Sonora, CA…Adventist Health Sonora is supporting the Tuolumne County Public Health Department and launching Phase 1B COVID-19 vaccinations with mass vaccination clinics planned for Tuolumne County residents age 75 and older. “I am really proud of our team for mobilizing quickly and vaccinating individuals eligible for Phase 1A vaccinations,” says Michelle Fuentes, Adventist Health Sonora President. “In just over three weeks, teams from employee health, infection prevention, pharmacy, nursing and other support departments have developed processes for reporting first and second doses to the vaccine registry, as required by the CDC, and given over 1,150 shots to healthcare workers. I am also pleased that we are ahead of schedule for vaccinating our long-term care residents at the Sierra Care Center, Units 6 and 7.”  

 
With Phase 1A nearly complete, Adventist Health Sonora is moving into the next phase, with priority for those aged 75 and above. Reaching this highest priority group first will allow for those aged 65 to 74 to follow quickly thereafter, as outlined in Phase 1B of the California Public Health Department guidelines for vaccine distribution.

To meet the demand of approximately 6,000 individuals aged 75 and over in Tuolumne County, Adventist Health Sonora has rented space at the Mother Lode Fairgrounds and has been working on procuring a supply of COVID-19 vaccines, which will be provided at no cost to Tuolumne County residents who meet the current vaccine distribution phase criteria.

Mass vaccination clinics at the Fairgrounds are expected to launch late next week. Individuals will be invited to verify their age and county of residence and schedule an appointment for their vaccination as soon as the clinics can be set up, staffed and supplied. Appointments will be available in the coming days and Adventist Health Sonora will notify the public through our local media and social media outlets when the schedule is ready.

Adventist Health Sonora also has begun partnering with local emergency services agencies for individuals to receive their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, as indicated in Phase 1B. Once all Tuolumne County residents eligible for Phase 1B vaccinations have had the opportunity to receive the vaccine, and as the supply of vaccine increases, clinics will then be available for Phase 1C.
  
Fuentes explains, “We are eager to see the community vaccinated as quickly as possible and ease the strain that COVID-19 has put on our families, businesses and healthcare team.”

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Adventist Health is a faith-based, nonprofit integrated health system serving more than 80 communities on the West Coast and Hawaii through healthcare services and additional communities nationwide through Blue Zones®, a pioneer in taking a systemic and environmental approach to improving the health of entire cities and communities. Founded on Seventh-day Adventist heritage and values, Adventist Health provides care in hospitals, clinics, home care agencies, hospice agencies and joint-venture retirement centers in both rural and urban communities and virtual hospital care through Adventist Health Hospital@Home. Our compassionate and talented team of 37,000 includes associates, medical staff physicians, allied health professionals and volunteers driven in pursuit of one mission: living God’s love by inspiring health, wholeness and hope. Together, we are transforming the American healthcare experience with an innovative, yet timeless, whole-person focus on physical, mental, spiritual and social healing.

About us: www.everymaskup.com is a collaboration of 100 leading health systems representing thousands of hospitals across the U.S. joining together to create messages for the betterment of communities they serve. The impetus for this, and other public service campaigns to follow, came from a group of health care marketing and communications executives meeting for a decade and reengaged weekly since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The goal is to share knowledge and experience, best practices, strategies and resources- knowing they can accomplish more together. Founded and led by Rhoda Weiss, Ph.D., Los Angeles-based national health care leader and consultant, the expanded coalition is partnering with Cleveland Clinic Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Paul Matsen and his team for this effort. Additionally, hospitals and health systems on a regional basis continue to come together to send messages like these of prevention and safety, hope and healing, life and death, care and caring.ley Health Foundation may be found online at www.AdventistHealth.org/Belove.