By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org
“No one wants to stick it to you more than the Kent County Health Department,” said the department’s public relations director Steve Kelso after a Friday afternoon press conference.
And that is fairly obvious as the press conference was to announce a new cooperative between the Health Department, Mercy Health and Spectrum Health to host a central community vaccination site. the West Michigan Vaccine Clinic, at DeVos Place, 303 Monroe Ave. NW. Scheduling is now taking place at the new location with it being open on Monday, Jan. 25.
The West Michigan Vaccine Clinic will be by appointment only. Area residents are encouraged to register by visiting wmvaccineclinic.org. For those unable to register online, they may call 833-755-0696. According to Spectrum Health Chief Operating Officer Brian Brasser, who will be overseeing the clinic, when vaccines are available, registered participants will be notified to make an appointment.
Those coming for appointments will be directed to park in the underground parking and will have the first two hours of their parking waved, which according Brasser, will be enough time for the person to go through the vaccine process.
Funded currently by the three organizations, Kent County Health Department Director Adam London said the location was chosen because it is convenient for a large number of area residents, with the organizations hoping to deliver about 20,000 vaccines a day.
Due to “kinks” in the supply chain delivery, the facility will start by administrating around 7,000 doses.
“In reality, it is always better to start out lower than your expectations to help work out the efficiency,” said Spectrum Health President Darryl Elmouchi at the press conference.
London, Elmouchi, and Mercy Health Saint Mary’s President Hyung Kim all acknowledged the frustration over getting appointments due to delivery issues. London said the Health Department will not make appointments for vaccines it does not have.
“The demand is high and we are trying to do our best,” Elmouchi said. The Kent County Health Department will administered and has scheduled 8,000 doses, according to London with plans to administer 3,000 doses about every week. Kim reported that Mercy Health has distributed 14,000 of its 15,000 vaccine doses. Spectrum Health, which is covering the southwest lake area up to Ludington, has administered about 43,000 vaccines with another 30,000 scheduled, according to Elmouchi. The population of Kent County is around 660,000.
Creating a cooperative partnership and providing a centralized location that will allow for thousands to receive the vaccine should help the West Michigan area get an increase in vaccine supply.
“This is what the state is looking for,” Elmouchi said, adding that the West Michigan Vaccine Clinic is what state officials want to help with getting as many people vaccinated as quickly as possible.
The partnership allows the three organizations to pool resources for staffing and other needs when it comes to getting people vaccinated, Kim said. The clinic also will provide a safe and comfortable environment that is dedicated to the vaccine process, London said.
Representatives for Spectrum Health and Mercy Health St. Mary stated that the West Michigan Vaccine Clinic would be in addition to current vaccine clinics being offered by those organizations. London said the Health Department plans to move its community operation to the DeVos site and focus on targeting specific or underserved areas.
London also noted that the University of Michigan Health – Metro Health will not be partnering in this project. but is focusing on offering more availability to those on the southwest side where its main facility is located.
For more information about the clinic, how to schedule an appointment or if you are eligible for the vaccine, visit wmvaccineclinic.org.
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