Thanks to a partnership with Redlands Community Hospital and other organizations within the City of Redlands, the University of Redlands plans to open a COVID vaccine clinic on its Redlands main campus.
“I am grateful that we have reached a stage of the pandemic where we are able to participate in vaccine distribution in collaboration with the Redlands Community Hospital team and others in the city,” says U of R Vice President for Administration Michelle Rogers. “This is a historic moment, and these efforts reflect the University’s dedication to its core values and the people who make our educational endeavor possible.”
"Throughout the pandemic, Redlands Community Hospital has been on the forefront of the COVID-19 response, dedicated to the health needs of the communities we serve," says Karen Zirkle, assistant vice president of business development at Redlands Community Hospital. "We are proud to partner with the University of Redlands to increase COVID-19 vaccinations in more areas of San Bernardino County."
The city-wide collaboration, dubbed Operation Greater Good, was spurred by a sense of urgency to vaccinate members of the Redlands community. In addition to the University and Redlands Community Hospital, Operation Greater Good includes the Redlands Fire Department, Redlands Police Department, Esri, and Redlands Unified School District.
The vaccination clinic, which will be located at the University’s Orton Center off of E. Brockton Ave. between N. University and N. Grove Streets, could open as soon as mid-March, depending on vaccine availability.
It will serve members of the general public who live or work in San Bernardino County and who meet the State’s vaccine phase requirements—currently including healthcare workers, individuals 65 and older, and those working in education and childcare (including faculty, staff, and administrators at the U of R), emergency services, and agriculture and food. Only individuals who have a valid appointment and ID will be allowed to enter the vaccination site.
U of R faculty, staff, and administrators will receive a code to enter into the Redlands Community Hospital registration system when appointments become available.
Registration will be managed by Redlands Community Hospital, which will also secure, draw, transport, administer, and track each dose of the vaccine (Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech brands, based on availability). Redlands Community Hospital medical staff will administer the vaccines and handle the health care aspects of the clinic.
While the clinic is planned Monday through Friday each week, it will only be open on days that vaccines are available given that the supply chain remains unpredictable.
To operate the clinic, about 60 people per day will be required. “We will staff the clinic with volunteers from our University community, and, once we are up and running, we will seek volunteers from the larger Redlands community,” Rogers says, adding that information on how people can volunteer will be available soon.
In addition to the vaccination effort, the University of Redlands will continue the partnership with the County of San Bernardino that provides a COVID-19 testing site in a different building on the main Redlands campus.
Learn more about the U of R’s COVID response.
