Complex Systems with Patrick McKenzie (patio11)

That time we accidentally created national healthcare infrastructure, with Dave Kasten

Sep 5, 2024

01:36:06

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Dave Kasten, a key player in the VaccinateCA initiative, shares his journey of mobilizing volunteers to provide crucial vaccine distribution information during the pandemic. He discusses the challenges of transforming chaotic communication into structured systems and the importance of tech in public health. Kasten emphasizes the disconnect between governmental processes and tech innovation, exploring the nuances of public health communication and the role of youth in advocacy. Their conversation offers a compelling look at how collaboration can reshape healthcare infrastructure.

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Quick takeaways

VaccinateCA emerged from a tech community initiative to address the critical lack of vaccination information during the pandemic.

Transitioning from spreadsheets to a user-friendly interface significantly enhanced volunteer engagement and operational efficiency in the organization.

Understanding the complexities of healthcare policies was essential for effectively communicating vaccination information and respecting healthcare providers' limits.

Building relationships between tech professionals and policymakers is crucial for fostering constructive dialogue and advocating for impactful changes in public health.

Deep dives

Founding and Evolution of Vaccinate CA

The initiative known as Vaccinate CA began in early 2021 when members of the tech community recognized a crucial gap in vaccination information during the COVID-19 pandemic. Initially sparked by a social media post, volunteers sought to centralize vaccine availability information by calling pharmacies. Despite facing repeated rejections, the project's founders aimed to streamline the process for many caregivers who were struggling to find vaccination locations. This early determination laid the groundwork for what became an organized effort to provide critical information to the community.

Intro

3min

Navigating Vaccine Distribution Challenges

18min

Innovative Community Engagement in Vaccine Discovery

4min

Navigating Vaccine Communication Challenges

18min

Navigating Vaccine Data and Bureaucratic Challenges

24min

Navigating the Demographics of Tech and Politics

2min

The IRS: Workforce Dynamics and Modernization Challenges

20min

Bridging Tech and Policy

6min

Empowering Young Voices in Health Care Policy

2min

In this episode, Patrick McKenzie (patio11) is joined by Dave Kasten, to discuss their experiences building VaccinateCA, a charitable effort that collected, collated, and distributed vaccine distribution information during the COVID-19 pandemic. (If you Googled for the vaccine, the search results likely came from VaccinateCA’s data.) They cover the challenges of rapidly scaling a volunteer-driven organization, the lessons learned about public health infrastructure, the intricacies of interfacing with government bureaucracy, and reasons to be cautiously optimistic about tech/government collaboration.

Expanding on a theme from recent episodes (see: Casey Handmer), Dave and Patrick cover the stark differences between government and tech sector’s approach to problem-solving. They offer insights into the often-misunderstood world of government operations, the individuals who make it function, and the "scar tissue" of regulations that can both protect and hinder progress.

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Full transcript available here: https://www.complexsystemspodcast.com/episodes/tech-government-dave-kasten/

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Sponsors: WorkOS | Check

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Links:

The Story of VaccinateCA, Works in Progress https://worksinprogress.co/issue/the-story-of-vaccinateca/

https://davekasten.substack.com/

https://www.bitsaboutmoney.com/

Complex Systems episode ft. Kelsey Piper (Spotify): https://open.spotify.com/episode/33rHTZVowaq76tCTaKJfRB

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Twitter:

@patio11

@David_Kasten

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Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro

(00:23) Dave Kasten’s unique career path

(01:37) The beginning of VaccinateCA

(03:09) Early challenges and volunteer efforts

(07:24) Volunteer coordination and call center operations

(10:55) Navigating policies and procedures

(14:33) Navigating policies and prioritization

(21:00) Adapting to volunteer feedback

(22:50) Sponsors: WorkOS | Check

(25:07) Public reception and media involvement

(35:40) Government and institutional responses

(45:59) Differences between tech and government approaches

(47:52) Challenges in pandemic information dissemination

(49:10) Accuracy and information systems

(53:43) Government and agile development

(56:51) Bureaucratic constraints and historical practices

(01:08:55) Government workforce and technological challenges

(01:22:34) The importance of policy engagement

(01:33:42) Wrap

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Complex Systems is part of the Turpentine podcast network.

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