NEW BRITAIN, Conn. (WTIC Radio)—Hartford HealthCare has launched a new pilot program with the Connecticut Food Bank/Foodshare to help break down barriers to the COVID-19 vaccine.
At the New Britain YMCA Wednesday, the Connecticut Food Bank/Foodshare held a food truck delivery distribution site where families waiting in line had an opportunity to pre-register for a COVID-19 vaccine appointment or get the shot if possible.
It's a partnership that aims to address food insecurities while providing access to the vaccine, according to Hartford HealthCare Chief Clinical Integration Officer Jim Cardon.
Sarah Lewis, the Vice President of Health Equity, Diversity & Inclusion at Hartford HealthCare, says the partnership addresses and promotes health equity both with food insecurity and health care.
"People need food. People need nourishment, and people need vaccines and healthcare in order to get out of this crisis that we've been living in for the past year," Lewis said.
Establishing community relationships has played a crucial part in reaching underserved communities since the start of the pandemic when Hartford HealthCare began COVID-19 testing, Cardon said.
The effort to increase access to the vaccines is especially important as the state prepares to open up the eligibility pool to those 16 and older this Thursday, he said.
"We're excited. We're ready," he said of the expansion in eligibility, "We're sort of into the last turn here as we move into trying to get communities safe and finally put this nightmare of a pandemic behind us."
However, the partnership with the food bank organization will not end with the COVID-19 vaccine, he said.
These types of partnerships are key to remove the barriers to care, Cardon said.
"This is the beginning of a long relationship for us to continue to partner at these sites and at these places to bring care to these folks," he said.
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