St. Mary teams up with community to host county mass vaccination site

At Our Lady of the Desert, lofty aspirations to vaccinate region kick off Tuesday

Editor's note: Providence St. Mary Medical Center's vaccine clinic is no longer located at Our Lady of the Desert Church. We have since transitioned the vaccine clinic into a drive-thru clinic located in the parking lot of St. Mary's Healthy Communities Building, 16000 Kasota Road, Apple Valley.

APPLE VALLEY, CA — After being heavily impacted by a recent COVID-19 surge, Providence St. Mary Medical Center has volunteered to administer the first San Bernardino County COVID-19 mass vaccination site in the Victor Valley.

With hopes of eventually vaccinating upwards of 1,000 people a day, the hospital will officially open this county clinic on Tuesday, Feb. 16 at Our Lady of the Desert Catholic Church, 18386 Corwin Road, Apple Valley.

The clinic will be operated by Providence St. Mary staff and community volunteers from across the Victor Valley, including substantial contribution from local school districts.

“It breaks my heart to see the devastating effects COVID has had on staff and the community,” hospital Chief Executive Randall Castillo said. “It’s a big undertaking to vaccinate this community, but it’s our responsibility to serve and care for our local residents.

“Volunteering our staff and supplies to better protect the citizens of our region is the right thing to do.”

Vaccinations will be administered inside Our Lady of the Desert’s church hall in order to accommodate a large volume of people without disturbing the day-to-day activities at the hospital.

The clinic will strictly follow county guidelines, including providing vaccines only to those eligible to receive them. The county’s multi-tier approach can be seen HERE.

Vaccinations are by appointment only. In order to ensure enough supplies, community members will only be able to schedule appointments one week in advance. Additionally, the clinic cannot guarantee a particular brand of vaccine and is subject to county supply.

Eligible community members can sign up for an appointment by clicking HERE.

Please be prepared to provide proof of vaccine eligibility under the current phases and tiers.

“As we head into this new phase of the pandemic,” Castillo said, “it brings me joy to know that we continue to do everything we can to serve our community and defeat the virus."

IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS:
For those who have scheduled to receive a vaccine, please review these instructions prior to your appointment.

• Please do not arrive more than 30 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment. Those who arrive too early will be asked to return at their scheduled appointment time. No one will be permitted on church property after 3:30 p.m., so please make sure to arrive on time.
• Once inside the parking lot, please do not leave your vehicle until instructed.
• We will make special accommodations for those requiring handicapped parking assistance.
• If you are unable to arrive by vehicle, you will still need to present photo ID and proof of San Bernardino County residency to clinic staff at our check-in station located at the entrance of the parking lot.
• We will not accept any walk-ins. The vaccine clinic is by appointment only and only available to those groups eligible as outlined by county guidelines, which can be found HERE.
• If you must cancel, please do so as soon as possible to help us ensure that no vaccine goes to waste. We must be careful stewards of the vaccine. Due to how the vaccines must be prepared and stored, if you are a no-show, it could result in a vaccine being wasted.
• You may experience a wait outside. Please bring weather-appropriate attire.
• If you have questions about vaccine eligibility or need help scheduling an appointment, please call the San Bernardino County Call Center at 909-387-3911.