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devastated several area long-term care facilities while area hospital beds became scarce, Snyder said.

“…A peak of cases essentially filled every hospital bed within 50 miles from here for weeks,” Snyder said. “Thankfully, that situation has improved, but now we’re challenged by vaccine distribution: Getting shots into arms as fast as we can while managing expectations.”

At the pandemic’s onset. Pierce County Health began with 14 staff members. Six disease investigators and contact tracers were added in the summer. However, the “team” is much larger than those 20 people, Snyder said.

“County staff from several other departments have stepped in to help with contact tracing, vaccine clinics and answering the phones,” Snyder noted. “UWRF and local schools have committed significant resources to support contact tracing and community testing. It really has been an all-hands-ondeck response in Pierce County.”

The partnerships she and her staff have formed with school, business and municipal leaders has been a bright spot in a stressful time, Snyder said. While cemented quickly out of necessity, they’re solid.

“It’s great that I can call a colleague at UWRF late on a Sunday to sort something out before it boils over,” Snyder said. “Partnerships have brought so much strength to our response.”

The daily grind

Snyder’s job as the health department incident commander is “to continuously assess the situation, set priorities for the response and coordinate partners to execute our plan,” Snyder detailed.

A “typical” day, if any day can be called that, begins with a 7 a.m. conference call with a group of other local health officers, followed by a morning briefing with department staff to ensure everyone’s activities are aligned.

She meets regularly with state health department officials, faith leaders, law enforcement officers, and staff at hospitals, schools, nursing homes and libraries. In between calls, she investigates cases, analyzes data, responds to reports of outbreaks and returns calls from residents.

“Sometimes I spend part of the day working at our testing or vaccine clinics, checking people in, helping residents fill out paperwork, wherever an extra hand is needed,” Snyder said. “I run home for a quick dinner and a workout before getting back on the phone or answering emails until 8 or 9 p.m.”

Maintaining mental health

Snyder admits that early on in the pandemic, protecting her mental health was not a priority.

“I worked day and night until I ended up in the emergency room with a kidney stone after not drinking enough water,” she said. “I realized that if I kept it up, I would not be able to lead the way I needed to.” She began blocking off time for herself each Sunday to recharge, by taking walks with her dog and listening to podcasts. Her staff remains a constant source of strength and support as well.

She describes resiliency as the department’s “team sport.”

“We are all watching out for each other,” Snyder said. “If there’s a day when someone has just reached their limit and can’t return an angry voicemail, someone else will do it.

“If one of us is showing fatigue, someone else will step in and work their weekend. The type of commitment to the team over self is the only way we’ve gotten through the last year.”

One person retired and one resigned in 2020, though neither was due primarily to burnout, Snyder said.

As for advice to the residents she serves, she stresses being kind to oneself. There is a light at the end of the tunnel.

“This will pass,” she emphasized. “If you’re feeling overwhelmed or just having a bad day, Facetime with a loved one or spend a little time on a hobby that gets your mind off the day’s stress.”

Vaccines and what to expect

As of Sunday, Feb. 14,4,140 Pierce County residents (9.7 percent) have received at least one dose of vaccine, Snyder said. According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services website, 965,999 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Wisconsin.

“It’s going to take weeks, if not months, just to vaccinate our elderly and most vulnerable populations at the rate we’re receiving vaccines,” Snyder said. “The other challenges haven’t gone away yet, but there’s reason to be hopeful with vaccines.

How does it work? The state health department decides which populations are eligible for vaccines and at what time, Snyder said. Local health departments, pharmacists and hospitals agree, as a condition of receiving vaccines, that only eligible populations will be vaccinated.

“Current allocations are significantly smaller than both demand from eligible populations and our capability to dispense vaccines,” Snyder said. “Every week, each vaccinator asks the state for the amount of vaccine we think we can dispense for the subsequent week. We find out on Fridays or Saturdays how much we're getting for the next week. While this process is necessary, it doesn't provide a lot of runway for planning.”

Last week, Snyder requested 500 doses to vaccinate residents 65 and older. She received 200. A planned clinic had to be cancelled because the county’s allocation was decreased.

“I am hoping that vaccine allocations will increase in the next few months as more vaccines are approved and manufacturers scale up supply chains,” Snyder said.

She understands residents’ impatience and appreciates people wanting the vaccine. But she also asks for understanding.

“We are doing our very best to get vaccines in the right arms as quickly as possible,” Snyder said. “Giving a vaccine to every Pierce County resident who wants one will take the entirety of 2021.”

Snyder said it’s not uncommon lately for ineligible residents to call in to see if they can snag an “extra dose” at the end of a vaccination clinic. Once a vial is opened, it must be finished, resulting in extra available doses sometimes. However, the county has a long list of eligible residents in line for those extra doses first.

“We are working crazy hard to ensure vaccine distribution is fair and transparent,” Snyder said. “We love that you’re excited for vaccines, but hanging out in the parking lot won’t likely work.”

Find information about current and next eligible populations by visiting www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/covid-19/vaccineabout. htm or https://www.co .pierce .wi .us/departments/public_health/index

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While waiting for vaccinations, residents can do something: Continue to wear your mask, Snyder said.

“I get it. Masks are annoying and uncomfortable,” Snyder said. “Here’s the deal: Masks work to reduce the spread of COVID-19, especially when used in combination with social distancing.”

They are not dangerous for the general public to wear, she added.

“The more people who wear masks, the less people who get COVID,” Snyder outlined. “The less people that get COVID, the more time Public Health has to get out there and get shots in arms. By continuing to wear your mask, you are giving us a little more time to vaccinate someone in your community.”

PIERCE \COUNTY Public V Health ' I get it. Masks are annoying and uncomfortable. Here's the deal:

Masks work to reduce the spread of C0VID- 19, especially when used in combination with social distancing.'

Pierce County Public Health Director AZ Snyder