Venango County commissioners are lining up a facility for UPMC Northwest to set up a public clinic to administer COVID vaccinations.
“Whatever UPMC needs to help them get shots in arms we want to be there,” commissioners chairman Sam Breene said Thursday. “We have offered resources – money and human resources. We want to make it possible for UPMC to get a public clinic open as soon as possible,” Breene added.
“The county is willing to pay any costs associated with opening in the mall or other facility that works,” Breene said. “We have offered for county maintenance staff to help as well.”
“If you get a phone call from UPMC, it is not a scam,” Breene said. “Soon there will be other ways to schedule. This way they are making sure seniors are offered the vaccine first.”
Breene also said that the UPMC website and telephone number announced Thursday afternoon for vaccine scheduling “will be a game changer.”
“It is important to have this happening here. People have been traveling a long way to get the vaccine,” Breene said.
Another issue the commissioners said they have been hearing about is people making appointments with multiple vaccine providers to be sure they get the vaccine.
The commissioners said it isn’t necessary to schedule at two or three different places. UPMC has guaranteed it will provide the vaccine to everyone who has an appointment with UPMC for a vaccination.
“It’s important for people to keep their appointments, we don’t want to waste the vaccine,” commissioner Mike Dulaney said.
The commissioners said that in addition to working closely with UPMC Northwest they have also been in contact with all the pharmacies in the area that are providing the vaccine as well as Butler Health System.
Breene said they have pressed Butler Health System on whether vaccines will be offered to Butler Health patients who live in Venango County. Butler Health assured the commissioners they will offer Venango County patients the opportunity to receive the vaccine, he added.
“We have also been talking to other pharmacies, asking them what they need to be able to distribute the vaccine,” Dulaney said.
Commissioner Albert Abramovic said that up to this point, CVS has been vaccinating residents in nursing homes and other group living situations.
Rite Aid has been vaccinating people who fall into the Phase 1A category, and UPMC Northwest has been vaccinating healthcare workers and first responders.
