Limited Number of Appointment Slots Still Available
LOS ANGELES – L.A. Care Health Plan and Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan, in partnership with USC Pharmacy, are launching 16 free COVID-19 vaccine clinics in high-need areas near their jointly-operated Community Resource Centers. The drive-thru and walk-up vaccine clinics, which run from April 7 through May 1, by appointment only, are open to L.A. Care and Blue Shield Promise members – the majority of whom are low-income individuals and Medi-Cal beneficiaries – and to the general public. All vaccine clinics will be held outdoors, and safety guidelines recommended by public health officials will be followed.
Anyone who is eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine can make an appointment for an upcoming vaccine clinic by registering at www.lacare.org/vaccine.
The eight resource centers – which are located in hard-hit communities such as East Los Angeles, Pacoima, Lynwood and the Antelope Valley, where many of the health plans’ members live – collaborated with local churches, community colleges and other community-based organizations to repurpose their large venues to assist in administering up to 1,000 one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccines per clinic.
Every day, we are making more progress to end the pandemic – and the light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter,” said John Baackes, CEO of L.A. Care Health Plan. “But we are not quite there yet. We cannot let our guard down, and we must get shots in the arms of those who have been most impacted by this pandemic.”
To help ensure that vaccine appointments are prioritized for communities of color, which have been most affected by COVID-19, numerous outreach efforts are continuing to be deployed to reach individuals and families in high-need zip codes, including live outreach calls, automated calls, a social media campaign, community health worker outreach and promotion by a wide array of community-based organizations.
“As more vaccines become available, we want to help make sure our health plan and community members have access to get vaccinated,” said Kristen Cerf, President and CEO of Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan. “We all have a shared desire to stop the spread of the virus and to get back to normal, and we want to provide resources and services to help our members in any way we can.”
To learn more about the Community Resource Centers, visit activehealthyinformed.org.
About Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan
Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan is a managed care organization, wholly owned by Blue Shield of California, offering Medi-Cal and Medicare-Medicaid Plans. It is led by healthcare professionals with a “members-first” philosophy and committed to building a quality network of providers and partnering with community organizations for more than 400,000 members. For more information about Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan, please visit www.blueshieldca.com/promise. For more news about Blue Shield of California, please visit www.news.blueshieldca.com. Or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook.