At PPOSBC, we understand that the only way to end this deadly pandemic is with COVID-19 vaccines, and we are proud to be able to offer the Moderna vaccine to eligible members of our community.
The road to offering the vaccine has not been easy. Beginning in early January and lasting for one month, PPOSBC converted one health center into a COVID-19 vaccination center for employees once a week, resulting in 75% of staff being fully vaccinated by the end of February. That experience not only provided valuable operations insight on how to effectively run vaccination centers, but it also brought the recognition of the important role that PPOSBC could play in ensuring our patients and other members of the community had access to the vaccine from a trusted provider.
“We quickly realized the important health equity role that small providers can play in vaccine distribution,” said Dr. Shannon Connolly, Associate Medical Director. “While sites like Disneyland may be able to serve more people, small trusted providers that already serve the community are better able to reach underserved and vulnerable populations.”
This valuable experience started the herculean process of PPOSBC being approved as an official vaccination site through the county, which required integrating with the state’s MyTurn scheduling system, and temporarily converting two health centers and an administration building into vaccination clinics.
While the vaccine itself is provided to PPOSBC at no cost, there are considerable costs associated with its distribution, including shutting down health centers to family planning patients, and providing staffing to administer the vaccine.
“Despite the cost, PPOSBC believes the public health benefit of providing the vaccine to the community far outweighs the price,” said Betha Schnelle, Chief Operating Officer. “We’re willing to make that investment in the health of our community.”
Eligible patients and community members aged 18+ can now make a vaccine appointment through the MyTurn system (www.MyTurn.CA.Gov), and are able to select from our Anaheim, San Bernardino, and Victorville locations.
“We’ve been in a deadly pandemic for over a year. The opportunity for PPOSBC to be part of the solution is a true honor,” said Schnelle.
Learn more about PPOSBC vaccination sites here.
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