All Times ET
Keywords: COVID-19, Vaccine Management, Inventory Management, Data Science Systems
“Is there going to be enough?” That is a question that has kept us awake many nights in reference to both personal protective equipment for healthcare workers and vaccines, in our role using data science in West Virginia’s COVID-19 response. The state of West Virginia presents an interesting case study on the ability of academic partnerships with state entities to respond to public health crises and how data science came to provide key insights into the response. Our talk will focus on the entire workflow on using statistical and epidemiological techniques combined with business operations to prepare for surges in patients at every hospital in the state of West Virginia, to providing real time insights and recommendations in vaccine allocation and distribution. The tools produced have led West Virginia to perform well in many vaccine metrics including doses distributed. As a group of Jim’s former students, we are thankful for the tools and discussions he had with us about this and related projects, and believe he would be proud of how data science has been a driving factor in West Virginia’s success.