Power of Providers (POP) Initiative

Health care worker giving a child a vaccination

Welcome Power of Providers (POP) Members!

Thank you for joining us, and thousands of other providers across the state of Washington, in encouraging COVID-19 vaccination and working to reduce COVID-19 transmission, severe illness and death.

Save this page and check back regularly for new resources and updated materials, the latest news on COVID-19 vaccines, and upcoming industry meetings and events. Learn more about POP.

We encourage POP members to talk to each of their patients using the SAVE intervention:

Seek: Seek your patients' COVID-19 vaccination status.
Ask/educate: If your patient isn't vaccinated, ask them about the vaccine and offer education if they're unsure.
Vaccinate: If your patient agrees to vaccination, provide them with a COVID-19 vaccine or a referral to a location that provides COVID-19 vaccination.
Empower: Empower your patients to share their vaccination status with the community.

Please use this flyer to share information about POP with your colleagues! (PDF)

Thank you to everyone who participated in POP’s evaluation survey! Check out highlights of the results here.

In the News

POP Provider Spotlight

Andrew Simon, ND, BCB

Dr. Andrew Simon is a naturopathic physician and adjunct professor at Bastyr University in Seattle, where he supervises student clinicians at the Bastyr Center for Natural Health. He runs a small clinical office and is a valued member of POP’s Advisory Group. As a POP Advisor, Dr. Simon volunteered his time to collaborate with the Department of Health (DOH) and UW Medicine to develop a clinical training and education proposal to address Long COVID treatment gaps in Washington. In this Provider Spotlight, Dr. Simon shares some powerful strategies for building trust and a sense of safety with patients.

What are some strategies that work for you in promoting the vaccine? Do you have any suggestions for other providers?

“Important strategies to promote vaccination are listening to someone's health history, really following what their concerns are, talking through things, making sure there is time and space to let the vaccine do its work, and tracking any side effects.

Screening for risk factors helps us to promote vaccines in a way that removes fear and bias. When we have a close eye on things, it really helps bring more patient comfort, more safety. It feels safe for our patients when we take time and implement a thorough process of understanding their health history.

My patients trust me to understand how vaccines work and the science behind them. I talk closely with them and explain that I prefer a very measured, controlled approach to exposing the immune system. The components of the vaccine are preferable to an infection that carries more risk and does more harm. The pandemic has progressed, we've learned and that's a good thing. It takes time to get good research and education out there.

We can take the time and effort to really listen and help bridge a connection. Getting to know my patients, and building rapport with them, helps to reduce their fear and concerns about safety. When we feel knowledgeable and informed and are in a calmer less fear-based setting, we can make smarter decisions about our health. One thing that I would suggest to other providers is really addressing fear and discussing how important it is for them to be healthy so they can go to work, or their children can go to school. We need to support each other by having clear, calm conversations. “

Our sincere appreciation to Dr. Simon for sharing his wisdom and supporting POP in so many ways!

Events

December 8: Beyond Burnout & Resilience: Connection and Hope for Health Care Providers
December 12: Issues Affecting Vaccine Hesitancy and Use of Motivational Interviewing to Increase Parental Vaccination Acceptance
December 14: Long COVID & Fatiguing Illness Recovery Program- Monthly Session
December 14: Improving Access to Vaccines in Washington: How Pharmacies Can Help
January 12: Post COVID-19 Conditions: Diagnosis and Management Options
February 16: Post COVID-19 Conditions: Expanding Our Understanding of Long-Term Sequelae of COVID-19
Monthly: COVID-19 Vaccine Partner Calls
Weekly: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MWR) Podcasts (CDC)

Peer-to-Peer Learning Webinars

Visit our webinars page to register and learn more about upcoming webinars and continuing education credits. Recordings of past POP webinars are also available.

Webinars Page

Resources

Health care providers in Washington can access the POP Shop and order free materials to promote COVID-19 vaccination. The POP Shop allows you and your staff to order posters, stickers in multiple languages, informational brochures and flyers, discussion guides, and much more.