RVH hands over Immunization Clinic to health unit

RVH Immunization Clinic nurse Maureen Broley (R) with Arjan Virk’s, 5, at the RVH’s Immunization Clinic in Barrie, Ont., on Fri., March 30, 2023. (Supplied)

Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH) was one of the first hospitals in the province to distribute vaccinations in an effort to halt the spread of COVID-19.

After more than two years, RVH’s Immunization Clinic was officially handed over to the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU) on March 30.

Together with the health unit and the City of Barrie, the Immunization Clinic worked during the darkest days of the pandemic to bring hope to the people of Simcoe Muskoka.

More than 293,000 vaccinations were administered at the clinic by:

• 138 doctors
• 115 nurses (many of whom came out of retirement to help),
• 70 patient service clerks,
• 18 pharmacy techs,
• 15 security guards,
• 10 screeners,
• four EVS workers, who kept the clinic running smoothly.

The Immunization Clinic staff have been relocated to positions within RVH, while many returned to retirement or have stayed on to provide essential support to the COVID, Cold and Flu Care Clinic.

“At a time when our world was upended and so many people feared what was to come, RVH staff and physicians stood strong, providing care for those who were infected and sick,” said Gail Hunt, RVH president and CEO.

“We provided leadership and manpower to vaccinate the community against further spread. My deep thanks and admiration go out to all RVH employees who worked at the Immunization Clinic through tremendously difficult circumstances to keep our community safe,” said Hunt.

The Immunization Clinic will remain open five days a week, now under the supervision of the health unit.

“Vaccination has saved many thousands of lives and prevented tens of thousands of severe illnesses from COVID-19 in Simcoe Muskoka,” said Dr. Charles Gardner, Medical Officer of Health at the health unit.

Gardner said COVID-19 had been the most severe pandemic of the century.

“However, it would have been far worse without all that we did together, especially with vaccinations,” he added.

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