OAHHS Hospital Voice Spring/Summer 2021

30 » A magazine for and about Oregon Community Hospitals. HOSPITAL SPOTLIGHTS, CONT. LEGACY GOES MOBILE TO VACCINATE HARDER TO REACH OREGONIANS  PEACEHEALTH JOINS COALITION TO ADDRESS VACCINE HESITANCY Many hospitals are working with local businesses to expand vaccine access to those who might struggle to visit a large vaccine site in a more urban area. Here’s just one example: about 100 farmworkers at Coleman Agriculture in St. Paul were vacci- nated in early April at a mobile clinic arranged through Legacy Health and Coleman Agriculture, a sixth-generation Oregon farm in Gervais (and the state’s largest producer of hops). President David Henze encouraged all employees to receive the vaccine and said he’s happy to bring doses to them on- site as many do not own comput- ers and would have trouble scheduling appointments. A Legacy physician leader said it’s not easy for farmworkers to get vaccinated. “They work hard, it’s tough for them to take time off to come to a place, there are often language barriers so being able to make the vaccine available really without any barriers is really sig- nificant,” said Dr. Nick Kashey, Interim Clinical Vice President of Population Health. Legacy is working with employers and other community organiza- tions to host up to three of these events every week. PeaceHealth is collaborating with a coalition of 60 of America’s top hospitals and health care institutions on a nationwide campaign to encourage adults to get vaccinated for COVID-19. Led by Cleveland Clinic and Mayo Clinic, the campaign “Get the Vac- cine to Save Lives,” is designed to reassure the public that vaccines are safe, effective, and necessary to facilitate a return to normal activities. The campaign hopes to reach adults who are hesitant to receive a vaccine, including racial and minority ethnic groups and peo- ple living in rural communities. According to a Kaiser Family Foundation survey published March 30, 17 percent of the public say they will take a wait-and-see approach before getting it them- selves, and another 20 percent say they will never get a vaccine or will only get it if required to do so for work, school, or other activi- ties. This leaves a significant por- tion of the population at risk of going unvaccinated. The nationwide campaign includes print and digital advertising, media outreach, social media, an awareness video, and an informa- tional website.