Northern Light Inland Hospital mass vaccination clinic a big success

Northern Light Inland Hospital vaccinated 1,024 people on Saturday, March 6, 2021, at its first mass vaccination clinic at Kennebec Valley Community College (KVCC) in Fairfield. (contributed photo)

Northern Light Inland Hospital vaccinated 1,024 people on Saturday, March 6, 2021, at its first mass vaccination clinic at Kennebec Valley Community College (KVCC) in Fairfield. The Hospital had already administered more than 1,500 doses since January 26 at smaller clinics at KVCC.

The Saturday vaccination clinic was an amazing day filled with excitement and happiness from patients and more than 80 Northern Light Health staff and volunteers and KVCC staff and students.

Inland Hospital received an overwhelming amount of positive feedback from those attending the vaccine clinic, many calling it very well-organized and a wonderful experience thanks to the friendly staff and volunteers. People were excited and relieved to be getting vaccinated, some saying the vaccine gives them hope.

“We’ve all been waiting for this day,” said Terri Vieira, president of Inland Hospital. “More vaccine supply means more people can be vaccinated, and now with people 60 and older eligible for the shot, we know we will be busy. We appreciate that our community has been anxious, and we are eager to expand our clinic so we can protect more and more people. KVCC has been instrumental in helping us make this clinic a success; and of course, we can’t do it without the dozens and dozens of dedicated staff and volunteers.”

“We remain profoundly grateful for the partnership with Inland Hospital that makes this all possible,” said Richard Hopper, president of KVCC. “I want to personally thank the KVCC Information Technology and Security staff as well as faculty and student volunteers who have joined in this historic effort.”

KVCC nursing faculty and students are joining the effort as volunteers. Marcia Parker, chairman of the KVCC Nursing program says, “We are so excited to play a role in Inland’s vaccination clinics!” Parker noted students’ participation is not part of their required clinical hours but added, “It is still a wonderful opportunity to help protect the health of the people in our community and get more real-world nursing experience.”
Scheduling a vaccine appointment

Those age 60 and older, along with employed teachers and school staff, including bus drivers, and licensed childcare workers as defined by the state are eligible to schedule a vaccine appointment. Please visit covid.northernlighthealth.org/publicvaccine or call 207.204.8551. The phone line is open seven days a week from 9 am – 5 pm. Appointment openings are updated every Monday and Wednesday at 2 pm after the Hospital learns how much vaccine it will receive that week.

How to volunteer at clinics

If community members would like to apply to volunteer for a vaccination clinic with Inland Hospital or other Northern Light Health facility, please sign up online through its community volunteer process at https://covid.northernlighthealth.org/Volunteer/Register.