WASHINGTON, April 22, 2021—As more COVID-19 vaccines become available to Americans, new data released today by the Larry A. Green Center, in collaboration with the Primary Care Collaborative (PCC) and 3rd Conversation, shows that primary care is administering more vaccines, but this “front door” of the healthcare system can do more. In a survey conducted April 9-13, 2021, 38% of primary care clinicians reported that their practice is administering vaccines and they are increasingly partnering with public health (42%) and local organizations or government to prioritize people for vaccination.
While many leaders are expressing optimism about ending the pandemic through vaccinations and the Biden administration is turning to primary care to help target the most hard to reach populations, 7 in 10 primary care clinicians reported in the survey that mental exhaustion, both personally and in their practice, has reached all-time highs. Nearly 2 in 5 clinicians reported needing mental health support as a result of the pandemic.
“We are proud of what primary care is doing to keep people actively engaged in their care and health. And now it’s time for us as a nation to care for our primary care practitioners and prevent an epidemic of burnout from spurring a mass exodus from the profession,“ said Christine Bechtel, co-founder of 3rd Conversation, a community patients and clinicians.