Ozarks Healthcare receives its First Shipment of Moderna COVID-19 Vaccination; administers First Doses to Coworkers
Ozarks Healthcare received its first shipment of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccination and administered its first doses to frontline coworkers on Monday, December 21.
“Today is a historical moment for our organization,” Tom Keller, Ozarks Healthcare President and CEO, said. “We hope the arrival of this vaccination is the beginning of an end to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Among those first vaccinated were nine Ozarks Healthcare coworkers and medical staff who volunteered to receive the vaccine after fighting on the organization’s COVID-19 frontlines.
“Fighting this virus has taken a toll on our staff, our patients, our community, and nation,” Keller said. “Today we see a light at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel. I hope others will consider this another measure of protection to take against this virus in our community as the vaccine becomes more available.”
Dr. William A. McGee, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) at Ozarks Healthcare, was among the first to receive the COVID-19 vaccination at the medical system on Monday.
“We’re in this battle for our patients,” McGee said. “Today marks a milestone of Ozarks Healthcare acquiring another tool to protect the safety of our community as a whole. As we are able to make the vaccine more readily available to our community, we want to share our research covering the vaccine with our region. We strongly believe this will be an effective aid as we continue to treat COVID-19 in our area.”
Per government regulations, Ozarks Healthcare is permitted to administer the vaccine to its healthcare coworkers in the national initial vaccine rollout phase. The organization will then be able to administer the vaccine to other essential personnel in healthcare, nursing facilities, emergency services, law enforcement, firefighting, and other organizations. Once Ozarks Healthcare is permitted to open vaccinations to the public, more information will be provided.
For more information about COVID-19 vaccinations and availability through Ozarks Healthcare, visit https://www.ozarkshealthcare.com/about-us/coronavirus-updates/ for updates, fact sheets, and other educational resources.
Ozarks Healthcare is a system of care encompassing eight primary care and 17 specialty clinics, along with complete rehabilitation, behavioral healthcare, and home health services. While the 114-bed acute care hospital cares for more than 5,400 admissions, the entire health system has more than 364,000 patient visits annually in South Central Missouri and Northern Arkansas. For more information about Ozarks Healthcare, visit www.OzarksHealthcare.com.
Ozarks Healthcare coworkers receive the healthcare system’s first doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.
