Editor’s note: Today, Kurt DelBene, executive vice president at Microsoft, shared the below update with Puget Sound employees on our previously-announced initiative to stand up a vaccination site on our Redmond campus.
To: Microsoft employees in Puget Sound
Date: Wednesday, 2/3/2021
Subject: Update on the community vaccination site in Redmond
Hi Everyone,
Even as we recognize numerous challenges the COVID-19 pandemic has brought to our global structures and economies, we also know that hardships can lead to innovation. Positive outcomes can come from applying the strength of an individual or an organization to solve new problems. At Microsoft, we are in a position to apply our strengths and partner with the community to address the most pressing health issue of our time. As you may know, Microsoft recently announced that we would provide technical support to enable effective vaccine distribution and administration in Washington State. We also committed to work with local healthcare organizations, business partners, and state and local governments to stand up a community vaccination site on our Redmond campus for all eligible members of the public. Teams across Microsoft have been diligently working with community partners to safely and equitably open the vaccination site to the community. I’d like to share our progress on this initiative.
What the community vaccination site is
Microsoft is partnering with EvergreenHealth and Overlake Medical Center & Clinics to relocate their vaccine operations to our Redmond campus to help reduce the burden on local health care facilities. The Redmond location will join a collective of community sites and provide a way for our facilities to contribute to the regional need, in particular, the underserved and highest risk populations in east King County. Once an initial ramp-up phase is complete, the vaccination location, hosted at the Microsoft Conference Center (Building 33), will be open to all eligible people in the community, according to the vaccine allocation and prioritization guidelines set by the Washington State Department of Health. EvergreenHealth and Overlake will manage the administration of the vaccine and as capacity builds, will coordinate with officials from Public Health – Seattle & King County to focus on vaccinating our community’s most vulnerable populations.
Microsoft’s role is to provide technology, staffing resources, and facility support. Starbucks is also a contributor to the site given their expertise in human-centered design, workflow optimization, and operational efficiency. All vaccines will be administered by third-party healthcare professionals. At this time, the Redmond vaccination site does not have volunteer opportunities.
More to know:
- We’re preparing the site alongside our health partners who are focused on getting doses to those in Phase 1a and Phase 1b-1 and coordinating with officials at Public Health – Seattle & King County to ensure high-risk populations have access to the site as more vaccines become available. This helps make sure our shared goals for equity are being met.
- As the Department of Health expands eligibility, vaccinations at our site will stay aligned to the state’s guidance, with a continued emphasis on outreach to high-risk individuals within each tier.
- Preferential arrangements will not be made for Microsoft employees and their families.
- The Redmond site will not support walk-up guests. The vaccination site will be accessible by appointment only and we will share more soon about how eligible members of the public may schedule an appointment.
- Microsoft has committed to covering the costs of this vaccination site, including staffing, supplier, and vaccine administration costs. The site will welcome uninsured Washingtonians among others in the community.
Who the community vaccination site will serve
This community vaccination site will align to the eligibility guidelines set by the Washington State Department of Health. Ultimately, the site will provide free vaccine administration to members of the community who meet eligibility guidelines, and we will not ask for insurance information. While ramping up to greater capacity, the Redmond site will predominantly be used to administer first and second doses to healthcare and frontline workers who held previously scheduled appointments via the EvergreenHealth and Overlake systems. Additionally, the site will seek to serve the highest risk populations within Phase 1b-1.
You’ve heard me say this before, but I want to emphasize that Microsoft unequivocally supports equitable distribution and is committed to using our resources to support our community’s most vulnerable and underserved populations. We are grateful to Public Health – Seattle & King County for providing council on the best ways to reach and serve these communities.
More to come
Once the vaccination site on our Redmond campus is ready to serve all eligible members of the community, we will work with our partners to get the word out more broadly to the community. If you have questions about the vaccine or are seeking vaccine locations that may have appointment availability, please find resources at Public Health – Seattle & King County or contact your healthcare provider.
I’m grateful we can partner with local business leaders and healthcare professionals in this way. We share a belief that supporting this effort will contribute to the overall health of our community and help rebuild the economy. This is a unique opportunity for our company at one of the most critical times in history. My thanks to everyone who has been doing incredible work to make a way for us to host this vaccination site for our Puget Sound community.
Kurt
