Phoenix health care facility works to get vulnerable seniors vaccinated
Feb 11, 2021, 4:25 AM
Alicia Ottman prepares the Moderna vaccine shot for NOAH's mass vaccination event for seniors in Phoenix on Feb. 10, 2021. (KTAR News/Ali Vetnar)
(KTAR News/Ali Vetnar)
PHOENIX — A locally-based health care facility focused on serving the vulnerable and underserved began COVID-19 vaccinations for their patients in Phoenix on Wednesday morning.
Cars were lined up leading into the new location for drive-thru coronavirus vaccines at NOAH Venado Valley Health Center located near 27th Avenue and Loop 101.
Neighborhood Outreach Access to Healthcare serves the North Valley, providing affordable, high-quality healthcare services for both the underinsured and uninsured.
The mass vaccination event held by NOAH expects to vaccinate at least 250 seniors a day, four days a week, for the next four weeks.
The goal is to get vaccines to at-risk patients who may not have the means necessary to access vaccination registration online or struggle due to language barriers.
“We recognize there are additional barriers for these populations,” Advanced Practice Director Alicia Ottmann told KTAR News 92.3 FM on Wednesday.
Those include language barriers and difficulties navigating technology or not having technology at all.
NOAH makes it easy for their patients with a full staff comprised of bilingual healthcare workers. Additionally, they’ve done what they can to bypass any technological difficulties for the patients as well.
“We made sure that we were reaching out to them in different manners via postcards, text messages, phone calls — and they were able to call in and register rather than using an online portal,” Ottmann added.
Creating an even smoother process, NOAH scheduled seniors for both their first and second dose vaccination appointments at the same time to avoid any hiccups.
During the event on Wednesday, KTAR News heard from Leslie Story who was celebrating her birthday with her first COVID-19 vaccination shot.
“I ain’t never had a gift like this, it’s going to feel good,” she said.
Story struggled to get into any of the state or county vaccination sites, citing that all the spots were full and that the online portal was not user friendly. But when her doctor offered the vaccine through NOAH, the process was smooth and simple.
Another NOAH patient, Olga Urias-Viaz was extremely thankful following her first dose. This after her family endured great heartbreak during the pandemic.
“We’ve lost about nine of them already, my family,” she said. “Cousin, my sister-in-law, my brother-in-law, what can you do? There’s nothing you can do other than take care of yourself and that’s what I’m trying to do.”
With nine locations across the valley, anyone looking to qualify for care through NOAH can learn more online.
