WESTMINSTER, Colo. — In an effort to get more Coloradans vaccinated, Governor Jared Polis announced in a Sept. 2 news conference a program that will help more primary care physician offices provide COVID-19 vaccines. The COVID-19 Primary Care Vaccination Program will provide clinics with $60,000-$120,000 per office, depending on the size of the facility, and additional money per vaccine distributed. Polis said this program is run by the state but all federally funded. 

"This is a crisis of the unvaccinated," said Polis as he provided data on vaccinations and COVID-19 in the state. 

As of Sept. 2 according to state data , 796 Coloradans are in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 103 patients are vaccinated. In regards to pediatric patients, Polis said there are five children under the age of 12 in the hospital, and there are six kids aged 12-17 hospitalized with COVID. Polis said all six of those older children are not vaccinated. Back in May, the vaccine was cleared for use for that age group.  It is not approved for those younger than 12. 

On Aug. 31, the state announced it hit a major milestone in vaccination rates: 75 percent of adults in Colorado have at least one dose. While this is a good sign, Polis and other health care workers are pushing for higher rates especially given the more infectious Delta variant. The hope is this new program for primary care givers will lead to more vaccinations. 

"For at least that 10 or 15 percent who are open to it [COVID vaccine], the most meaningful conversation they can have is with their doctor, with their caregiver," said Polis.  

The money from this program can not only help to pay for the physical part of distributing the vaccine, it could provide money for outreach efforts to patients and extra staffing.  

Dr. Aaron Shupp with Family Medicine Specialists at Rocky Mountain Primary Care in Westminster spoke about his experience with one particular male patient who he sees regularly. This patient insisted for months that he was not interested in getting the COVID-19 vaccine. 

"Then in March we spoke again and I was able to provide some accurate information about the efficacy and safety of the vaccines, and he still told me 'there is no way I'm going to do this,'" said Shupp. 

He went on to explain that in the time between March and his next visit, this man's uncle passed away from COVID-19. This man then went to Shupp saying he was worried about getting sick. 

"I recommended that he be vaccinated. And he was still reluctant to do so. Then just this month, this past month here in August, I saw him again and this time we talked about it, and he decided it was time to get vaccinated so both he and his wife came in and they received their first doses," explained Shupp. 

He believes this shows the power a relationship between patient and primary care doctors can have in the mission to get more people vaccinated. 

Another doctor also spoke during the Sept. 2 press conference. Dr. Marc Moss is the Head of Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine at University of Colorado School of Medicine-Anschutz, meaning he's been on the frontlines of the COVID-19 fight for 19 months. He said the mental and emotional toll of caring for these patients has been overwhelming. 

"The new wave of COVID patients in predominantly unvaccinated people may ultimately break the souls of my colleagues. We will continue to provide excellent care to our patients, but many of our health care workers are simply exhausted," explained Moss. 

According to a Washington Post-Kaiser Family Foundation poll published in April, roughly 3 in 10 health-care workers have weighed leaving their profession, more than half are burned out and about6 in 10 say stress from the pandemic has harmed their mental health.

"On behalf of the tens of thousands of health care professionals in the great state of Colorado and the other frontline workers who have worked on your behalf, we urge you to get vaccinated. No one else needs to die from this preventable disease," said Moss. 

The governor and the state are also counting on this program to help with the expected increase of demand for vaccinations in the coming weeks. Polis said they're expecting this for three main reasons: First, from those who are seeking a booster shot, which are expected to become widely available on September 20. The second reason for expected demand is from younger people who have returned to school and want more safety from the vaccine. And finally, the governor said more people are likely to seek getting the vaccine because more employers are requiring it.

On Aug. 30, the Colorado State Board of Health voted to approve emergency rules that require COVID-19 vaccinations for all staff members working in health care facilities. The Colorado Sun reports that roughly 3,600 facilities will be affected by the vaccination policy.

The applications for the primary care offices to receive funding for this vaccine program are now open and will be through November. Funds will go out on a first come, first serve basis and clinics will be approved on a rolling basis. All of the application information in on the state's website. 

Amanda Horvath is a multimedia producer with Rocky Mountain PBS. You can email her at amandahorvath@rmpbs.org.