Columbus CEO: OhioHealth is Getting the Community Vaccinated with Mobile Clinic

OhioHealth's mobile vaccination clinic was recently honored by Columbus CEO magazine's  “2022 Healthcare Heroes” in the category of Healthcare Trailblazer - Organization.  We are thrilled to be included among a group of individuals and organizations who are truly making a difference in central Ohio.  You can see the full list by clicking here.

In early 2021, when OhioHealth began vaccinating community members against COVID-19, 88 percent of those who received the first dose of their vaccine from the system where white.  A need was obvious: make the vaccine accessible to Communities of Color (CoCs) and those in underserved communities.

“We followed the data and we realized there was an opportunity to serve, to meet the need,” says Karen Morrison, president of the OhioHealth Foundation and OhioHealth senior vice president of external affairs in an interview with Columbus CEO reporter Tim Feran. “Because we had the resources, and community partners reached out to us as well, it was only a matter of days before we began to respond.”

OhioHealth had a powerful tool in its toolbox - nearly 30 years of mobile healthcare experience.  The system was able to use that experience to quickly put together mobile vaccine clinics to provide easy access to the vaccine, as well as education about the vaccines and the COVID-19 virus itself.

“The thing that made us good is that the team is not only clinically capable but culturally competent, able to meet people where they are,” Morrison told Columbus CEO. “That was very effective with populations who typically have issues of trust and other hesitancies.”

“We went from a baseline of 11.3 percent [of the underserved population being vaccinated in February] to 23.3 percent by May,” said Sonia Booker, RN, Program Director of the Mobile Vaccine Equity Project.  “It was so rewarding. We couldn’t keep up with demand. We had 60 appointments every Wednesday—it was furious and fast.”

To read the full story in Columbus CEO, click on their logo below.  Congratulations to the entire mobile vaccine team for this well deserved recognition!

Photo Courtesy: Rob Hardin/Columbus CEO