DMSE SPORTS TAPPED BY CIC HEALTH TO OVERSEE LOGISTICS AT MASS VACCINATION SITES GILLETTE STADIUM AND FENWAY PARK
RUNNING USA
Thousands of Massachusetts residents receive the vaccine each day at CIC Health-operated sites
DMSE Sports, the event management team that has managed and produced more than 1,400 mass participatory events over the past 40 years announced they have been recruited by CIC Health, a Cambridge-based health tech company, to oversee the on-site vaccine operations and logistics management at two of the state’s mass vaccination sites: Gillette Stadium and Fenway Park.
“From the moment we were asked to launch mass vaccination sites, we have been focused on ensuring an exceptional guest experience. We want every person who gets vaccinated with us to encounter a process that is seamless, safe, effective, and kind,” said Rachel Wilson, Chief Operating Officer of CIC Health. “We tapped DMSE Sports to assist us in executing on that goal and I'm proud to share that our guests share their delight every day.”
CIC Health is one of the largest facilitators of COVID-19 testing in the country, known for easy online scheduling, no lines, and quick turnaround. They were selected by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to utilize this innovative approach to operate vaccination logistics at Gillette Stadium and Fenway Park.
“There are a lot of similarities between managing road races and operating these vaccination sites,” said Dave McGillivray, founder and president of DMSE Sports. “Our main goal is to provide a safe and efficient experience for all our guests. It feels good to know we are helping to save lives and keeping people healthy.”
McGillivray said managing these sites is arguably the most important mission that DMSE Sports has been responsible for during its 40-year career. At the outset of the pandemic, the company pivoted and started managing drive-in movies and outdoor graduations, renting their race equipment to restaurants for outdoor dining, helping manage COVID testing sites, and producing a few unique virtual events. Then the vaccination management opportunity presented itself.
DMSE Sports CEO Matt West compared their new, monumental task to what they know best—road races. “Running these vaccination sites is very similar to managing a marathon,” he said. “Everyone registers, then we line them up, and they go through the course (from check-in points to vaccination stations) safely and efficiently. When they cross the finish line, we keep an eye on them to make sure they are okay (in the observation area), they take their celebratory selfies, and off they go feeling better about themselves on the way out than they did on the way in.”
CIC Health has engaged several other partners, including Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Mass General Brigham for medical oversight, Cataldo Ambulance and Fallon Ambulance for vaccine preparation and administration, and PWN Health for remote customer support.
As important and serious as this new endeavor is, the DMSE Sports team has found a nugget of levity. “Instead of emails from clients, some of us are now getting emails from the refrigerators storing the vaccine giving us temperature readings,” McGillivray said. “That information alone is crucial and one of our biggest concerns, but I never thought someday we’d be getting emails from a refrigerator!”
West said he expects the mass-vaccination sites to continue into the summer, at which point he said he hopes to be back managing road races. “We did not lose our business,” he said, “We just lost permission to conduct it. We will be back and we expect to be back stronger than ever.”
Over 65,000 guests have already been vaccinated at Gillette Stadium since the team started approximately four weeks ago.
About DMSE Sports
Founded by Dave McGillivray in 1981, DMSE Sports is a leader in sports event management, specializing in creating and producing mass participatory athletic events throughout the U.S. and abroad. DMSE works with the B.A.A. operations team in overseeing all the logistics and technical operations of the B.A.A. Boston Marathon and manages the TD Beach to Beacon 10K in Maine, the Asics Falmouth Road Race on Cape Cod, the lululemon San Diego 10K, and the Bellin Run in Green Bay, Wisconsin, among others. For additional information about DMSE Sports, visit www.dmsesports.com or find DMSE on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
About CIC Health
CIC Health offers comprehensive COVID-19 testing and vaccination services that are accessible, fast, and easy. We collaborate with private and public entities like CLIA-certified labs, physician networks, healthcare institutions, and state and municipal governments. CIC Health is a Tech Top 50 Company in Massachusetts and a subsidiary of Cambridge Innovation Center (CIC), a global leader in building innovation communities. Learn more at cic-health.com.