From Health Plan Headquarters to Super Vaccination Site: Inside the First and Only Health Plan in California Hosting a Vaccine Clinic

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Mar 09, 2021, 13:18 ET

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif., March 9, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 3,374 residents have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at Inland Empire Health Plan's Headquarters, which has been transformed into a San Bernardino County COVID-19 Super Vaccination Site.

To support essential COVID-19 vaccination efforts, IEHP partnered with San Bernardino County to host a super vaccination site, which opened on February 23, 2021.

First launched two weeks ago in collaboration with San Bernardino County, IEHP is the first and only health plan in the state to host a vaccine clinic in their corporate headquarter building. IEHP's ENERGY STAR® certified Atrium building spans more than 400,000 square feet and supported more than 2,300 Team Members (IEHP employees) prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"With 96% of our Team Members working from home, there was no reason our headquarters couldn't be used to support our community during this time," said Jarrod McNaughton, IEHP chief executive officer. "By collaborating with our county partners, our facilities teams and our very own Team Members to support the effort, we were able to quickly transition our space into a vaccination supersite."

Through appointments and careful scheduling, the clinic can administer 500 vaccines in a single day and plans to work up to administering 1,000 vaccines per day, based on vaccine availability. The clinic also includes options to support individuals with mobility issues, as well as an observation area to monitor for any side effects.

After two weeks of operation, IEHP's vaccination site has received positive feedback, highlighting the easy site accessibility, spaciousness of the area and the simple clinic flow.

"IEHP's outstanding partnership is key to the County's efforts to vaccinate everyone in our community quickly and equitably," said San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors Chairman Curt Hagman, who also serves as Vice Chairman of the IEHP Governing Board. "Vaccination is our county's path out of this pandemic and back to normal, and there's no better partner than IEHP to have on that road to good health and safety."

The clinic is located at 10801 Sixth Street in Rancho Cucamonga and is scheduled to run for approximately six months, or as long as it's needed. Appointments are required and can be made at SBCovid19.com/vaccine.

To ensure members have the latest information on vaccine distribution efforts, the health plan will continue to work with Riverside and San Bernardino Counties to provide the latest information on their website, iehp.org and work with Members who are in need of transportation support to and from appointments. In addition, IEHP will work to engage other health plans in the hopes of providing additional vaccine sites in the IE.

"Using our space to support our communities is the right thing to do," said McNaughton. "We're a community-based health plan with a deep-seated commitment to ensure our communities enjoy optimal care and vibrant health, especially those most vulnerable. Having access to the COVID-19 vaccine is just one thing we can do now to ensure our neighbors have a chance to live healthier, happier lives."

About IEHP
IEHP, Inland Empire Health Plan, is one of the top 10 largest Medicaid health plans and the largest not-for-profit Medicare-Medicaid plan in the country. With a network of more than 6,400 Providers and more than 2,000 employees, IEHP serves more than 1.3 million residents in Riverside and San Bernardino counties who are enrolled in Medicaid or Cal MediConnect Plan (Medicare-Medicaid Plan). Through a dynamic partnership with Providers and Community, award-winning service and innovative products, IEHP is fully committed to advocating for our Members and providing them with quality, accessible and wellness-based health care services. For more information, visit iehp.org.

SOURCE Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP)