Patron-Focused to Patient-Focused: A Theatre Becomes a Vaccination Site
In February, the Cheyenne Civic Center became a vaccination site for the over-70 population, many of whom were patrons. The experience showcased how easily the patron-focused services of the theatre translated to the patient-focused vaccine rollout.
The Cheyenne Civic Center, run by the city's Community and Recreation Division, is a touchstone for the Wyoming community of 67,000. The Center sits in the heart of downtown, blocks from City Hall and other cultural institutions. Like all U.S. theatres, COVID has profoundly impacted the venue--forcing a pivot to virtual programs, reduced in-person capacity, and staff furloughs.
When the vaccine rollout began, the Regional Medical Center approached the Center to be a vaccination site for the over 70 population. WAA's Membership and Communications Manager, Harper Brokaw-Falbo, had a chance to chat with the Venue Manager, Amy Gorbey, about how the experience gave her and her staff a chance to flex their patron-oriented "superpowers" and why the theatre was uniquely poised for the task.
How it Happened
Like so many aspects of the performing arts, it all comes down to relationships. Cheyenne Fire Chief Byron Mathews is a “big venue fan” and a colleague of Gobney from her days at the Historic Atlas Theatre. It was Chief Mathews who suggested to city leaders that the Civic Center would be the ideal vaccination site.
The city had already been experimenting with ways to utilize the Center, for example, streaming town council meetings. "The older patrons love the space. They feel comfortable," stated Gobey, and its central location and adjacent parking garage made it ideal for the older demographic that the initial rollout targeted.
The Setup
Tables set up in the long hallway. Images courtesy of Amy Gorbey.
The hospital handled scheduling community members, primarily by phone. Gobey sees an opportunity in the future to leverage their ticketing system hosted on Atlas. "It has built-in reservations, but for this population, phone calls were so critical."
The selfie-station banner. Image courtesy of Amy Gorbey.
The lobby, a long hallway, was set up with tables where patients could fill out pre-vaccination paperwork, and vaccine stations were staggered along the corridor. Once vaccinated, staff ushered the patients to the theatre for 15 minutes of observation. The venue team set up socially distanced white plastic chairs in the aisles. The plastic chairs are easy to sanitize, unlike the theatre's cloth stadium chairs. While the 15 minutes elapsed, the theatre projected instructional information provided by the hospital.
On the way out, the newly vaccinated could take a quick selfie in front of a banner.
The Partnership
The Civic Center worked with teams from the Cheyenne Regional Medical Center and the local health department. When the hospital staff arrived for the initial walkthrough to determine the site's viability, the venue team was prepared. "We had thought through everything. We pitched them the whole setup. They were just like, 'Oh, we didn't think about that.' We had it all thought out. When we toured it with them, they were like, 'that's so easy, we want it all like that.' So I think that logistics [sic] is such a good match for venues."
There were about 17-20 hospital staff and 4-5 venue staff on site. As a bonus, the venue staff received vaccines since their involvement in the vaccination campaign qualified them as essential workers.
Gobey, a member of the International Association of Venue Managers (IVAM), pointed out that performing arts centers are rallying city authorities to use them as COVID vaccine sites. The burden on hospitals and health authorities is immense, and cities and health departments can lean on local venues to pick up some of the logistical slack and employ furloughed workers.
Final Advice:
"What I learned was how friendly and service-oriented venues are," something that staff often take for granted. "You are always thinking about the patron. It informs all your decisions, and you think of details in a way that is very patron—or in this case, patient-focused. That's our superpower. We missed it so much. "
Have a similar story about how your organization has adapted or changed this past year? We want to hear about it! Email hbfalbo@westarts.org.