CANANDAIGUA – As its staff continues to care for community members with COVID-19, F.F. Thompson Hospital has – to date – provided vaccines to more than 3,000 area residents, using 100 percent of the doses allotted by the state as well as additional doses acquired through a regional hub.
“I have never been more proud of our incredibly dedicated associates. More than 10 months into this pandemic, they continue working tirelessly to ensure our community has access to exceptional care as well as to the vaccine that will provide us all with a return path to normalcy,” said UR Medicine Thompson Health President/CEO Michael F. Stapleton, Jr. “We are buoyed by the strong local interest in the vaccine, as evidenced by the inquiries from our patients and by the enthusiastic response to the many clinics we have held.”
Stapleton said in recent weeks, the state has allotted Thompson approximately 1,800 vaccine doses for its frontline workers and for frontline workers affiliated with other agencies in the community.
On a daily basis, he said, hospital officials have sought additional doses of the vaccine in order to help meet local demand. Working through the regional hub, this outreach has resulted in an additional 1,300 doses – to date – for those included in the state’s Phase 1A and 1B groups. These groups include teachers, EMS workers, firefighters and police officers. All of these additional 1,300 doses have also been allocated, and Stapleton said interest remains high.
“We learned Sunday (Jan. 17) we would be receiving 300 doses of vaccine from the state, and within 12 minutes of hospital administration’s outreach to qualifying frontline agencies, all 300 were assigned, with 140 to be delivered during an impromptu Thompson clinic today and the remainder to be delivered later this week,” Stapleton said on Monday, Jan. 18.
At the same time, Stapleton noted, the hospital continues caring for a high volume of patients – both COVID-related and non-COVID-related – and has been able to safely continue with scheduled procedures and surgeries despite dramatic increases in cases of the virus locally.
To accommodate community members needing the vaccine, the health system has activated its labor pool, with associates from departments throughout Thompson assisting at vaccine clinics. Registering patients and sanitizing computers and seating areas are among the roles these non-clinical staff members are filling at the clinics.
For the latest local information with regard to how COVID-19 is affecting Thompson and how Thompson is making the vaccine available, community members are encouraged to visit www.ThompsonHealth.com/COVID as well as stay tuned to the health system’s main Facebook page for updates.
“This situation is evolving rapidly,” Stapleton said, “and we greatly appreciate the community’s tremendous support.”
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About Thompson Health: Thompson Health, part of UR Medicine, is the parent corporation overseeing the operation of five affiliate healthcare organizations in Ontario, Livingston and Wayne counties. The corporations include F.F. Thompson Hospital, M.M. Ewing Continuing Care Center, FFTH Properties and Services, F.F. Thompson Foundation and F.F.T. Senior Communities. With a respected medical staff numbering more than 650, a community volunteer group with over 200 members and more than 1,700 associates, Thompson provides quality health care to approximately 215,000 residents of the greater Finger Lakes region. Visit www.ThompsonHealth.com for more information.