Alachua County Fire Rescue Delivers At-Home Vaccinations To Elderly Through New Program
By Hannah Shelton
February 16, 2021
One of the biggest hurdles in nationwide COVID-19 vaccine distribution so far has been getting shots to homebound seniors.
On that front, Alachua County firefighters are working to fill the gaps with a new operation called the “Community Health Team.”
The initiative launched on Jan. 19 and entails the Alachua County Fire Rescue working with the Florida Department of Health in Alachua County to deliver vaccinations to elderly people in their homes.
Through the program, 30 people have been fully vaccinated with two doses, 121 people have received the first dose, 27 people are scheduled to receive the second dose, and 20 people are scheduled to receive the first dose.
For the better part of three years, we’ve talked about “community health,” but what exactly does that look like?
New Hanover Regional Medical Center will always provide the best medical care to those who are sick and injured. It’s who we are, and that will not change. But when we committed to “Leading Our Community to Outstanding Health,” a large part was fundamentally transforming from hospital-based care and moving into a community where our patients live, work and play.
Figuring out how to do this has been a challenge, requiring teamwork, trial, some failure, and some innovation. But we’re starting to see it. And it looks like this: