One local organization is hoping to reach all of Hall County’s population. Good News Clinics says they have a goal to make the vaccine available for anyone who wishes to get it.
Last Saturday, Good News’ medical staff vaccinated roughly 300 patients on its premises on Saturday, May 15, reaching a milestone of over 1,000 vaccinations it has distributed throughout the community. Good News, a non-profit organization which provides medical and dental care at no cost for uninsured residents of Hall County that cannot afford to purchase health care services, aims to double those numbers over the coming months.
“Our goal is to make vaccination easily accessible for any resident considering it, and we’ve had a good start at that, but we hope to vaccinate another 1,000 people in the next few months,” said Good News Clinics Executive Director Liz Coates.
Good News is seeking to ensure that no resident, especially those that have a family income within 150 percent of the federal poverty level, goes unprotected. They are doing that by working with other community partners through the Vaccine Community Provider Group - which includes community health leaders such as the Department of Public Health, Northeast Georgia Health Systems, Longstreet Clinic, and Northeast Georgia Physicians Group among others.
“We’re trying to be present not only in our clinics but in neighborhoods and through employers. We’ll go wherever in Hall County we’re needed to help,” Coates said. She added that the clinics have taken place at businesses where they are on site to serve employees, sometimes several hundred poultry workers at a time. They have also held community clinics. They have worked with organizations such as the Hispanic Alliance to go into neighborhoods to provide shots. They have also held clinics at Good News.
“Our role is to reach populations who might, in some cases, struggle to navigate larger systems because of technology, language, or transportation barriers so that everyone gets an opportunity, no matter their situation,” says Coates.
Good News has also contacted its patients in advance of their regular appointments in order to get them registered and vaccinated, all in the name of working toward a community-wide goal.
“The COVID-19 Community Leadership Coalition created a goal of vaccinating 70 percent of Hall County residents, and we’re trying to reach that goal within our patient panel,” Coates said. “We have attained our goal of having 85 percent of our patients aged 65-and-older vaccinated.”
Despite the focus and determination, Good News continues to require support, both in manpower and funds, in order to reach its stated goal.
“We’re spreading the word to the underserved community that vaccination against COVID-19 is vital to the long-term success of Hall County’s positive rate, and ensuring that no one who wants it goes unvaccinated,” Coates said. “We’re doing our best to educate, make vaccination easy to obtain, and we hope we’re proving our clinic to be a valuable partner in reducing the presence of this virus throughout the Hall County community.”
In order to be successful, Coates adds that they still need volunteers and financial support. Those interested in helping Good News’ pursuits may simply visit the organization’s website – https://www.goodnewsclinics.org – where they will be directed to a COVID-19 relief fund.
Founded in 1992, Good News Clinics (The Clinics) opened as a non-profit Christian health center that provides medial and dental care at no cost for uninsured residents who could not afford it otherwise.
