Interested in helping with the COVID-19 vaccination effort? If you are — and can pass a criminal background check — you could help with Inova Stonebridge’s vaccination site in Alexandria.
Volunteers are needed daily for at least the next six weeks to help clinical and logistical support teams.
Requirements include being 18 or older, fluent in English, the ability to stand for extended periods of time, and the ability to push an adult in a wheelchair.
Who’s an ideal candidate?
“Really anybody. Anybody that likes people, is enthusiastic, happy to be there. We’ve got a job for everybody,” said Michelle Vassallo, Inova Health System’s vice president of nursing for clinical platforms.
“Our outdoor needs are going to get more as we increase volume. So, people who are comfortable being outside and interacting with the public. And, certainly people who are able and willing to assist our patrons who have mobility issues.”
There are four-hour shifts, or longer if you like, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. at 5001 Eisenhower Ave., in the Alexandria section of Fairfax County.
Volunteers show up 8 a.m.
“We do safety briefings, we do tours, [and] each group meets with the leader, whether they’re clinical or logistical support teams,” Vassallo explained. “Everyone gets assigned their individual roles, and then we try and start the clinic actually before 9 a.m. [to] get people in early if possible.”
Expect to be on your feet all or most of your shift, and you’ll need to wear a mask. (Being vaccinated for COVID-19, however, is not a requirement for volunteering.)
Here are some of the responsibilities that need to be covered …
- Line management.
- Patient access assistance.
- Pharmacy runner.
- Patient monitoring area (non-clinical).
- Vaccination station assigner.
- Welcome position.
Volunteers will work alongside Inova’s registration team, check-in staff, and up to 70 clinicians on the pharmacy and vaccinator teams.
“For everyone that can volunteer and is able to volunteer — we’re very grateful for people donating their time. It really takes a significant community effort and lift to get the Northern Virginia region through our vaccination,” Vassallo said.
“Anywhere you’re able to volunteer — whether it’s with us or another site, I think everyone should chip in and give a little bit, and then we’ll get through this a lot faster.”
Vaccinations are currently being offered by appointment only.
Those interested in volunteering can find more information on the Fairfax County website.
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