As the anniversary of the first local COVID-19 cases nears, Sovah Health – Martinsville, Henry County Public Safety, Martinsville Speedway, Henry County Sheriff’s Office, Harvest Foundation, Ridgeway District Volunteer Rescue Squad, Patrick Henry Community College, and many more community partners are preparing for the largest vaccination clinic to date.
On Friday, more than 2,000 doses of vaccine will be given to those attending the closed vaccine event, which requires every recipient to have an appointment. The event will be held for those who have preregistered with VDH.
In true race track fashion, six lanes will be open in a 10-hour marathon of shots in arms, beginning at 8 a.m. This will be the first of several large-scale events planned in the West Piedmont Health District (WPHD).
“Since we received our first shipment of the COVID-19 vaccine on December 15, 2020, we have been
committed to administering as many doses as possible to our community members” said Tory Shepherd,
Interim CEO, Sovah Health – Martinsville. “I’m so thankful and blessed to be a part of such a caring and
dedicated team that works tirelessly to the benefit and welfare of our community.”
A vaccination event of this proportion is a massive undertaking and requires many partners working with Henry County and Martinsville City public safety departments to handle many of the operational aspects of an event this size – from traffic flow to scheduling volunteers. The WPHD provides pre-registration information and calls those without internet access to directly schedule appointments. And vaccines are supplied by the district, as well.
“Sovah began vaccinating the same day the first vaccines were received in the district, said Penny Hall, chief operations officer for the WPHD. “Their commitment to getting vaccines in arms quickly and efficiently has made a huge difference for the people of Martinsville/Henry County.”
“The hospital administrative team has been very proactive since the beginning. They have rallied
partners, provided resources and gone out of their way to create open communication with the community,” she added.
Many partners are involved to administer vaccines at large scale events. We would like to thank these
volunteers: Sovah Health – Martinsville staff, Henry County Public Safety, Martinsville Speedway, Martinsville Fire & EMS, Martinsville Volunteer Fire Company, Martinsville Police Department, Henry County Sheriff’s Department, Martinsville Public Works, Martinsville City Schools, Henry County Schools, Harvest Foundation, Martinsville City Officials, Henry County Officials, Patrick Henry Community College, Ridgeway District Volunteer Rescue Squad, Ridgeway District Volunteer Fire Department, Horsepasture Volunteer Fire Department, Horsepasture Volunteer Rescue Squad, Bassett Volunteer Rescue Squad, Patrick County Emergency Management, and VDOT.
Currently, the hospital and the health district are encouraging people to answer their phones, even if the in-bound phone number is not familiar to them. Those who provided email addresses or numbers for texting also are encouraged to check those frequently, as appointment links expire if not acknowledged.
All patients – regardless of whether they are uninsured, have private health insurance or have Medicare or Medicaid – will not experience any out-of-pocket costs for the COVID-19 vaccine. If you receive a phone call or web link requesting payment information, do not share your information. This is a fraudulent message and should be reported to the VDH.
Those interested in receiving vaccine in the state of Virginia are encouraged to sign up on the pre-
registration site at vaccinate.virginia.gov or by calling 1-877-VAX-IN-VA. All citizens are strongly urged to pre-register even if they are not currently eligible to receive vaccine now.
With the expansion of doses coming into the area, the WPHD may have supplies available more quickly to expand to additional populations. After pre-registering through the state site, individuals will be contacted when it is their turn to receive vaccine.
