Health Resources and Services Administration Grant
San Fernando Community Health Center Receives Federal Grant to Host Free Vaccination Clinics Focused on Vulnerable Communities
(San Fernando, Calif. – January 31, 2023) – San Fernando Community Health Center (SFCHC) is partnering with community-based organizations to host a series of free COVID-19 and flu vaccination events funded by a $111,865 grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
The walk-up clinics are part of a $350 million federal initiative for HRSA-supported health centers to increase COVID-19 and flu vaccinations in their communities, with a specific focus on underserved populations that have been hardest hit by the pandemic.
SFCHC is partnering with the City of San Fernando, MEND (Meet Each Need With Dignity) and Dignity Health to offer five free walk-up clinics in the San Fernando Valley. First, second and bivalent booster doses of the Pfizer-BioNtech and Moderna vaccines will be offered, as well as this year’s flu vaccine. Both the COVID-19 and flu shots can be taken at the same time and will be administered per Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.
“We are grateful for this opportunity to help overcome vaccine hesitancy and continue serving as a healthcare home for the most vulnerable and underserved members of our community,” said SFCHC Chief Executive Officer Audrey Simons. “As a federally qualified health center, we are uniquely positioned to offer families the care they need from an organization they know and trust. Together, with our partners, we are encouraging people of all ages to stay up-to-date with their vaccines and avoid hospitalizations, long-term health outcomes and even death.”
The first four vaccination clinics will be held at the following locations, with the final event to be announced:
Where: Las Palmas Park, 505 South Huntington St., San Fernando, 91340
Dates: February 2 and March 16, 2023 (Thursdays)
When: 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Where: MEND, 10641 N. San Fernando Road, Pacoima, 91331
Dates: February 17 and March 17, 2023 (Fridays)
When: 9 a.m. to noon
SFCHC also is working to increase awareness about the free clinics through local Spanish-language print and radio advertisements. The message is simple: It is an act of love to help keep yourself, your family and your neighbors safe.
For updated information, please visit the SFCHC website.
About SFCHC
SFCHC has been a trusted, patient-centered medical home for the community since 1924. SFCHC’s designation as a federally qualified health center allows it to provide state-of-the art health care services, prevention and education regardless of an individual’s income, insurance status or ability to pay. Dedicated to providing quality care to every person, particularly the most vulnerable and underserved, SFCHC operates at two locations. Its main 17,100-square-foot facility in San Fernando provides primary, dental and behavioral health care, as well as case management and health education. Its additional 1,500-square-foot facility in Mission Hills is co-located with Harbor Recuperative Care Center (HRCC) that provides housing for homeless community members recently released from local acute care hospitals. For more information, visit www.sfchealthcenter.org.
Media Contact
Stacy Geere at 661.253.1059 or stacy@thegeeregroup.com
