VO
(00:00 Fade in “Xenon Sentry” by Shane Ivers)
(00:08)
PHILLIP EVOLA IS SITTING IN A WHEELCHAIR IN THE LIVING ROOM OF HIS PORT SAINT LUCIE HOME. NO FEWER THAN SIX GUITARS ARE STREWN ABOUT. THERE’S A SIGNED AEROSMITH ALBUM HANGING ON THE WALL. BUT IT’S THE SKULLS ATOP THE AMPLIFIERS THAT REFLECT THE SEVENTY-ONE-YEAR-OLD’S STATUS AS A SELF-PROCLAIMED DEADHEAD.
IT’S APRIL TWENTY-NINTH AND EVOLA HAS JUST RECEIVED HIS SECOND DOSE OF THE MODERNA COVID-NINETEEN VACCINE. HE SAYS IT CAME FAR TOO LATE.
(00:33 Fade out “Xenon Sentry” by Shane Ivers)
SOT
(00:36)
Phillip Evola, COVID-19 vaccine patient; Port St. Lucie, Fla.
“I was incredibly angry. Here was a group of people who are primarily old; they have a higher risk factor innately. Why not put them, if not on top, at least up there with nursing homes? Yet we waited weeks and weeks and weeks. Mini-Trump up there in Tallahassee completely forgot about us.”
VO
(00:59)
IN THE BACKGROUND, YOU MAY HAVE HEARD PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT DIANE MURRAY TENDING TO PHILLIP’S WIFE, JOANN, WHO IS BEDBOUND, IN ANOTHER ROOM. THANKS TO STUART-BASED MEDICAL GROUP DOCTORS HOUSE CALLS, THE COUPLE WERE INOCULATED AT HOME.
SOT
(01:13)
Phillip Evola, COVID-19 vaccine patient; Port St. Lucie, Fla.
“I can finally get back to not only playing in the band, I miss people, I missed hugging. ... My world has consisted of this house and walking Carmine — with the walker — two houses to the east and two houses to the west. And that’s it.”
VO
(01:30)
AS ELATED PHILLIP SAYS HE IS THAT HE AND JOANN ARE NOW FULLY VACCINATED, HE’S STUNG IT TOOK THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS SO LONG TO MAKE SURE HOMEBOUND PATIENTS HAD VACCINE ACCESS.
HERE’S THE GOVERNOR IN A JANUARY BRIEFING.
SOT
(01:45)
Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla.; Jan. 22, 2021, video briefing
“We remain laser-focused on protecting those most vulnerable to COVID-19 and ensuring that every senior who wants a vaccine can get a vaccine.”
VO
(01:54)
JUST BEFORE CHRISTMAS, DESANTIS HAD SIGNED AN EXECUTIVE ORDER PRIORITIZING THREE GROUPS FOR VACCINATION: FRONTLINE HEALTH CARE WORKERS, STAFF AND RESIDENTS OF LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES, AND PEOPLE SIXTY-FIVE AND OLDER.
THE EVOLAS FELL INTO THE LATTER CATEGORY ON PAPER. IN PRACTICE — AS HOMEBOUND RESIDENTS — THEY WEREN’T INITIALLY TARGETED IN THE GOVERNOR’S HIGHLY TOUTED “SENIORS FIRST” CAMPAIGN.
SOT
(02:18)
Phillip Evola, COVID-19 vaccine patient; Port St. Lucie, Fla.
“It doesn’t make sense. The whole handling of this in the state of Florida has been backward, has been ridiculously aimed in the wrong direction —
(02:30 Fade in “Unfolding Mirrors” by Shane Ivers)
“— every step of the way.”
VO
(02:34)
IN THE FIRST WEEKS OF TWENTY-TWENTY-ONE, EVEN THE MOST ABLE-BODIED SENIORS BATTLED FOR APPOINTMENTS THROUGH CLEVELAND CLINIC FLORIDA AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT POP-UP CLINICS. VACCINE SUPPLY VARIED WEEK TO WEEK AND WAITLISTS QUICKLY FILLED.
DOSES WERE DISTRIBUTED AMONG TREASURE COAST PHARMACIES IN FEBRUARY. AND IN MARCH, THE STATE OPENED A LONG-TERM, WALK-IN CLINIC IN FORT PIERCE. NO MATTER THE HEALTH CARE PROVIDER, SNAGGING AN APPOINTMENT WAS NO LONGER CUTTHROAT.
(03:00 Fade out “Unfolding Mirrors” by Shane Ivers)
BUT IT DIDN’T MATTER. MEDICAL CONDITIONS PREVENTED THE EVOLAS FROM LEAVING THEIR HOME. AND THEY’RE NOT ALONE.
HERE’S BECKY DANIELS, OFFICE MANAGER FOR DOCTORS HOUSE CALLS.
SOT
(03:11)
Becky Daniels, Doctors House Calls office manager; Port St. Lucie, Fla.
“To this very second, Florida SHOTS — the state level — has not given me one vial. Not one.”
VO
(03:18)
DANIELS SAYS IN JANUARY SHE REQUESTED DOSES FOR HER MORE THAN EIGHT-HUNDRED PATIENTS THROUGH FLORIDA SHOTS, THE STATE’S IMMUNIZATION PORTAL. AS OF APRIL TWENTY-NINTH, THE DAY THE EVOLAS GOT THEIR BOOSTER SHOTS, SHE WAS STILL WAITING. BY THEN, ALL FLORIDA RESIDENTS SIXTEEN AND OLDER HAD BEEN ELIGIBLE FOR VACCINATION FOR ALMOST A MONTH.
HAVING HIT A DEAD END WITH THE STATE, DANIELS TURNED TO THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT’S MARTIN COUNTY OFFICE, WHICH GAVE HER ONE-HUNDRED DOSES ON MARCH THIRTY-FIRST AND HAS SINCE PROVIDED AT LEAST TWO-HUNDRED ADDITIONAL DOSES. STILL, SHE HAS PATIENTS IN NEED.
SOT
(03:54)
Becky Daniels, Doctors House Calls office manager; Port St. Lucie, Fla.
“It took a while. It took a very long time just to get where we needed to get. And we’re one company, one practice, in the state.”
VO
(04:02)
THE FLORIDA DIVISION OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT LAUNCHED A PILOT HOMEBOUND VACCINATION PROGRAM IN EARLY FEBRUARY, BEGINNING WITH HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS IN FOUR COUNTIES, INCLUDING MARTIN. IT THEN EXPANDED TO WORLD WAR TWO AND KOREAN WAR VETERANS.
IT WASN’T UNTIL MARCH TWELFTH THAT THE STATE INVITED THE GENERAL POPULATION OF HOMEBOUND FLORIDIANS TO REQUEST A VACCINE.
THE D-E-M SAYS IT HAS ADMINISTERED OVER TWENTY-FOUR-THOUSAND SHOTS TO HOMEBOUND PATIENTS THROUGH MAY FOURTEENTH. THAT DOESN’T INCLUDE PEOPLE SUCH AS THE EVOLAS, WHO SOUGHT PRIVATE MOBILE CARE.
THOUGH PROGRESS IS BEING MADE, DANIELS STRESSED THERE REMAINS A DISCONNECT PREVENTING MOBILE PROVIDERS FROM GETTING ENOUGH DOSES TO SERVE THEIR CLIENTELE.
AND AS LOCAL MASS VACCINATION CLINICS PREPARE TO CEASE OR SLOW OPERATIONS, PHILLIP REMINDS THERE ARE TREASURE COAST RESIDENTS LIKE HIM AND JOANN WHO ARE STILL WAITING THEIR TURN.
SOT
(04:50)
Phillip Evola, COVID-19 vaccine patient; Port St. Lucie, Fla.
“Not only do I get the shot and all the good things that come with it, I don’t have to put myself at risk to do so. So them bringing it here is literally a godsend.”
TAG
(05:03 Fade in “Save Us Now” by Shane Ivers)
(05:08)
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING. IF YOU ENJOYED THIS STORY, PLEASE SUPPORT LOCAL JOURNALISM BY BECOMING A T-C-PALM SUBSCRIBER. VISIT T-C-PALM-DOT-COM TO READ MORE ABOUT HOMEBOUND VACCINATIONS, AS WELL AS OTHER IN-DEPTH STORIES ABOUT HOW THE COVID-NINETEEN PANDEMIC IS AFFECTING LIFE ON THE TREASURE COAST.
THIS STORY WAS RESEARCHED, RECORDED, EDITED AND PRODUCED BY ME, LINDSEY LEAKE. ROYALTY-FREE MUSIC WAS COMPOSED BY SHANE IVERS AT SILVERMAN SOUND STUDIOS.
REPORTING FOR T-C-PALM IN PORT SAINT LUCIE, FLORIDA, I’M LINDSEY LEAKE.
(TRT 05:45 Fade out “Xenon Sentry” by Shane Ivers)
_______
An earlier version of this audio story was written and produced for Lindsey Leake’s 491.750 Contemporary Science and Medical Writing: Creative and Professional Forms course at the Johns Hopkins University Krieger School of Arts and Sciences on May 10, 2021. This updated version was published for TCPalm via SoundCloud on May 20, 2021, to accompany Leake’s written TCPalm story (subscriber exclusive) published on May 19, 2021.