Despite its limited finances, a Center County medical clinic continues to provide thousands of COVID vaccinations along with other health care services.
As Gary Sinderson tells us, they begin the new year in a new home.
Another busy day and Centre Volunteers In Medicine for well over 15 years, the center region based clinic has focused on providing free medical and dental care to those in need.
Last year, the pandemic bringing a new spotlight. Its executive director, dubbing CVIM, the little vaccine clinic that could,
“As I promised long ago, we are staying in the vaccine efforts to help vaccinate the community, and we will continue to do so until there is no longer a need.”
In the past year, close to 40,000 COVID vaccinations administered by CVIM in the early days of the pandemic established medical facilities primarily involved with vaccine distribution.
“But it became apparent that it was going to be a bigger undertaking than what they could do, and so it made sense for us to help vaccinate the community because of our volunteer model.
We can be very nimble and flexible, and over 400 people have help with our efforts volunteering to give the vaccines.”
The 400 volunteers, many of them from health care related jobs, double the number of volunteers from previous years.
The flexible business model contributes to CVIM holding vaccine clinics throughout the community.
“There is no pandemic rule book that we’ve been able to follow. The guidelines continue to change. I’m fortunate to have staff that stay up on those guidelines and read everything that
comes out. You know, like today, there’s a meeting to decide whether the five to twelve year olds are eligible for four boosters.”
The youngest patients here contributing artwork and inspiration at CVIM’s new headquarters in Ferguson Township, it doubles the previous office space, reflecting the continued and
increasing need for CVIM services and the community
