKIE JAR TREAT?

Mrs. Field’s semi-sweet white chocolate macadamia nut nibblers
 

Four ways Occupational Health is using an "Equity First" approach to improve vaccine equity

1. Improved access is a key element in ensuring equity.
2. Language access – creating access to information about flu vaccine/flu clinics for those employees who have a preferred language other than English – I would call out the multilingual flyers which were developed and provided for posting in departments as a way to reach those employees; also efforts to ensure multilingual services at the actual flu outreach clinics.
3. Specific targeted outreach to departments where there were equity gaps for the COVID vaccine.
4. Data tracking on vaccine rates by employee race/ethnicity to determine the effectiveness of the efforts and where to focus additional outreach.

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