PENDLETON — The Umatilla County Board of Realtors made a special delivery to Pendleton’s CHI St. Anthony Hospital as part of its annual Good News Bears campaign.
Brian Patrick, vice president of nursing for Good Shepherd, told the
Hermiston Herald a few hours later that the morningâs rollout had gone well. He said staff were excited to receive the vaccine and begin to administer it to others.
âThis is the part of the disaster response weâve been waiting for,â he said.
Patrick said in Good Shepherdâs initial polling of staff, before the vaccine had become available to them, some had expressed some hesitancy about whether they wanted to be part of the first phase of the rollout, but now he is seeing many of those hesitant people ask to be added to the list as their confidence in it grows. He personally expressed confidence in the vaccineâs safety and effectiveness.
PENDLETON â The atmosphere in the St. Anthony Hospital conference room on Monday, Dec. 28, was upbeat. Ten health care workers who waited there to receive the hospitalâs first coronavirus vaccinations could barely contain their elation.
âThis is huge,â said Dr. John McBee. âThis is the beginning of the end of the pandemic.â
Each person answered screening questions and signed a consent form.
McBee went forward first, sat down in the hot seat and rolled up his left sleeve. Tracy Wart, infection prevention nurse at St. Anthony, cleaned the surgeonâs arm with alcohol and prepared the syringe.
âReady?â Wart asked.