Community Hospital Prioritizes Long-Term Care Settings in Immunizing Against COVID-19

CentraState Healthcare System has made tremendous strides in vaccinating residents of Monmouth Crossing Assisted Living, with nearly 93% of residents having received their second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine by mid-February.

On December 15, 2020, the State of New Jersey began Phase 1A of their COVID-19 vaccination rollout, which prioritized “long-term care settings” such as nursing homes, assisted living facilities, group homes and other facilities that provide services to persons who are unable to live independently. With the capacity to care for up to 80 residents in the Monmouth County area, Monmouth Crossing prepared for the next steps ahead.

“At the beginning of the vaccine rollout, we were uncertain of how things would go but our affiliation with CentraState really enabled us to navigate and streamline the process to ensure residents were taken care of and vaccinated in a timely manner” said Heleyne Gladstein, Administrator at Monmouth Crossing. “Now, any new resident has quick access to a vaccine, sometimes within a week of arrival. Our residents and families are beyond grateful for the peace of mind CentraState has given them.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), clinical trials of the FDA-approved Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine are 95% effective at preventing laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 illness in people who receive both doses. The FDA-approved Moderna vaccine has proven to be 94.1% effective.

CentraState, with whom Monmouth Crossing has been affiliated with for over 19 years, provided both the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines for any resident who chose to be vaccinated. In early January Monmouth Crossing nurses began administering vaccines. Now months later, the majority of residents are protected due to these efforts and many other safety precautions that have been instituted since the pandemic began.

“CentraState’s efforts to vaccinate residents at Monmouth Crossing against COVID-19 is a prime example of delivering on our promise to provide seamless, coordinated care and priority access to health and wellness services,” said CentraState COO Tom Scott. “Our residents greatly benefit from easier and better access to care.”