Rush University Medical Center has again opened a mass vaccination clinic to make it easy for those employees who have not yet been vaccinated to receive it, so they are in compliance with hospital and state requirements.
The Atrium, located at 1620 W. Harrison St., is outfitted with eight vaccination bays, with the ability to deliver several hundred doses of vaccine daily to meet demand. Rush is rapidly approaching the 90% mark of fully vaccinated employees. For those staff who directly care for patients, that number is already at 95%.
“So many of our staff wanted to get the vaccine immediately. For those who needed more time to make the decision, we have been talking about the ease, safety and efficacy of this vaccine since we began to provide shots to employees in December,” said Courtney Kammer, senior vice president for human resources.
“As we approach our deadline for compliance, we felt it was important to make it as easy as possible for the 10 percent or so of employees to get the shot and help to protect our patients and staff from what is still a very active and deadly virus.”
'Powerful and convenient model'
Rush University Medical Center administered nearly 150,000 doses of vaccine through its first clinic that opened in December and was decommissioned in July. As boosters are approved for wider use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Rush will follow a similar model for employees and patients.
“We developed an incredibly powerful and convenient model with our first vaccination clinic that made it exceedingly easy for employees and patients to get their shot as soon as they were eligible," Kammer said. “This approach will again make getting your first dose or receiving a booster quite convenient.”
In addition to employee vaccinations, the site also will have mandatory flu shots available for employees, as well as mandatory, weekly COVID-19 testing for employees who have been granted an exemption from the policy for medical or religious reasons.
“While we have seen an uptick in requests for exemption compared to what we typically see for the flu shot, we are confident that our Rush team will do the right thing and help to create a safe environment for all,” Kammer said.
Rush employees still needing to make an appointment for a first vaccine dose on Sept. 2 or Sept. 7 should do so through the MyChart app. Second doses will be provided on Sept. 23 and Sept. 28.
