Contact: Marisol Murphy-Ballantyne marisol.murphy-ballantyne@cciweb.org (301) 340-7525 Ext. 2610 | For Immediate Release April 9, 2021 |
Local Health Center Offers Moderna Vaccine to 800 patients in Mass Vaccination Event
Silver Spring, MD– Community health center, CCI Health & Wellness Services (CCI), will complete protection for 800 patients in a COVID-19 second dose mass vaccination event on April 11, 2021, in Takoma Park. These patients received their first Moderna dose at an all-day event in March. Since January, CCI has vaccinated more than 3,100 individuals, of which 80 percent are minorities.
CCI can mass vaccinate patients because of their selection for the Health Center COVID-19 Vaccine Program. The organization was the first Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) designated in Maryland, increasing its ability to vaccinate. The program is part of the Biden Administration’s efforts to advance equitable distribution of the vaccine focusing on populations with barriers to accessing the vaccine.
CCI has approached the pandemic with a focus on equity. Keeping its doors open so that some of Montgomery County and Prince George’s County’s most marginalized communities still had access to in-person healthcare. The health center also provided patients with masks, hand sanitizers, digital thermometers, and other supplies to stay healthy on public transportation and avoid ER visits. By administering the COVID-19 vaccine, CCI is strengthening patients and the local community in the effort toward herd immunity.
“We genuinely care about the people we serve and worked hard to bring this access. We come from the communities we serve, so our patient stories and experiences are ours, too,” said Sonya Bruton, PSY.D., MPA, Chief Executive Officer, and President. “We understood that the pandemic meant our patients would face compounded barriers to staying healthy, so we are making every effort to make sure they are given equal opportunities to accessing the COVID-19 vaccine.”
To alert patients of their opportunity to get a COVID-19 vaccine, the health center goes to them rather than depending on an online system that can be too complex for some. The organization directly contacts patients, screens them to make sure they can receive the vaccine, and schedules their dose. CCI also provides Uber and Lyft vouchers for those patients who face transportation barriers and care from home when venturing out creates more barriers.
###
About CCI Health & Wellness Services
CCI Health & Wellness Services is a 49-year-old Federally Qualified Health Center that serves 60,000 medical patients and Women Infant’s & Children (WIC) participants in Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties. As a 501(c)3 non-profit, CCI is committed to providing high-quality, affordable primary healthcare to every patient across all life stages. Visit www.cciweb.org for more information.