December 30th, 2020 – 11:55 AM
Cartersville Medical Center –
On December 29th Cartersville Medical Center administered the first doses of COVID-19 vaccines. Following national guidance, the initial supply of the vaccine is being prioritized for those at greatest risk of exposure, the frontline caregivers who treat COVID-19 patients directly – including nurses, respiratory therapists, and physicians.
“Yesterday was one of great significance, hope is now on the horizon and we can see the end in the distance as we administer the first COVID-19 vaccines” said Chris Mosley, CEO at Cartersville Medical Center. “The resilience and steadfastness of our colleagues throughout this unprecedented pandemic has been one of our finest moments in healthcare. Thank you to our colleagues who answer the call to serve every day and continue to give selflessly,” Mosley shared.
Weeks of extensive planning and logistics coordination went into rolling out the vaccine to hundreds of Cartersville Medical Center colleagues and physicians. The administration of the vaccine is taking place in a phased, intentional approach, with priority given to those based on their potential for exposure due to their work.
“We are excited to be able to offer the COVID vaccine to our staff,” said Dr. Mark Senger, Chief Medical Officer at Cartersville Medical Center. “The vaccine has been extensively tested and over 1 million people have received the vaccine to date. It has been shown to be safe, with very low incidence of side effects. In addition, it has a 95% efficacy rate,” emphasized Senger. “While we work toward trying to vaccinate the country, we need to continue to be vigilant about masking, good hand hygiene and social distancing. CMC remains committed to providing the best possible care to our patients and the residents of Bartow County.” Senger shared, “While this is the first step in the potential control of this novel virus, we still have a long way to go and should not drop our guard.”
As the COVID-19 vaccines become more widely available, Cartersville Medical Center’s goal is that all colleagues and physicians who choose to be vaccinated, receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
Cartersville Medical Center encourages all residents in the communities we serve, to get the vaccine when it becomes available to them. This is how we end a pandemic.