Monadnock Community Hospital (MCH), is committed to helping residents across the Monadnock Region receive a vaccination for COVID-19 as quickly as possible. MCH is following the guidelines put out by the New Hampshire Division of Public Health Services (NHDPHS) and has partnered with NHDPHS to offer the vaccine to all MCH employees. To date, nearly 90% of MCH employees have opted to receive vaccine in the State’s initial Phase 1a roll-out.
“The challenges involved with distributing the COVID-19 vaccine to everyone who wants one are really enormous,” said Cyndee McGuire, President and CEO of MCH. “I am encouraged how quickly we have been able to vaccinate our health care workers and community health partners. Now, as the State’s eligible populations begin to expand. I would encourage everyone to stay as informed as possible, while practicing patience as they wait to be vaccinated.”
Across the state, local Public Health Networks are supporting the vaccine distribution by increasing capacity through the administration of State-run vaccination clinics that have been established to help make vaccines available through the quickest and most efficient distribution process possible. New Hampshire clinic locations currently include: Keene (Greater Monadnock), Concord (Capital Area), Nashua (Greater Nashua), Claremont (Sullivan), Exeter (Seacoast), Hooksett (Greater Manchester), Laconia (Winnipesaukee), Tamworth (Carroll County), Littleton (North Country), Londonderry (South Central), Plymouth (Central NH) and Rochester (Strafford County).
Locally, the Greater Monadnock Public Health Network serves 33 towns in the Monadnock Region and is supporting regional vaccines through the Keene vaccine clinic location with the leadership of the National Guard. MCH and Cheshire Medical Center are supporting the Public Health Network’s effort by providing information about the distribution, communicating vaccine clinic details, supporting community clinic volunteers as well as working with the Public Health Network to establish a process to support any homebound patients who would be unable to travel to a vaccine clinic.
“MCH has shown tremendous initiative, by helping people throughout the Monadnock Region stay informed about the regional COVID-19 vaccine distribution process,” said Tricia Zahn, MPH, Director of Community Strategic Partnerships at Cheshire Medical Center’s Center for Population Health. “We really have everything in place to speed up the COVID-19 vaccine distribution in our region, once the supply of available doses increases. At this time vaccine allocation is the only thing slowing down the process – we have the partners, location, volunteers, and other supplies we need.”
To help stay informed of the latest news about the vaccine, you can register to receive weekly Vaccine Alert emails at www.mchvaccine.org. If you are interested in supporting the COVID-19 vaccine effort at one of the State-run clinics as a volunteer, please consider registering through the following link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WVN5LTZ.