About Us:

HealthImpact created VaxForce in response to the statewide shortage of skilled workers who are available to administer the Covid-19 vaccine.  To help meet this critical demand, VaxForce created a volunteer workforce of licensed professionals and students. VaxForce provides a one-stop service by recruiting and managing volunteers, performing professional license and background checks, working with vaccination agencies and initiatives to recruit volunteers, and deploying volunteers to vaccination sites.

Requests for our volunteer workforce have come from both health professionals and students who wanted to donate their time to give vaccines. Community agencies who are passionate about getting vaccines to hard-to-reach communities are also reaching out to HealthImpact for help in accessing licensed professionals and students.  Additionally, VaxForce volunteers conduct outreach, provide patient education, and perform care coordination depending on needs.

Early in the vaccine distribution efforts, the major bottleneck was the number of doses available.  However, as availability increases with the authorization of additional vaccines, the major bottleneck will become securing the number of vaccinators needed to administer the injections.

VaxForce is a service of HealthImpact, a 501(c)(3) organization, is devoted to improving the health of Californians by promoting a dynamic, well-prepared nursing workforce.  In 2001, a group of nurse leaders across California saw the need for comprehensive planning in the field of nursing.  They launched HealthImpact, formerly the California Institute for Nursing and Healthcare (CINHC), as a forum for cooperation and sharing best practices across the state.  As health care undergoes major changes, nurses play an ever-increasing arole in providing care and keeping the public healthy.  HealthImpact brings together leaders in nursing, academia and policy to ensure that nursing stays ahead of the changes in our profession.  We are a catalyst for innovation and promote the collaboration of partners from all areas in the field.

VaxForce and Vax-Force:

The concept of the interprofessional volunteer vaccine corps, VaxForce at HealthImpact, was inspired by Dr. Kelsey Rowe, MD and her children’s educational book illustrated by Nick Iannaco.  Dr. Rowe’s book, Vax-Force, is an award-winning book to teach kids about vaccines and address the Anti-Vax movement.  For more information on Dr. Rowe’s children’s book, and how to support Vax-Force, please visit www.vax-force.com. To see more of Mr. Iannaco’s illustrations visit http://nickiannaco.weebly.com/.