TVHC Increases Vaccine Access in Schools

August 26, 2021 No Comments

TVHC Increases COVID Vaccine Access in Schools

August 25, 2021

As students began making their way back into the classroom this month, TVHC is increasing access to COVID vaccines to parents and students.

On Thursday, August 19th, TVHC hosted a pop-up COVID vaccine clinic at the San Lorenzo Unified School District office with extended hours from 2:30 pm to 7:00 pm, making it easier for community members to get vaccinated after work.

This event is part of a much larger strategy of getting COVID vaccination clinics in schools. Since June, TVHC has been hosting pop-up clinics at Cesar Chavez Middle School, James Logan High School, and Chabot College, helping to increase access to the vaccine at a time when it is most needed.

Back in 2020, classrooms went virtual, campuses were closed, and students missed out on activities with their fellow classmates, including school sports. With the COVID vaccines, this year, most schools have fully re-opened with in-person learning helping students get a bit of normalcy back into their lives and TVHC is doing its part to help keep students safe with its on campus COVID vaccination clinics.

Back in July, the TVHC vaccination clinic at Chabot College was able to fully vaccinate the school’s football team just in time to start the 2020- 2021 season. TVHC has been hosting the COVID vaccination clinic at Chabot College since June of this year and will continue to host the clinic every week on Mondays and Tuesdays, where students can get vaccinated in between classes for free.

TVHC has two other on campus pop-up vaccination clinics planned for September 15th at James Logan High School and September 22nd at Ltliong-Vera Cruz Middle School in Union City. Both of these clinics will be open to the public.

Stay tuned for more TVHC updates.

Governor Newsom Visits TVHC

April 21, 2021 No Comments

TVHC COVID-19 Updates

Governor Gavin Newsom Visits
TVHC Union City Vaccination Site

April 21, 2021

On Thursday, April 15, 2021, Governor Gavin Newsom visited the TVHC Union City COVID vaccination site at Our Lady of the Rosary Church for a tour with CEO Andrea Schwab-Galindo.

During the tour, Governor Newsom discussed vaccine equity with Andrea and chatted with patients before giving a press conference announcing California’s new COVID vaccine guidelines.

“There is a lot of focus on the mass vaccinations sites, but the backbone of our vaccine delivery system is community clinics like this,” said Governor Newsom during the press conference.

Since January 2021, TVHC has opened vaccination clinics in Union City, Hayward, and San Leandro, and as of this week, has passed the 48,000 mark for COVID vaccinations. A large feat for a small community health center.

TVHC established the vaccine site located at Our Lady of the Rosary Church back in early March in partnership with the Alameda County Fire Department, the Hayward Fire

Department, and the City of Union City. TVHC made the move to Our Lady of the Rosary to help accommodate the large number of patients and community members signing up to be vaccinated.

“We can create these partnerships and form leadership in our community because we know our community best, and they trust us,” said TVHC CEO Andrea Schwab-Galindo. “Community health centers can do both volume and equity.”

This past year has been significantly challenging for our patients and community members, who the pandemic has disproportionately impacted. TVHC is grateful for Governor Newsom’s visit and for recognizing the critical role that health centers play in addressing inequities and improving access to care for our community’s most vulnerable populations.

With the investment made by the state and county, TVHC will continue to work hard and use these resources to protect the health and wellness of our community, making sure to achieve both volume and equity during these uncertain times.

The call for equity and social justice has been at the forefront of the pandemic, a call that community health centers have answered and acted upon for decades and will continue to respond to with urgency and culturally competent care.

“Community health centers can respond rapidly to the ever-evolving systems that don’t always include the people that need it the most,” said Andrea. “We are resilient.”

To watch the entire press conference from Governor Gavin Newsom’s visit, please click the video below.

TVHC Vaccine Update

March 17, 2021 No Comments

TVHC COVID-19 Updates

TVHC Administers 25,000 Vaccines in
First 60 Days of COVID Vaccine Clinic

March 17, 2021

Tiburcio Vasquez Health Center (TVHC) has administered 25,000 COVID vaccinations since January 18, 2021, a large feat for a community health center where the majority of its patients live in COVID-19 hot spots.

Over 70% of the weekly 4,300 doses are being administered to patients and community members who belong to ethnic minority groups that have been most affected by the pandemic.

“Through our partnerships, like the one we have with the Hayward Fire Department, we have been able to reach the most vulnerable in the communities where they reside,” said TVHC CEO Andrea Schwab-Galindo.

TVHC uses a variety of methods to reach its patients, most who are living at or below the poverty line, are underinsured or uninsured, are non-English speaking, or are experiencing homelessness.

Since March 8th, TVHC Promotoras, a group of health educator volunteers, have reached over 850 families, going door-to-door, rain or shine, making sure patients and community members have access to the COVID vaccine.

“We have noticed that many people are having a hard time making appointments because of limited understanding of English, and use of the internet,” reported TVHC Community Empowerment Liason, Carolina Arroyo-Solveson.

From calling and texting patients who are eligible to receive the vaccine, answering questions and debunking myths, to partnering with fellow trusted community organizations, TVHC is doing the work to close the health disparity gap.

Not only is TVHC doing the extra outreach to help get high risk groups vaccinated, it is also simplifying the process.

“We are currently working on a rollout of the Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine and bringing it to our unsheltered community,” reported TVHC Chief Operation Executive, Caleb Sandford. “Getting vaccinated against this deadly disease should be easy. We’re making it easy.”