Columbia Pacific CCO, OHSU Scappoose and Columbia County partner to increase access to COVID-19 vaccine on the North Coast
Apr 5, 2021, 07:00 AM
Today, Columbia Pacific Coordinated Care Organization announced a partnership with Oregon Health & Science University’s primary care clinic in Scappoose and Columbia County Public Health to expand access to COVID-19 vaccinations in the region. Efforts aim to remove barriers that could prevent residents from accessing this life saving vaccine.
“As a rural county without a hospital, the partnership with OHSU Family Medicine at Scappoose and Columbia Pacific CCO has been instrumental to help administer the county's vaccine allocation,” said Joe M. Skariah, DO, MPH, MBA, Columbia County Public Health Officer. “While the work is just beginning, we know that our regional and local partnerships are key to distributing the vaccine to those who need them most.”
“We are grateful to OHSU Family Medicine and Columbia Pacific CCO for providing leadership from the outset of the COVID-19 vaccine distribution process. They have been phenomenal partners. Together, we have worked to eliminate the hurdles people need to jump in order to get a vaccination. Our communities are also so grateful to the staff at OHSU who are working to offer vaccinations at convenient times. OHSU is a familiar setting with providers that local residents know and trust,” commented Michael Paul, Public Health Director, Columbia County Public Health.
Columbia Pacific CCO is proud to support this partnership to ensure that all residents who want to get vaccinated have an opportunity to do so.
“We are honored to be a part of this joint effort with OHSU Scappoose and Columbia County Public Health. Columbia Pacific CCO truly values the communities we work with and people we serve,” commented, Safina Koreishi MD MPH, Medical Director, Columbia Pacific CCO and Senior Medical Director, Clinical Services, CareOregon.
“Meeting the demand for COVID-19 vaccine rollout in Columbia County requires all of us to pitch in,” said Brian Garvey, MD MPH of OHSU Family Medicine at Scappoose.
“This partnership with Columbia Pacific CCO is helping us sustain these efforts for folks who have historically had limited access to health services. We are grateful for the support, and look forward to continuing to work together in the coming months to meet this important need.”
Columbia Pacific CCO’s parent company, CareOregon, is contributing resources to bolster efforts. This includes providing staff time to analyze data and funding to support deployment efforts to help reach more residents.
“CareOregon is in a unique position to have the ability to track and support the COVID -19 vaccination efforts to offer access to all residents,” commented Amit Shah, Chief Medical Officer at CareOregon. “The boots on the ground work that Columbia Pacific CCO is able to provide alongside local partner clinics such as OHSU Scappoose is exactly what is needed during this pivotal time in the pandemic.”
Columbia Pacific CCO will continue to help partner in this work to vaccinate Columbia County residents through convening and supporting clinical and community partners. This includes data sharing to identify opportunities to address barriers that could negatively impact people’s ability to get the vaccine, like transportation. Lowering barriers to accessing the vaccine, which include looking at ways to overcome disparity issues such as access to transportation, prioritizing those disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, language access, and vaccine hesitancy are essential to an ongoing, equitable, and successful rollout.
Download a PDF of this press release here.
“As a rural county without a hospital, the partnership with OHSU Family Medicine at Scappoose and Columbia Pacific CCO has been instrumental to help administer the county's vaccine allocation,” said Joe M. Skariah, DO, MPH, MBA, Columbia County Public Health Officer. “While the work is just beginning, we know that our regional and local partnerships are key to distributing the vaccine to those who need them most.”
“We are grateful to OHSU Family Medicine and Columbia Pacific CCO for providing leadership from the outset of the COVID-19 vaccine distribution process. They have been phenomenal partners. Together, we have worked to eliminate the hurdles people need to jump in order to get a vaccination. Our communities are also so grateful to the staff at OHSU who are working to offer vaccinations at convenient times. OHSU is a familiar setting with providers that local residents know and trust,” commented Michael Paul, Public Health Director, Columbia County Public Health.
Columbia Pacific CCO is proud to support this partnership to ensure that all residents who want to get vaccinated have an opportunity to do so.
“We are honored to be a part of this joint effort with OHSU Scappoose and Columbia County Public Health. Columbia Pacific CCO truly values the communities we work with and people we serve,” commented, Safina Koreishi MD MPH, Medical Director, Columbia Pacific CCO and Senior Medical Director, Clinical Services, CareOregon.
“Meeting the demand for COVID-19 vaccine rollout in Columbia County requires all of us to pitch in,” said Brian Garvey, MD MPH of OHSU Family Medicine at Scappoose.
“This partnership with Columbia Pacific CCO is helping us sustain these efforts for folks who have historically had limited access to health services. We are grateful for the support, and look forward to continuing to work together in the coming months to meet this important need.”
Columbia Pacific CCO’s parent company, CareOregon, is contributing resources to bolster efforts. This includes providing staff time to analyze data and funding to support deployment efforts to help reach more residents.
“CareOregon is in a unique position to have the ability to track and support the COVID -19 vaccination efforts to offer access to all residents,” commented Amit Shah, Chief Medical Officer at CareOregon. “The boots on the ground work that Columbia Pacific CCO is able to provide alongside local partner clinics such as OHSU Scappoose is exactly what is needed during this pivotal time in the pandemic.”
Columbia Pacific CCO will continue to help partner in this work to vaccinate Columbia County residents through convening and supporting clinical and community partners. This includes data sharing to identify opportunities to address barriers that could negatively impact people’s ability to get the vaccine, like transportation. Lowering barriers to accessing the vaccine, which include looking at ways to overcome disparity issues such as access to transportation, prioritizing those disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, language access, and vaccine hesitancy are essential to an ongoing, equitable, and successful rollout.
Download a PDF of this press release here.
