Renown Mychart Faqs, Waiting List for Covid-19 Vaccine Now Full |

UPDATE: Officials with Renown Health say the waiting list for COVID-19 vaccine appointments for those 70-years-old and older are now full as of Monday.

They say they will be working through the list to offer appointments as they become available.

Renown continues to vaccinate physicians and its essential workforce, and to provide nasal swab testing for those with a lab order from their provider. Renown has stretched to support the Washoe County Health District to meet the needs of those aged 70 and older who are now eligible to receive a vaccine.

Over this past weekend, more than 3,000 of Washoe County's oldest residents were able to get an appointment and receive their first dose of the vaccine.

Out of the 3,000 appointments on MyChart, 100 percent of them were booked within an hour.

“We want to help the Health District, and we are working to vaccinate as many people as possible, given our limited staffing, volunteers, space and vaccine,” says Melodie Osborn, RN, Chief Nursing & Quality Officer for Health Services. “We are glad to step in and help; and our goal is to always provide an exceptional vaccine experience. Our team and our systems are definitely feeling the pressure as we see unprecedented demand for this vaccine. We ask the public to be patient with us, and to help support us in this important work.”

Renown is working to ensure those who received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine will get their second dose in a timely manner. This includes 7,000 physicians and health care workers and will now include those seniors who were vaccinated.

Last Thursday, when Renown announced that those who are 75-years-old and older could join the waiting list through MyChart, so many people logged in that the system strained to accommodate the additional demand. Renown has doubled the capacity of the MyChart system to be sure all goes smoothly.

Renown customer service phone line also crashed last Thursday due to the high number of callers. Service was restored but is limited due to the hundreds of calls coming in daily.

To expand capacity and help in giving vaccines, Renown Health is seeking medically trained personnel to join their team on a seasonal basis to support the vaccination effort. Those who are qualified can apply online here:

Renown is still encouraging anyone who is interested in the vaccine to get on the waiting list on MyChart.

Original Story: Officials with Renown say beginning on Thursday, January 14, Renown is partnering with the Washoe County Health District to distribute limited supplies of COVID-19 vaccines to those 75-years-old and older.

Residents can register on the MyChart App and once registered, Renown will send residents an email or text so they can schedule an appointment. 

They said there is a waiting list for an appointment at Renown's drive-thru COVID-19 vaccination clinic.

Residents will need to download the Renown MyChart, found here. 

Residents do not need to have a Renown Health provider to enroll. They will be notified through their MyChart account when appointments are available.

The vaccine clinic is operating by appointment only.

Due to limited supply, Renown is focusing on those 75-years-old and older at this time. Once those in that age group have the opportunity to receive the vaccine, the next population group will be those 70-years-old and older.

Renown Health patients and members of the Senior Care Plus/Hometown Health aged 75 and older will be notified through their MyChart accounts as appointments become available. Once an appointment is confirmed, instructions are given on how to get the vaccine.

In Washoe County alone, there are 29,034 people who are 75-years-old and older.

Older adults are at greater risk of requiring hospitalization or dying if diagnosed with COVID-19. The risk for hospitalization for those 75 and older is eight to 13 times higher, with deaths 220 to 630 percent higher than for younger adults. Officials say this is in part due to a weakened immune system as we get older.

You are advised not to receive the vaccine if:

- You are ill at the time (fever, shortness of breath, vomiting, diarrhea or acute illness)

- You have been diagnosed with COVID-19 in the previous 14 days

- You received any other vaccination in the last 14 days

- You have a history of significant allergic reaction to this vaccine or any of its ingredients

Downloading MyChart does not guarantee an appointment.

We reached out to Renown to answer some of our most Frequently Asked Questions. These are the answers a Renown spokesperson gave us:

How long will the vaccine clinic last today; how many more weeks, months?

Renown’s Drive Thru COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic is open by appointment only and will operate through Sunday. Renown Health has partnered with the Washoe County Health District to assist in distributing the initially available, limited supplies of COVID-19 vaccines to those aged 70 and older in Washoe County. Because vaccine supply is provided by the County, and is limited, we are working week to week based on the amount of vaccine that is being provided.

We’ve had elderly viewers ask if there was another option other than MyChart to sign up for a vaccine—is there talks about making a phone line to make it easier for the older Nevadans? Why MyChart over a phone line?

Renown Health has been able to distribute and administer the COVID-19 vaccine to a record number of people in the shortest possible time. Much of this success is due to the use of a convenient patient electronic medical record, called EPIC MyChart, which allows people to be notified that the vaccine is available, schedule their appointments online, complete the consent form and have full documentation. In addition, the information automatically posts to Web IZ Nevada’s Statewide Immunization Information System. There is a very limited staff providing assistance to those without cell phones and computers to assist them as vaccine is available. We need your help! If you know of someone over the age of 70 who lives in Washoe County, and is interested in getting the vaccine, please arrange a MyChart account for them.

Is MyChart the most practical for the majority of Washoe county?

Yes. Many people 70 and older already have MyChart accounts and this patient electronic record for all their health communication. Renown Health has been able to distribute and administer the COVID-19 vaccine to a record number of people in the shortest possible time due to this innovation called EPIC MyChart, which allows people to be notified that the vaccine is available, schedule their appointments online, complete the consent form and have full documentation. In addition, the information automatically posts to Web IZ Nevada’s Statewide Immunization Information System.

Are all appointments filled up?

Yes for this week. Renown received 2,900 COVID-19 vaccines this week and 2,900 older adults in Washoe County made appointments to be vaccinated at the Renown Drive Thru COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic.

Pending vaccine availability, Renown anticipates releasing its next round of appointments to a random sample of those age 70 and older as early as next week, Monday, January 18 by 12 noon.

How long after the site launched that appointments were filled?

Within 3-4 days, all appointments were filled for this week.

How often is the site updated with vaccine appointments?

Pending vaccine availability, Renown anticipates releasing another round of appointments to a random sample of patients age 70 and older as early as next week, Monday, January 18 by 12 noon.

If people still need help with the site, who can they call?

A MyChart account is preferred to assure notification, consent, scheduling, reminders and documentation for vaccine distribution. We need your help! If you know of someone over the age of 70 who lives in Washoe County, and is interested in getting the vaccine, please arrange a MyChart account for them.