To Your Health
April 2021
Whitney Young Health and community partners bring COVID-19 Vaccine Clinics to underserved populations
Whitney Young Health is proud to be a part of the historic effort to vaccinate everyone in the country against COVID-19.

The first round of vaccines were administered to WYH staff, then to frontline workers at partner associations. Starting in late January, we began to schedule clinics for our patients and for people in underserved communities who met the requirements for vaccine eligibility.
Knowing that the vaccines would be in high demand, WYH contacted Maria College to see if their nursing students would be willing to volunteer as vaccinators.

The students were eager to get hands-on clinical experiences, as the pandemic had drastically limited the opportunities available to them. Additionally, they were excited to do good in the community and to play a part in combatting COVID-19.

The first WYH/Maria College collaborative clinic was held at Sweet Pilgrim Baptist Church in Albany, a location selected as part of a statewide effort to make the vaccine available and accessible to Black and brown communities.
A nursing student from Maria College administers the COVID-19 vaccine at Sweet Pilgrim Baptist Church in Albany.
“It’s been a very valuable experience,” said one nursing student. “The clinics allow Whitney Young Health and Maria College to reach out to underserved populations and those who cannot access mainstream care.”

With more clinics being added weekly, WYH President and CEO David Shippee reached out for additional help, this time to the College Parkside Pharmacy, located in WYH’s Albany Health Center and run by the Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (ACPHS). Would their pharmacy students be willing to assist at our clinics?
ACPHS pharmacy students "draw" vaccines, preparing the doses to be administered to patients by the vaccinators.
As with the Maria College nursing students, the pharmacy students were excited to have real, practical experience, and to have the chance to make a difference.

The reaction to the vaccine clinics from WYH staff, the student volunteers from Maria College and ACPHS, and from the people receiving the vaccines has been overwhelmingly positive. “We are very fortunate to have such caring and committed staff at WYH,” said Shippee. “And to have well-established connections to partner organizations in the community who we can call on and collaborate with, knowing we share the same commitment to providing accessible quality healthcare for all who need it.”
Whitney Young Health in the Community
Vaccine team superstars
Amanda, Maria and Resh are part of the team that keeps Whitney Young Health's vaccine clinics running smoothly.
A woman brings her parents to receive their vaccines at a recent clinic.
A patient gets his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, administered by a nursing student from Maria College.
An Attitude of Gratitude
A small sampling of the hundreds of "Why I got my COVID-19 vaccine" cards filled out by patients at the vaccine clinics.

Answers included wanting to protect loved ones, being able hug family members, and looking forward to travelling again.
We're hiring!
Be a part of the meaningful work we do at Whitney Young Health - Join our team!

It takes a village, and a variety of skills, to provide quality care to a growing community. Consider contributing your talents to our mission.

Learn more about our employment opportunities online at www.wmyhealth.org/careers, or call our Talent Acquisition Specialist, Olivia Fagan at (518) 591-4565.
50 Years of Caring and Community Health
For 50 years, Whitney Young Health has been here to take care of our patients medical, dental and behavioral health needs regardless of income or insurance status.

The past year has been among the most challenging of the last half-century, with our staff finding ways to continue to provide services under unexpected and ever-changing circumstances.

Your donation to Whitney Young Health helps provide our patients with care that is needed more than ever. As patients reschedule appointments long-postponed due to concerns about COVID-19, some are finding that minor health issues have now become more major or that they now need a root canal instead of a filling for that cavity.

Thank you for supporting Whitney Young Health in our mission to provide quality healthcare to some of the most vulnerable and underserved populations in our community.

We look forward to meeting the changing needs of our patients for another 50 years!
Whitney Young Health