PeaceHealth Oregon to start COVID-19 caregiver vaccinations Monday
EUGENE, OR. –PeaceHealth Oregon will vaccinate its first group of caregivers against COVID-19 on Monday, Dec. 21.
With the arrival of our first shipment of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend this week, PeaceHealth has scheduled a daylong vaccination clinic for frontline caregivers and providers, with more to follow.
“This will be a historic day for our caregivers and communities,” said Dr. James McGovern, vice president of medical affairs and COVID-19 incident commander for the PeaceHealth Oregon network. “We are anxious and excited to get started. We will all rest easier once our frontline caregivers are protected against COVID-19, keeping them healthy and safe and helping to ensure we can continue to care for those who need us.”
The first shipment to RiverBend contains approximately 975 doses. We expect to immunize at least 200 caregivers on Monday, beginning at 9 a.m., and will hold additional clinics through the week. Because the vaccine supply is limited, PeaceHealth is prioritizing the first doses of vaccines for healthcare workers providing hands-on care to confirmed COVID-19 positive patients, as well as other higher risk groups of caregivers working directly with or near patients who may be COVID-19-positive.
Currently all of PeaceHealth Oregon’s hospitalized COVID-19 patients are treated at RiverBend, in two designated units—one in Intensive Care and one on the Medical Unit.
PeaceHealth Oregon expects a second shipment later in the week. As additional Pfizer and Moderna vaccine arrives over the next few weeks, we will be able to offer inoculation to every PeaceHealth caregiver at all four of our Lane County hospitals, as well as our PeaceHealth Medical Group urgent care, primary care and speciality clinics.
About PeaceHealth
PeaceHealth, based in Vancouver, Wash., is a not-for-profit Catholic health system offering care to communities in Washington, Oregon and Alaska. PeaceHealth has approximately 16,000 caregivers, a group practice with more than 900 providers and 10 medical centers serving both urban and rural communities throughout the Northwest. In 1890, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace founded what has become PeaceHealth. The Sisters shared expertise and transferred wisdom from one medical center to another, always finding the best way to serve the unmet need for healthcare in their communities. Today, PeaceHealth is the legacy of the founding Sisters and continues with a spirit of respect, stewardship, collaboration and social justice in fulfilling its Mission. Visit us online at peacehealth.org.
