Memphis, Tenn. — The weather may have temporarily stopped vaccinations at the Pipkin Building, but city and county leaders haven’t stopped plans to improve how things are done there.
Shelby County is turning to the City of Memphis to handle the logistics.
“We invited the City of Memphis to operate as the site manager to manage the logistics and the traffic control issues in that area,” said Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris.
Harris says it’s about bringing on partners to take on the huge task of vaccinating a million and a half people.
“The Health Department for now is still on the site doing the dosing. But the lines had become untenable and something had to be done. It had to be fixed,” Harris said.
Harris says the City has the manpower to police the space and help eliminate those long lines that kept everyone frustrated
For instance, there were no issues at the city-run site at Appling Road.
“The City of Memphis has had a whole lot of success in reducing their line and policing that line. We hope to take that same sort of expertise at this site and maybe any site where there are traffic control issues,” Harris said.
Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland says things at Appling can be replicated.
“One you have to have an appointment and two you cannot show up for your appointment more than an hour early,” Strickland said.
Strickland says the city also measures results including the average and longest wait times to improve performance.
“I think overall it’s been around a 30 minute wait time at Appling. Last week I remember one day we got it down around to 18 minutes,” says Strickland.
The city even had Chick-fil-A come out and give tips on handling lines.
As the county opens another vaccine site in Raleigh at Greater Imani Church, the city will help with those logistics too, leaving the Health Department focused on getting shots in arms.
The site leader is also changing at the Pipkin Building.
Shelby County’s Emergency Management Director Brenda Jones will now handle the county’s presence there.
