TLC Healthcare has become the first residential aged care provider to be given approval to directly administer the COVID-19 vaccine to residents and staff as part of the phase 1A roll-out of the national vaccination program.
This is the first agreement of its type, aside from the current contractors engaged by the Australian government for the phase 1A roll out which covers frontline workers and residents and staff of aged care and disability services.
The Department of Health has given TLC permission to use its trained medical team to administer the vaccine through its TLC Primary Care medical centres co-located with aged care homes. The TLC teams will begin delivering vaccinations directly to its 1,500 aged care residents and 2,000 staff from next week.
TLC will deliver almost 7,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine (two doses for each person) over five weeks.TLC Primary Care has also been approved to administer vaccines to the general public in phase 1B of the program.
TLC Healthcare's chief excecutive, Lou Pascuzzi says the Department of Health has recognised TLC's unique ability to provide primary medical care. "We are humbled to have been engaged by the Government to assist with the phase 1A rollout. TLC has integrated primary care medical centres into our 11 aged care homes across Melbourne and Geelong. This means that our doctors, chronic disease management nurses and allied health team can provide a level of health care that is far superior to what is available in other aged care facilities.
"The Department of Health has recognised that TLC has the unique capability to directly administer vaccines to our residents and staff. This will speed up the vaccination process, and also free up other Government contractors to provide vaccinations at aged care facilities that do not have ability to administer it themselves.
"For the past several weeks, our team have been undergoing extensive training in the delivery of the COVID-19 vaccine, and will also provide post-vaccination care and support.
"TLC is the only aged care provider who has successfully incorporated primary care medical centres into our residential aged care homes. This strategy continues to ensure that our residents and staff remain safe from COVID-19, and will provide an industry leading roll-out of the vaccination program" said Mr Pascuzzi.
TLC operates 11 residential aged care homes, 10 medical centres, and a registered training organisation located across Melbourne and Geelong.