Nicole Burke, Director of Centralized Clinical Operations (L) with Jacqueline Welsh, Director, Philanthropy & Community Relations at the South Portland Maine Mall Site Where Booster Shots Begin Tomorrow.
The Former Pier 1 Facility at 368 Maine Mall Road is the Site of a Two Week Booster Clinic. Maine Mall Donated the Use of this Building – Free of Charge.
Chris Good, Facilities & Supply Coordinator for Home Care & Hospitce, Stacks 2,000 Needles Needed for the ‘Booster Blitz’ Beginning Tomorrow, December 14th at 1:00 pm.
Starting tomorrow afternoon those wanting booster shots for additional protection from COVID-19 will be able to receive them free in South Portland for a two week period said Jacqueline Welsh, Director of Philanthropy & Community Relations, Home Care & Hospice, this afternoon. The site of the “Booster Blitz” is the former Pier 1 store, at 368 Maine Mall Road. It’s near the entrance to the Food Court and within sight of Sears. Parking is plentiful.
The schedule for the ‘Booster Blitz’ is as follows: Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, December 14, 15th and 16 from 1;00 pm until 7:00 pm; Saturday, December 18th, from Noon until 5:00 pm; Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, December 20th, 21st and 22nd, from 1:00 pm through 7:00 pm. About 2,000 people are expected to take advantage of this pop-up to protect themselves with this additional shot from the COVID-19.
Noah and Terry Delivered Fifty Rental Chairs for Use in the Booster Clinic This Afternoon.
Thanks are due to Maine Mall for donating the use of the former Pier 1 facility – free of charge.
Although this is primarily a booster clinic, anyone needing a vaccination will be served as well. “No one will be turned away,” said Welsh this afernoon. The supply of vaccine is not a issue.
Children five years and up will be vaccinated in a separate right hand section of the spacious former Pier 1. “It’s a different dose for kids,” said Burke, MHA, MSN, RN., this afternoon as a crew arrived to make final preparations for the booster clinic. About ten nurses and paramedics make up the team who will administer the booster shots.
Dr. Nirav Shaw, Director of the Maine CDC, contacted the non-profit Health Programs Manager, Linda Bean, last Thursday and asked if it could help with a booster clinic. Ms. Bean sprang into action and got this clinic underway in pop-up time.
Home Care & Hospice is a member organization of Northern Light Health. “We take care of 2,000 patients a day across the state of Maine,” said Welsh. Six hundred and fifty are in Portland. “We are nible and quick.” The non-profit has worked at homeless shelters in Portland and with seniors. Between March and May of 2021, it had clinics at Pier 1 – administering around 30,000 vaccinations in that time. The non-profit has also run vaccination clinics in public schools in the area.
“We are a low profile organizataion with a high community impact,” said Welsh.