Putting patients first for vaccinations

My medical care is delivered by UPMC doctors through traditional Medicare. Even though I fit the guidelines for both age (77) and health condition (diabetes), I was unable to get a vaccine through any UPMC means. I called and emailed my doctor weekly to ask for the vaccine, but was told to call CVS or Walgreens. Despite spending hours on the phone trying to get in line for a shot, I could not find a space.

Finally, with the tech skills of my son, I was able to get vaccinated at Allegheny General Hospital. The staff was fully prepared with rooms for vaccinations, including snacks and ginger ale for the period we needed to wait after the shot to ensure no dangerous side effects had appeared. They also made appointments for our second shots.

I was so impressed, to the point that I am considering switching my care from UPMC to AHN, where they obviously put patient care first. Traditional Medicare allows freedom to pick your own doctors without being trapped in some “Advantage” plan, so I can freely switch.

I was particularly puzzled that patients like me who are enrolled at UPMC’s Benedum Geriatric Clinic, which by definition includes many patients eligible for early vaccine, were not offered immunization.

To discover that the UPMC managerial elite were being offered protection against the virus while vulnerable elderly patients were being sent to retail pharmacies is disturbing (March 3 editorial, “UPMC Pushing the Ethical Envelope”). Since many Benedum patients travel in wheelchairs, I wonder how lining up at CVS or Walgreens worked for them.

VIRGINIA C. ESKRIDGE

Shadyside