CCI Health & Wellness Services, a Silver Spring-based community health center, is the first health center in Maryland chosen by the White House to participate in its Health Center COVID-19 Vaccine Program.
According to the CCI announcement, the Biden administration’s program is designed to increase the vaccine’s delivery to the country’s hardest-hit populations.
CCI serves more than 60,000 individuals in Montgomery and Prince George’s County at five medical sites. About two–thirds of its patients are best served in a language other than English, the group said.
“This effort to focus on direct allocation to the community health centers really is about connecting with those hard-to-reach populations across the country,” Marcella Nunez-Smith, chair of the White House COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force said when announcing the program.
“The effort targets explicitly individuals experiencing homelessness, those in public housing, migrant or seasonal agricultural workers, or patients with limited English proficiency,” according to a press release.
“Our greatest weapon in primary care is prevention, and it has helped us limit the devastation experienced by the populations we serve most, “ added Sonya Bruton, PSY.D., MPA, CCI’s chief executive officer and president. “The Health Center COVID-19 Vaccine Program supports our efforts to protect and prevent negative outcomes and provide much-needed peace of mind for our patients.”
CCI photo by Marisol Murphy-Ballantyne