To Your Health
May 2021
Whitney Young Health offering walk-in vaccine clinics
It’s hard to imagine a time when we didn’t know COVID-19 existed. The impact of the virus on our lives, our activities, and our freedom has affected us all. The responsibility is ours, as a community, to help stop this virus. Now we have a new, safe, and effective tool to help us do that - COVID-19 vaccines.

It takes everyone.
We all need to step up to beat COVID-19. We ask you to join us in protecting yourself, your family and friends, and our community by getting vaccinated.
Whitney Young Health
Albany Health Center
920 Lark Drive | Albany, NY 12207

No appointment needed

US Citizens aged 12 and up are eligible to receive the vaccine.
“COVID-19 vaccination is one of the strongest tools we can use to fight this pandemic together.”

David H. Shippee
President & CEO, Whitney Young Health
What you should know about vaccines
Getting vaccinated adds an important layer of protection for you, your family, and loved ones. Here are some things you should know about the COVID-19 vaccine:

  • All COVID-19 vaccines currently available in the United States are safe and very effective at preventing the disease.

  • The most common side effects are pain in the arm where you got the shot, feeling tired, headache, body aches, chills, and fever.

  • Stopping a pandemic requires using all the tools we have available—wearing masks, staying at least 6 feet apart from people who don’t live with you, avoiding crowds and poorly ventilated spaces, washing your hands frequently, and getting vaccinated.

We want everyone in our community to be safe and get back to hugging our families and friends and shaking hands with our neighbors.

Still have questions about the vaccine?
Visit CDC’s FAQs web page:
All Around Whitney
School Based Health Center open at Albany High School
After a delay caused by the pandemic, Whitney Young Health has opened a new School Based Health Center (SBHC) at Albany High School (AHS).

The new location will expand the population eligible to be treated by the SBHC not only to AHS students, but also to any student in the City School District of Albany (CSDA).

CSDA students, including those attending charter schools, can receive care at the AHS site. They can get appointments quickly, and they do not need to switch their primary care to Whitney Young Health. Additionally, there are no out-of-pocket costs, meaning that they will have no co-pay or deductible for their SBHC visit.
"Maximum" Thanks

On April 29, Steve Russell, Sr. Director, Learning and Development, U.S. Services at Maximus, delivered a unique care package to WYH: a basket filled with handmade cards created by Maximus volunteers.

HR staff delivered the cards on May 11 to coincide with Nurse's Week. The cards, which went not only to nurses, but to any staff who work directly with patients, are part of Maximus' "Recognizing Hometown Healthcare Heroes" project to show thanks and appreciation for frontline workers during the pandemic.
In March, HR had provided Maximus with a list of positions that involve direct interaction with patients, and the number of staff in those roles, which allowed the volunteers to tailor the content of the cards for our staff.

Big Thanks to Maximus and their volunteers for their thoughts and kindness!
Top right: WYH HR Director MaryBeth Goldstein receives a basket of cards from Steve Russell of Maximus; Above left: Nursing & medical staff at our Albany Health Center; Left: Senior Medical Assistant in our Community Prevention & Treatment Services, Richard Byas; Right: Dentist Augusto Sarmiento
Students & Staff Get the COVID Vaccine
Last month, the WYH vaccine team was at the Abrookin Career and Technical Center (part of Albany High School) to provide vaccines for staff and students age 16 and older. *

*The vaccine age limit has since been lowered to 12 years and up.
Maria, Hwal and Resh pose with some of the "Why I got vaccinated" slips filled in by staff and students throughout the day.
Reporter Jackson Wang of Spectrum News was on site to interview students and WYH Community Based Programs Director, Dr. Amanda Duff about student vaccinations.
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