On March 24, 2021, the Millennia Housing Management, Ltd. property management team at Carbondale Towers/ Mill Street Apartments hosted a mobile COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic during which representatives of the National Guard and Jackson County Health Department (JCHD) administered to residents 120 Johnson & Johnson vaccines.
Millennia’s service coordinator, Joanna Simpson-Abel, reports that the vaccination team was amazing in accommodating the unique needs of the apartment community that serves seniors and those with disabilities.
Joanna shared that the staff were nervous about the logistics associated with hosting the clinic in the community room, but those concerns quickly dissipated when the vaccination team arrived. She reports that the professionals were good-hearted, good-humored, and attentive to the needs of each resident. She added “it is as if they somehow turned a serious vaccine clinic into a celebration!”
Residents enjoyed engaging with the service members and shared many tearful expressions of gratitude for the clinic; hosting this event at the site made the vaccine accessible. Joanna says that for the first time in over a year the property management team felt a bit lighter and relieved; however, the day required collaboration between the local health department, the area healthcare system, and local elected officials.
While two mass vaccination sites are available in the county, the effort to bring the clinic to the apartment development addressed issues such as lack of transportation and potential difficulties navigating offsite clinics with mobility impairments. Additionally, the mobile clinic helped to decrease anxiety among residents about long lines, large crowds or the vaccine process itself.
With detailed planning, the event successfully addressed the accommodations needed to best serve residents, and all went smoothly. The property management team worked together and provided a critical service to the residents, providing joy and hope after a difficult 12 months.