Jackson is partnering with houses of worship to vaccinate members: Is yours on the list?
Jackson Health System has launched a partnership with 25 places of worship to get members 65 and older inoculated with the COVID-19 vaccine, part of an effort to reach more seniors in Miami-Dade County and the surrounding area, especially people of color.
The partnership was launched this week, registering 1,600 people for vaccines on Wednesday at Jackson’s three vaccination sites across the county. Another group of seniors from area churches, mosques and synagogues will have the same opportunity next week and in the future, though supply will vary depending on how many doses are made available to the hospital system.
To register for the vaccine, members of partner congregations will be approached by leaders to get on a list, which is then submitted to Jackson.
Members of the partner congregations will get priority one day a week, Jackson CEO Carlos Migoya said.
“We are looking to make sure we get as many people of color to get vaccinated,” he said in a interview Wednesday. “What we found is that a lot of the ministers and pastors of these churches have a strong influence on their members. ... By doing these appointments through their leadership, we would be able to get a good group of people.”
The partnership was born out of an idea from Jackson board member
Rev. Walter Richardson, the pastor at Sweet Home Missionary Baptist Church in Cutler Bay. He helped create a list of contacts in the faith community, Migoya said.
In addition to expanding vaccine access to the faith community, Migoya said Jackson is also reaching out directly to vaccinate the families of Jackson employees 65 and older, as well as senior Jackson retirees.
“We really did this spur of the moment,” he said.
Rev. John White of Immanuel Temple AME Church in Pembroke Pines, said the first week of the partnership ran “better than Disney.”
The church, which has partnered with Jackson before for events like health fairs and back-toschool immunizations, signed up 150 of its members who are 65 and older by sending out text messages asking people to respond if they were interested in getting a vaccine. Those who responded “yes” got phone calls from White and two volunteers, who took down their information and ultimately sent the completed list to Jackson.
There are still about 75 people on a waiting list for the next shipment of vaccines, and the list is growing.
“There is a great need in the African-American community,” White said. “I challenge all healthcare providers to partner with African-American churches if you want inroads to get people the vaccine. We all have members who want it.”