VA Central Ohio Healthcare System

Tasha Brown, nurse at the Chalmers P. Wylie VA Ambulatory Care Center, administers the facility’s 10,000th Covid-19 vaccine dose to Air Force Veteran James Adams.

Air Force Veteran James Adams received the milestone 10,000^th dose of the Covid-19 vaccine administered by the VA Central Ohio Healthcare System at the Chalmers P. Wylie VA Ambulatory Care Center in Columbus today.   

Adams said, “It feels unbelievable,” and he feels it is so important to be able to keep yourself safe. He also expressed his gratitude for staff at the Columbus VA explaining how they arranged and paid for an open-heart surgery he had nearly 18 months ago.

Dr. Peg Sedmak, Chief of Primary Care observed Mr. Adams receiving the vaccine and said, “It’s truly an honor to be part of a large-scale immunization program to vaccinate our Veterans with a vaccine which will prevent them from getting severe COVID disease.”

Since the first vaccination clinic on January 7, 2021 approximately 20% of Veterans enrolled for care at the Columbus VA have received the first dose, and those numbers continue to increase. In just less than two months, dose allocation of the vaccine here has doubled from 400 to 800 doses every week, with an occasional extra shipment.

Until February, all vaccines were administered at Chalmers P. Wylie VA Ambulatory Care Center in Columbus. But, with shipments of the new Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) vaccine arriving, the goal is to expand vaccine clinics to Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOC) in Marion, Newark and Zanesville.

As well as vaccinating Veterans, the Columbus VA also is providing the vaccine to its employees each week. To date, approximately 75% of the staff has received the vaccine.

Dr. Karen Corr, Chief of Pharmacy is impressed with the commitment staff has shown in getting vaccinated and supporting the vaccine clinics each week.

“We are excited to be here today to celebrate the 10,000^th COVID vaccine dose administered to our Veterans,” said Corr. “We are proud to have reached so many Veterans, not only here in Columbus, but in our Community Based Outpatient Clinics, as well as our homebound and homeless Veteran populations.”

John Leskovich, Health System Specialist for Primary Care at the Columbus VA is responsible for the operation of the Columbus VA vaccine clinic.  

 “I wanted the vaccine as soon as possible because I believed it was the most socially responsible way to serve the best interests of my family, friends, community, and Veterans,” said Leskovich, a retired Naval officer.

 
With the increased weekly allocation and the addition of the Janssen vaccines we are excited to give the next 10,000 COVID vaccines even faster.

 

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