PIKEVILLE, KY– Pikeville Medical Center (PMC) received the long-awaited Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine Tuesday, December 15.
PMC Vice President of the Board of Directors and CEO Donovan Blackburn said, “Today is a remarkable day. The vaccine is here and we couldn’t be more excited. This is a historic moment for PMC, Eastern Kentucky and the Commonwealth.”
Blackburn says he is honored to be working directly with Governor Andy Beshear and Dr. Stephen Stack for the initial distribution to the region’s health care heroes.
The approach Governor Beshear and Dr. Stack took was to ensure the first shipment to go out was set aside specifically for the healthcare network and that each dose actually goes into an arm.
“We have worked diligently to bring the Covid-19 vaccines to PMC and the enthusiasm is evident throughout the organization,” added Blackburn. “The goal is to save lives and with the anticipated amount of vaccinations, we hope the death rate will significantly drop by February.”
Almost immediately after delivery, the vaccination process began to unfold. Spirits were high at PMC as news of the arrival of the COVID-19 vaccine quickly spread throughout the hospital and the community.
This vaccine represents the-beginning-of-the-end of this deadly virus and brings hope to the people in the region.
Blackburn explained, “This step in fighting the virus is one that we have prayed for since the beginning of the pandemic. It is an emotional day and one that will be remembered for generations to come.”
When members of the PMC Pharmacy accepted the delivery, they took the vaccines directly to the storage unit. Members of the senior leadership team, the infection control department, and clinical staff had already made the final arrangements for administering the vaccine to frontline staff who have direct contact with COVID patients.
The first injections at PMC were given to PMC Infection Disease Physician, Fadi Al Akhrass, MD., as well as John Fleming, DO; Dana Hammond, Staff RN; Leanne Harvey, RN Shift Supervisor; and Tiffany Butler, Respiratory Therapy Shift Supervisor.
Dr. Fadi said, “I wanted to be the first person to roll up my sleeve and take the injection in hopes it would serve as an example for those who are trying to decide if they want to take it themselves. The vaccine is tremendously and desperately needed because this is going to be a helpful tool to change the course of this pandemic.”
PMC plans to continue working with Governor Beshear and Dr. Stack, in agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to provide available COVID-19 vaccinations and COVID-19 education to the region.
The CDC has developed a smartphone-based tool called v-safe. This program uses text messaging and web surveys to provide personalized health check-ins after taking the COVID-19 vaccine and it will also send a reminder when a second dose of the vaccine is needed. Participation in the CDC’s v-safe makes a difference and helps keep COVID-19 vaccines safe.
For more information regarding the vaccine or the v-safe app visit www.cdc.gov.
Pikeville Medical Center plans to remain transparent regarding the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine. To stay up-to-date on the roll-out of the vaccinations, once they become available to the public, visit www.pikevillehospital.org or call 606-218-3500.