Vaccinating and Saving Lives

From the second COVID-19 vaccines became available, Boone Health has been working around the clock to get as many individuals as possible vaccinated.

When the rst shipment arrived, Boone set up a clinic for its sta , but it didn’t stop there. Boone began working with the health department to reach out to and vaccinate local 1A health care providers who otherwise would not have access to the vaccine. is included private practice physicians and their sta , along with anyone else in our area who fell in the 1A tier group.

“Even if they don’t work directly at a hospital, they are still frontline workers and seeing patients every day. We wanted to do what we could to protect them,” says Boone Health Chief Medical O cer Robin Blount, MD.

2 3 1 1. Boone Health staff and physicians receive the first vaccines on Dec. 17, 2020. 2. Dr. Robin Blount gives Boone Health Trustee Dr. Jerry Kennett the hospital's first COVID vaccine dose. 3. Staff from all areas are encouraged to get vaccinated.

“It is imperative that we get vaccinated. That vaccine is the first weapon we have that actually takes the fight to the virus. We need herd immunity to beat this virus. If we get that, that virus won’t be able to spread as easily to

those who are Boone Health Chief vulnerable.” Medical Officer Dr. Robin Blount

Boone’s partner hospitals — Samaritan Hospital, in Macon, and Pershing Health System, in Brook eld — did not receive an allocation of vaccine, and so Boone sent sta and vaccine to them.

“As the public is aware, I'm sure, many rural community hospitals did not have access to the COVID-19 vaccine. Doses that we were told would be available for rural facilities had not been provided by the state and no date has been given as to when it will be available,” says Pershing Health System CEO Phil Hamilton, RN, MA. “Boone provided their own sta and vaccine to nearly 100 of our employees at a clinic on January 6. is e ort by Boone expedited the protection that our health care workers need to continue to provide care to the communities we serve. Essentially, this clinic saved lives among our sta and within the general population of our service area. We are most grateful to Boone Hospital Center for being more than a friend in this pandemic situation."

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4. Boone nurses prepare their stations at the Pershing Memorial Hospital vaccine clinic. 5. A Pershing Hospital employee shares why he got the vaccine. 6 & 7. Boone Health nurse Brenda Wilson vaccinates Samaritan Hospital employees. 8. Pershing CEO Phil Hamilton expresses gratitude to Boone Health.

9. Community members register to receive vaccines at the Boone vaccine clinic at Columbia Mall. 10. Boone Health nurses and pharmacists administer vaccine doses. 11. Screenings and social distancing are followed at all vaccine clinics. 5

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As more vaccine doses became available, Boone held public vaccination clinics at the Columbia Mall, working with the county health department to schedule eligible individuals. By Madison Loethen

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