Tears of joy, sighs of relief, and quiet gratitude filled the halls of Our Lady of Peace Hospice on January 29th as our staff received their first Covid-19 vaccine. After almost a year of dedicated care for patients amid a life-threatening pandemic, with no Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for the first few months, a step had now been taken to calm our fears. OLP Hospice Director of Medicine Michael Pinchback described a scene filled with “high-level emotion.”
A call came in from Ramsey County Public Health – Sharon Cross on Thursday afternoon that vaccines were available, and within 24-hours the vaccination clinic was set up and ready to go. Mark Jackson and the Ramsey County Public Health team arrived on site on Friday with the vaccines, and vaccinations began. Our Lady of Peace COO Kim Webster said, “They were extraordinary to work with. The advocacy that Sharon and the team showed was incredible. They not only administered the vaccine with compassion shown to each recipient but they took the time to educate our clinicians on how to administer the shot for the future. .” She added, “I can’t say enough. They are the nicest people in the world. We are so excited to get our second doses the end of February!”
What does getting the vaccine mean to our hospice and home healthcare staff?
“It means we can help more seniors and meet face-to-face. I can hug people again.” (Paula)
“I can protect myself and everyone around me.” (Tom)
We are grateful
Our Lady of Peace would like to thank all of the organizations that helped make our vaccinations possible over the last many weeks:
- Sharon Cross, Mark Jackson and the Ramsey County Public Health staff
- New Perspectives – Highland Park
- Heart to Home
- The Alton Memory Care
We also want to express our hope that everyone in our community and beyond will soon receive the Covid-19 vaccine to ease the fear of contracting the virus. The loss has been indescribable, and the fear is real.
The staff at Our Lady of Peace will continue to provide compassionate care to all who need it throughout the pandemic and beyond, with a sense of relief and sincere gratitude.