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By Hannah Brandt, ABC 27.

ABC 27 talks with Family First Health Community Program Manager Erin Schmidt about FFH’s mobile trailer and vaccination statistics for Pennsylvania.

See the interview here.

By Bill Kalina, The York Dispatch.

York Dispatch publishes highlights from the first federal Juneteenth celebration in York – showing Family First Health’s Dr. Asceline Go near our table, where we administered HIV tests and COVID-19 vaccinations.

See the photos here.

By Sam Ruland, York Daily Record.

Family First Health’s CEO Jenny Englerth talks with the YDR about reacclimating to being in public again, and how the easing of COVID-19 restrictions brings on mixed feelings.

Read the story here.

See the spotlight on Good Day PA here

ABC 27 has partnered with Give Local York to highlight non-profit organization doing a great work for their community, to share their mission non-profits are welcome to submit a video. Today’s video is from Family First Health.

By Matt Barcaro, WGAL.

A York health clinic is setting up a live question and answer session with doctors to answer vaccine-related questions. WGAL’s Matt Barcaro has the story. Watch his report above.Advertisement

See whole story & video here

The Q&A starts at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. You can watch using either of the links below:

• Watch on Facebook
• Watch on YouTube

By Sam Dunklau, WITF.

Gov. Tom Wolf received a first dose of the Moderna vaccine at a community health center in York Monday morning. He joins more than four million Pennsylvanians who have gotten a first dose since the state began vaccinating people against the coronavirus in December.

Wolf said he made the appointment last Tuesday, the day the commonwealth opened vaccine eligibility to all adults. For months, health workers had only been allowed to vaccinate people over the age of 65, those with certain underlying health conditions, and essential workers most at-risk of catching the disease.

SEE THE WHOLE STORY HERE

“I wanted to wait in line,” Wolf said after his 15-minute observation period was up. “I made my appointment and this was the appointment.” When asked how he was feeling in the first minutes after his vaccine, Wolf responded, “Great.”

All states were to have opened vaccine appointments to all adults this week, if they hadn’t already. So far, children under 16 are not eligible for a shot in Pennsylvania. Earlier this month, the nation’s top infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci told reporters there could be enough child safety data from clinical trial by the end of the year. That means kids may be able to get shots by then, if the vaccination doses are considered safe for them.

Wolf said outside of child eligibility, the next big hurdle his administration plans to tackle is vaccine hesitancy.

“Until this past week, the issue was inadequate supply. Now, we’re just starting to get to the point where we have open appointments in a lot of places all around the commonwealth. So, it’s time to really start focusing on the [the] hesitancy issue,” Wolf said.

Dr. Asceline S. Go administered Wolf’s vaccine and serves as the Vice President of Medical Services at the York City clinic. She said fears about rare blood clots caused by the Johnson & Johnson vaccine have already led some to cancel their vaccine appointments at the facility in the last week.

Regulators are set to determine whether the J&J jab can continue with new guidance this week. Only six patients reported such clotting out of nearly 7 million people in the U.S. who received that vaccine.

Go said workplace incentives and more mobile vaccination drives could help reduce access barriers and get those who are holding out more comfortable with rolling up their sleeves.

“There is a lot of work that needs to be done, and it has to be a cooperation among the leaders of the community,” Go said. “If there’s no reason for them not to get the vaccine, then the chance of them getting it would exponentially be higher.”

Wolf said the commonwealth is ramping up its own plans to target hesitant communities with public service ads. The New York Times reports counties where a majority voted for former President Donald Trump in the last election are seeing lower vaccination rates on average.

By Samantha York, CBS 21-WHP-TV .

As Pennsylvania enters the 1C phase of its vaccination rollout and prepares for all adults to become eligible to get vaccinated next week, it’s also prioritizing getting equal access to homeless communities.

See whole story & video here

“Our staff, they need to be on the frontlines helping people,” says Bethesda Mission Executive Director Scott Dunwoody. “Vaccines have been made available to our staff and we’re soon hoping vaccines will be made available to guests as well. That will be a game changer.”

The initiative to vaccinate homeless communities is underway as eligibility expands and vaccine supply stabilizes.

“We haven’t been hindered by supply, it’s really been a significant coordination effort,” says President and CEO of Family First Health Jenny Englerth, explaining her staff’s planning to match supply with people who need the vaccine most.

With frontline workers at homeless shelters and their guests falling under the 1B phase within the state, the vaccine is another layer of protection. Providers specifically recommending Johnson & Johnson doses be allotted to them.

“Being able to reconnect in 21-28 days could be a challenge,” Englerth explains. “These folks are going to leave these events in the coming week fully vaccinated.”

It’s protection for those among the most vulnerable, who travel often and are in group settings frequently.

“They may have instability in other areas of their health or wellbeing as well,” says Englerth. “They may be in a situation where they’re accessing multiple services, working multiple jobs.”

It’s a shot of relief for homeless shelters, after a year of turning some away to meet capacity limitations due to pandemic mitigations.

“That’s against our DNA,” says Dunwoody. “Our DNA at Bethesda says if you are in need of help, we’ll provide the help for you. But we had to think of the safety of our guests and staff.”

Providers and doctors agree: The demand for vaccine is greater than supply. Gov. Wolf says the state needs to get vaccine out more quickly and fairly.

YORK, Pa. — After a tour of Family First Health in York, Governor Tom Wolf told FOX43 he is not satisfied with the COVID-19 vaccine rollout. 

“If you want me to acknowledge that need to do a better job. I’m there. We need to do a better job,” said Gov. Wolf.

Vaccine providers and doctors agree: The demand for vaccine is greater than supply.

“The greatest challenge we continue to see is vaccine supply,” said Dr. Michael Ripchinski, Chief Clinical Officer for Lancaster General Health.

“Access, absolutely access,” said Jenny Englerth, CEO of Family First Health.

It has resulted in thousands of Pennsylvanians who wait their turn for the COVID-19 vaccine.

“It’s clear: We are receiving a lot fewer vaccines than we need. This week, this week, the number of vaccines applied for, first doses, is double than what we actually received. We requested about 400,000 doses, and we have about 200,000,” stated Gov. Wolf. “We need to do a better job at getting it out quickly and getting it out fairly. I think we’re around the national average when it comes to the percentage of the population that has been inoculated. I want to be above average.”

According to data from Johns Hopkins University and Medicine, Pennsylvania is among the worst states when it comes to the % of population fully vaccinated. However, it is among the top 10 states when it comes to how many people have been fully vaccinated: 1,160,000 people and counting, according to the data and the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

“The burden is falling on you guys to get it out faster. You get a lot of criticism. How do you respond to that?” asked FOX43’s Grace Griffaton.

“I think it’s deserved. In any system, if all you do is hear what you want to hear so I appreciate the criticism,” responded Gov. Wolf.

The governor says the state continues to learn and is taking notes from providers.

“WellSpan, Family First, places like this are doing a good job, and we need to learn what they’re doing,” stated Wolf.

Family First is starting its own version of ‘March Madness’ except, for them, it’s shots into arms not baskets that will make the difference.

“We’re turning all three floors of this building into a vaccination site every Friday for the foreseeable future. All of our primary care will be taken virtually during those days,” explained Englerth. “It really will become a hub that people will be able to recognize as a place to get a vaccine and information about the vaccine, and we’ll be here as long as it takes.”

Englerth says anywhere between 200 and 300 people will be vaccinated at Family First Health each Friday.

Find the full article here