Sadler Health Center Health Care Workers Receive COVID-19 Vaccinations
CARLISLE, PA – There is a lot of excitement inside Sadler Health Center (SHC). Today could mark the “beginning of the end” of the pandemic as Sadler Health received its first shipment of vaccinations. Several front-line health care workers including its medical and dental teams and others received the first doses of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine. It is anticipated that all Sadler Health employees who want to be vaccinated will receive it. In addition, the vaccines will be available to patients and community providers in the near future.
“I’m honored and relieved to receive the vaccine. However, I will continue to do proper things as far as masking, social distancing and washing my hands,” said Pam McKay a certified Medical Assistant who has supported COVID-19 testing at Sadler since the start of the Pandemic. Pam who has worked at Sadler Health Center for over 15 years was the first SHC employee to receive the vaccine.
In accordance with state and federal distribution guidelines for prioritizing who receives these limited vaccines, SHC was prepared to begin vaccinating its health care workers after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization for the Moderna product and CDC issued updated guidelines.
“Our employees are valuable and it’s important that we protect them,” said Manal El Harrak, Chief Executive Officer. “They have worked tirelessly on the frontline, taking care of the communities we serve, and supporting our community testing efforts. We appreciate the sacrifices they have made as we go forward.”
SHC is pleased to be among the first to receive the Moderna vaccines. The vaccination program for SHC’s health care workers is voluntary. Dr. Lakshmi Polovarapu, Family Physician and Director of Laboratory services states that, “While vaccines can protect individuals, vaccination as a public-health strategy protects a community. Every person who gets vaccinated is a small step toward herd immunity”. While the general public will not be able to receive vaccinations in this initial phase, the shots will be made available to the communities SHC serves as soon as possible.
Sadler Health Center
Serving nearly 10,000 patients per year, Sadler Health Center provides comprehensive primary care, dental care and behavior health services at its facility in downtown Carlisle and dental care at its Perry County location. With a history dating back nearly 100 years to 1921, Sadler Health Center has evolved over the decades and in 2015 was designated as a Federally Qualified Health Center whose mission is to advance the health of our community by providing inclusive, high-quality, and compassionate care.
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