By Denise McQuown-Hatter, President and CEO
Author Victor Hugo once wrote: “Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.”
Here we are in early 2021, and while the COVID numbers are trending in the right direction with the sun peeking out, we have to stay vigilant with our COVID precautions and continue to get ourselves and our community members vaccinated.
Affinity Health Services asks everyone to roll up their sleeves, get vaccinated and do their part in battling the COVID-19 pandemic. This vaccine, and a continuation of the hygiene that has overtaken our daily routines, will lead us to sunnier days.
We want to share that our client-based vaccine campaign was intense and multifaceted. “Give COVID the Boot” was our theme and education was at the top of our agenda’s for each staff member. We organized strategic partnerships with our labor unions, community resources and Medical Directors to name a few. Those clients who were able to take full advantage of the resources provided have produced positive results.
We have many people to thank along the way for the successful campaigns including SEIU, AFSCME, Pharmacy Partners, many experienced and dedicated Medical Directors, Dr. Joshua Uy, and supportive boards of directors to name a few. The majority of our partner senior living communities far surpassed the average vaccination rates.
The leadership teams paved the way in their communities by organizing unique and heartwarming recognition for those who understand their roles as healthcare workers while also keeping their commitment to protect those that we serve.
These organizations far surpassed the average vaccination rates being recorded in other senior living communities across the state and the nation.
We partner with many senior care communities. Ever since the outset of the vaccine, we have encouraged the staff and residents to protect themselves and those they care about – and those in their care.
This need to be vaccinated also extends to the community as well. The more people vaccinated, the better. We need everyone to step up and, with regard to sleeves, literally roll them up.
A medical specialist we contacted agrees.
“We are on the threshold for an end in sight,” said Dr. Uy, Geriatric Fellowship Program Director with Penn Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania.
“The country needs to have 70% (to be vaccinated) for herd immunity to be effective. This is the largest opportunity we have to lead by example.”
Pennsylvania began distributing hundreds of thousands of COVID-19 vaccines this year. The vaccine received the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s emergency use authorization in December 2020. Vaccination distribution began in January of this year.
While mask-wearing, surface-cleaning, hand-sanitizing and social distancing have played a part in the prevention of the pandemic’s spread, the vaccine is the most significant advance.
To again quote Victory Hugo: “Nothing is more powerful than an idea whose time has come.”
The time to get vaccinated and defeat COVID is now.
The vaccine is our hope. We owe it to ourselves and to one another. So let’s roll up our sleeves and be brave. The vaccine is our way out of this pandemic. The sun is rising on a new day.