We were doing our part to help facilitate making the vaccine available to the public.
I was feeling confined and socially distanced due to COVID-19, as many of us are – and anxious for a vaccine so I could get back to a more normal life. I had heard about vaccine trials on the national news, so I did some research on the Internet about them. The closest clinical trials were 70 miles from where I live. My husband encouraged me to get more information, so I called the clinical trial phone number, and they sent us paperwork to complete.
We felt that enrolling in a trial would help facilitate the process of making a vaccine available to the public. We knew participants for clinical trials were needed. I also was hoping to get a vaccine as soon as possible. We began this process in September, when Moderna and Pfizer were in third-phase clinical trials. We were both eligible, and it was determined by the research center in Jacksonville, Florida that we would be in the Pfizer trial, as we were adhering to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations for social distancing and wearing masks.
We had an initial phone interview and were sent forms via email. We completed a medical history form and current medication list, and signed a consent. We had a phone interview during which I asked several questions, including “what happens if we get placebo?”, “when can we get the actual vaccines?”, “if the Pfizer vaccine is not approved, can we get an approved vaccine when one becomes available?”, and “how long will the trial last?” We were given information about our commitment, which is two years, and were accepted into the Pfizer clinical trial.
In early October, I drove to Jacksonville, where I met with the staff at the clinical research center. I was interviewed by a staff member, had vital signs taken, and received a brief physical by a physician. I signed a lengthy consent form, had a COVID test, and received my first injection in the beginning of October. My husband received his a week later. We were given a kit with a thermometer, a COVID test, instructions for an app to keep a weekly diary, and contact information in case we developed COVID symptoms..
I received the second injection three weeks later, and had at least two subsequent appointments for follow-up physicals, additional COVID tests, labs, and interviews. My husband had similar visits, and one additional visit after he had one possible vague COVID symptom, which he reported. When this happened, he called the research center, and he was instructed to do a COVID test. I was positive he didn’t have COVID, but we followed protocol.
When I received the two injections, I did not have any symptoms, while my husband had dizziness for a few days, which was worse after the second injection. This led me to believe that I likely had received the placebo, and he had received the actual vaccine. This study was blinded, and we were unable to verify this. The staff thought we might be a priority for the vaccine if we received the placebo when I inquired, but we did not have this in writing, as it was not confirmed.
When the vaccine was approved for emergency use and nurses were able to be vaccinated in Georgia, I called the research center to inquire if I received the vaccine or placebo. The vaccine was available where I worked, and I was anxious to have this information. About two weeks later and after several calls, my case was unblinded, I determined I had not received the vaccine, and then I was given an appointment to receive one on Dec. 22. It was a great Christmas present!
My husband’s study was to be blinded until his next appointment, but that later changed. We recently learned that he did get the Pfizer vaccine in October!
Most of our follow-up at this point will be via phone, and we continue to complete our weekly diaries. When we have spoken to friends, some people are interested in our experience and appreciative for our efforts, and others joke about us being guinea pigs. We feel we were only trying to do our part to help facilitate making the vaccine available to the public.
Programming Note: Listen to Carol Lester report this story live today during Talk Ten Tuesdays, 10 a.m. Eastern.
EDITOR’S NOTE Day 3 of the federal shutdown continues. This article by Mark Spivey is part of a special section today published by RACmonitor and
As expected, the federal shutdown began early Wednesday morning. What’s unknown is how long it will continue. Neither congressional Republicans nor Democrats appear to be
Please log in to your account to comment on this article.
Accurately determining the principal diagnosis is critical for compliant billing, appropriate reimbursement, and valid quality reporting — yet it remains one of the most subjective and error-prone areas in inpatient coding. In this expert-led session, Cheryl Ericson, RN, MS, CCDS, CDIP, demystifies the complexities of principal diagnosis assignment, bridging the gap between coding rules and clinical reality. Learn how to strengthen your organization’s coding accuracy, reduce denials, and ensure your documentation supports true medical necessity.
Denials continue to delay reimbursement, increase administrative burden, and threaten financial stability across healthcare organizations. This essential webcast tackles the root causes—rising payer scrutiny, fragmented workflows, inconsistent documentation, and underused analytics—and offers proven, data-driven strategies to prevent and overturn denials. Attendees will gain practical tools to strengthen documentation and coding accuracy, engage clinicians effectively, and leverage predictive analytics and AI to identify risks before they impact revenue. Through real-world case examples and actionable guidance, this session empowers coding, CDI, and revenue cycle professionals to shift from reactive appeals to proactive denial prevention and revenue protection.
Sepsis remains one of the most frequently denied and contested diagnoses, creating costly revenue loss and compliance risks. In this webcast, Angela Comfort, DBA, MBA, RHIA, CDIP, CCS, CCS-P, provides practical, real-world strategies to align documentation with coding guidelines, reconcile Sepsis-2 and Sepsis-3 definitions, and apply compliant queries. You’ll learn how to identify and address documentation gaps, strengthen provider engagement, and defend diagnoses against payer scrutiny—equipping you to protect reimbursement, improve SOI/ROM capture, and reduce audit vulnerability in this high-risk area.
Only ICD10monitor delivers what you need: updates on must-know changes associated with the FY26 IPPS, including new ICD-10-CM/PCS codes, CCs/MCCs, and MS-DRGs, plus insights, analysis and answers to your questions from two of the country’s most respected subject matter experts.
Get clear, practical answers to Medicare’s most confusing regulations. Join Dr. Ronald Hirsch as he breaks down real-world compliance challenges and shares guidance your team can apply right away.
Federal auditors are zeroing in on Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility (IRF) and hospital rehab unit services, with OIG and CERT audits leading to millions in penalties—often due to documentation and administrative errors, not quality of care. Join compliance expert Michael Calahan, PA, MBA, to learn the five clinical “pillars” of IRF-PPS admissions, key documentation requirements, and real-life case lessons to help protect your revenue.
During this essential RACmonitor webcast Michael Calahan, PA, MBA Certified Compliance Officer, will clarify the rules, dispel common misconceptions, and equip you with practical strategies to code, document, and bill high-risk split/shared, incident-to & critical care E/M services with confidence. Don’t let audit risks or revenue losses catch your organization off guard — learn exactly what federal auditors are looking for and how to ensure your documentation and reporting stand up to scrutiny.
Learn how to navigate the proposed elimination of the Inpatient-Only list. Gain strategies to assess admission status, avoid denials, protect compliance, and address impacts across Medicare and non-Medicare payors. Essential insights for hospitals.
Prepare for the 2025 CMS IPPS Final Rule with ICD10monitor’s IPPSPalooza! Click HERE to learn more
Get 15% OFF on all educational webcasts at ICD10monitor with code JULYFOURTH24 until July 4, 2024—start learning today!
CYBER WEEK IS HERE! Don’t miss your chance to get 20% off now until Dec. 2 with code CYBER24
