In The News - Page 7 Of 26 - Lynn Community Health Center

LYNN — The City of Lynn Department of Public Health, Lynn Community Health Center (LHCH) and Mass General Brigham (MGB) will host a joint, mobile COVID-19 vaccination operation, the city announced Friday. Lynn Public Health Director Michele Desmarais said the program’s goal is to meet people where they are in order to reduce barriers to vaccination in hard-to-reach communities. “I am very proud of the incredible work done by our Department of Public Health staff to vaccinate so many members of our community to date,” Desmarais said. “Offering mobile vaccine clinics creates a more comfortable and accessible environment for people to get vaccinated.” The operation has been piloted over the last two weeks with clinics at a handful of businesses and places of worship for eligible populations based on the state’s guidelines, a press release from City Hall said. These efforts will launch officially on Monday as Massachusetts vaccine eligibility expands to all people ages 16 and up. “Our goal has always been to make vaccines as accessible as possible with a multi-pronged team approach by opening up the Lynn Tech vaccination site, which is up to 6,000 vaccinations a week, and conducting designated vaccine clinics at our senior and affordable housing buildings and for our first responders, educators, and essential workers,” said Mayor Thomas M. McGee. “We also vaccinated a number of our homebound residents before the state launched their homebound program.” State data shows that as of April 13, 24,618 Lynn residents are fully vaccinated and 13,349 are partially vaccinated. Overall, 38 percent of Lynn’s population has received their first dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or the single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. “We are proud to work with the Health Center and the City of Lynn on a comprehensive mobile vaccination strategy and have deployed a robust team of employees to help assist with community vaccination efforts,”said Christine Valdes, M.D., a family medicine physician at North Shore Physicians Group and Medical Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Salem Hospital, a member of Mass General Brigham. “Our community Care Team includes staff from across our system with a range of skill sets and language capabilities who are dedicated to vaccinating the most vulnerable residents of Lynn.” ...

https://www.itemlive.com/2021/04/16/city-of-lynn-and-mass-general-brigham-announce-mobile-covid-19-vaccination-partnership/

COVID-19 Announcements In the News

City of Lynn, Lynn Community Health Center and Mass General Brigham Announce Joint Mobile COVID-19 Vaccination Operation

LYNN — Marita Gove, the nurse practitioner at the Lynn Community Health Center coordinating the COVID-19 vaccine distribution at Lynn Tech and elsewhere, is concerned about reports of blood clots connected with the Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine. It’s not so much that people will get blood clots, because they are extremely rare thus far. It’s more because of what those reports will mean to people who have been reluctant to get on board with the coronavirus vaccine as it is. “About six people out of the 6.8 million who have taken it have had blood clots,” said Gove. “I was reading the New York Times today and saw an article that said that roughly 125 people per million, between the ages of 18 and 48, have died from COVID. “So, you’re talking about one out of a million people who have had blood clots, while 125 out of a million die from COVID. That’s the message we are trying to get across.” All six victims are women between the ages of 18 and 48, according to reports. One woman from Virginia died and a second woman from Nebraska was hospitalized in serious condition. Because of the reports of blood clots, national federal health agencies Tuesday called for a temporary halt in distribution of the J&J vaccine. The temporary halt in distributing the vaccine to Massachusetts has had its largest impact on the Lynn Community Health Center’s mobile outreach clinics, Gove said. “It’s better for us to give the J&J vaccine, where it’s only one dose, to the people we’re reaching out to, like when we go to churches or other sites,” she said. “If we’re only giving them one dose, that means we don’t have to worry about scheduling them for their second dose, and making sure they get there.” However, Gove doesn’t see any interruption in administering vaccination shots. “It’s more work on our part,” she said, “but we’re keeping up. Right now, we have a lot. Last week, we gave 6,000 shots at Lynn Tech. Now, you know that’s going to dwindle down as more and more people get vaccinated.” ...

https://www.itemlive.com/2021/04/15/lynn-health-center-copes-with-jj-vaccine-issue/

LYNN — In an effort to bring vaccines to the residents of the city in places that they feel comfortable, Lynn Community Health Center hosted a vaccination clinic Sunday at Ministerios Visión Cristiana on 333 Union St. Sandra Mendez and her sister Debora Merida, both of whom work at Logan airport, were two Lynn residents who received the vaccine Sunday afternoon. They waited for about an hour after their Sunday church service to receive their shots. “As Christians, we feel like God is in control of it regardless of whether or not there is a vaccine,” said Mendez. “But if this is going to make people around us feel more comfortable, and make ourselves more comfortable, then we’ll do it.” Mendez felt that, if the vaccine clinic hadn’t been in the church, she would not have gotten a shot. “To tell you the truth, I don’t think so,” she said. “We feel at peace here, and because it’s here that’s why we’re getting it. I don’t think I would have gone somewhere else. “We’re helping us but we’re also helping people around us,” said Sandra. “It’s something that at least we have a higher percentage of being safe with it or without it.” For LCHC officials, establishing this element of trust with the community through organizations like the churches is crucial to the vaccination push. “It’s telling why people are receptive to receiving here as opposed to in a traditional health care setting,” said Rosie Conway, the practice manager of the COVID response team for the Lynn Community Health Center. ...

https://www.itemlive.com/2021/04/11/hundreds-vaccinated-at-ministerios-vision-cristiana-in-lynn/

LYNN — Old Neighborhood Foods hosted its first of two vaccination clinics Friday for employees and their families at the company’s Waterhill Street headquarters. Andrew Demakes, director of operations for Old Neighborhood Foods, said he hopes the centralized vaccination location will ease the nerves and hesitancy of employees. “There’s just been a lot of people that have been nervous and apprehensive about getting the shot,” he said. “That’s the feedback that I’ve been getting talking to people.” He said the goal of the clinics is to centralize the process, while also offering a $100 bonus to entice people to get the vaccine. “We’re trying to get everybody on board with getting vaccinated and through what everybody’s gone through, we thought it would be a nice idea to say ‘hey, if you get vaccinated there’s a little bonus at the end of there,” Demakes said. In an effort to make the process convenient for everyone, Demakes said the company is trying to schedule production around the clinic, which ran from 1 to 4 p.m. on Friday. Having the vaccinations at the end of the day was planned out of caution, since Demakes said they didn’t know how people would react to the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. “We’re giving certain departments off, just in case, so they’re not going to have to take off a day of work,” he said. Old Neighborhood Foods is a manufacturer that offers a range of deli products packaged and distributed to stores and supermarkets. That industry has faced a lot of backlash throughout the pandemic regarding working in close quarters, Demakes said. “We want to make sure that everyone is taken care of,” he said. Lynn Community Health Center provided assistance with setting up the clinic. The health center will receive about a couple hundred doses for each clinic. ...

https://www.itemlive.com/2021/04/09/old-neighborhood-hosts-clinic-to-vaccinate-employees-in-lynn/

LYNN — New data from the Lynn Community Health Center shows stark racial disparities in vaccine distribution citywide, but when taking into account which patients are eligible for the vaccine, shows that LCHC has been particularly equitable in its vaccine distribution. The Lynn Community Health Center will receive a boost in those efforts thanks to a $6.85 million federal grant it has been awarded through the American Rescue Plan, which will enable LCHC to expand its COVID-19 vaccination, testing and treatment for vulnerable populations. “When you look at citywide data, the numbers are not particularly equitable,” said Dr. Catherine Reyes of the Lynn Community Health Center. “But when you hone in on health center patients who are eligible for the vaccine, it was fairly proportional for our demographics.” Citywide, the data shows Hispanics make up 45 percent of the population, yet only 21 percent of those individuals had received at least one dose of vaccine as of March 25. Asians make up 7 percent of the city, but only account for 5 percent of its vaccinated individuals. And African-Americans make up 12 percent of the city, but only 9 percent of that group had been vaccinated. In contrast, Caucasians make up just 33 percent of the city’s population, but account for more than half, or 54 percent, of its vaccinated individuals. LCHC reported that discrepancy stems largely from data that shows the white population in Lynn tends to trend older, and are thus more likely to have become eligible for the vaccine sooner. “By prioritizing based on age you do tend to have a disproportionate effect on the population,” said Reyes. ...

https://www.itemlive.com/2021/03/31/successes-and-disparities-in-lynns-vaccine-rollout/

LYNN — U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) visited the Lynn Vocational Technical Institute vaccination clinic Monday afternoon to discuss the ongoing efforts to distribute the COVID-19 vaccine locally and across the country. “I’m here to celebrate successes,” said Warren. “I’ve seen people come together from the community health center, from the city, from the National Guard, to make a vaccination site that works.” Warren spoke with Mayor Thomas M. McGee, state Sen. Brendan Crighton (D-Lynn), and state Reps. Peter Capano and Daniel Cahill (D-Lynn), along with Lynn Community Health Center CEO Dr. Kiame Mahaniah and his staff, who have led vaccination efforts in the city. “I’m really excited to have the senator here today to see the dollars they made available making this happen here,” said McGee. “This really is an amazing operation. I think it’s as good of an operation in the state. I’m really proud of the amount of vaccinations we’ve been able to do. And the team is really making this happen.” Lynn Community Health Center was recently awarded a $6.85 million grant from the federal government through the American Rescue Plan legislation, which will be used in its COVID-19 vaccine distribution efforts. The American Rescue Plan, which was proposed by President Joe Biden and was signed into law on March 11, provided nearly $10 billion to expand vaccine access and education in communities of color, rural areas, municipalities with low-income populations, and other underserved communities in terms of COVID-19 response. Warren’s conversation touched on equity in vaccine distribution, which has been a major goal for the Lynn Community Health Center. Of the minority patients eligible for the vaccine, LCHC Chief Operating Officer Kim Eng said a similar or greater percentage of those patients had received at least one dose. ...

https://www.itemlive.com/2021/03/29/senator-warren-visits-lynn-vaccine-clinic-housing-authority/

A Grim Toll as History Repeating Itself 103 Years Later

https://www.itemlive.com/2021/03/21/a-grim-toll-reprised-history-is-repeating-itself-103-years-later/

Mayor Thomas McGee and the City of Lynn Department of Public Health are pleased to announce additional upcoming Lynn Educator and Essential Worker Vaccination Clinics. The next clinic will be held on Friday, March 26th at the Breed Middle School Gym, 90 O’Callaghan Way. Moderna first dose vaccines will be administered at this Friday’s clinic. Both educators and essential workers can register for an appointment for the March 26th clinic at https://www.maimmunizations.org//reg/6150200972. Additionally, two (2) Essential Workers ONLY Vaccination Clinics will be held next Monday, March 29th and Tuesday March 30th also at the Breed Middle School Gym. The Johnson & Johnson single dose vaccine will be distributed at these Essential Workers Only clinics. ...

http://lynnjournal.com/2021/03/25/vaccine-clinics-for-educators-essential-workers-announced/

Lynn Community Health Center will receive $6.8 Million.
The fiscal year (FY) 2021 American Rescue Plan (ARP) Funding for Health Centers provides one-time funding (H8F) for a two-year period of performance to support health centers funded under the Health Center Program to prevent, mitigate, and respond to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and to enhance health care services and infrastructure.

https://bphc.hrsa.gov/program-opportunities/american-rescue-plan