ChenMed Accelerates Safe Covid-19 Vaccine Administrations to Tens of Thousands of High-Risk Seniors Where They Receive Care

MIAMI, Feb. 23, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- ChenMed, one of the nation's leading primary care practices serving Medicare-eligible seniors, today announces it has joined the COVID-19 vaccination effort. For nearly a year, ChenMed has been protecting the nation's most vulnerable populations living in underserved communities from COVID through education and prevention. Now hard-to-access vaccines are being administered where patients know and trust ? their primary care doctor's office.

"Having such safe and effective vaccines in under a year was a miracle," says Christopher Chen, M.D., ChenMed CEO. "While getting them into arms has been a complex problem, we're now on the right track with primary care doctor offices and couldn't be prouder to see our teams save lives ? completing some 7,000 vaccines for the most at-risk seniors this month."

For example, during the past three weeks, JenCare Senior Medical Centers in New Orleans have been operating like Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH) units. They have been maintaining the ChenMed tradition of providing high-touch primary care to thousands of New Orleans seniors, while simultaneously administering more than 2,000 COVID-19 vaccinations provided by the Louisiana Department of Health (LDOH) as a community service.

"We are so grateful to the Louisiana Department of Health for trusting our physician-lead primary care practice with some of the state's COVID-19 vaccine supply," explains Vijayendra Jaligam, M.D., Chief Medical Officer for JenCare New Orleans. "And, we will maintain our MASH approach to giving New Orleans seniors their lives back by helping the department of health safely administer precious vaccines for as long as we are supplied vaccines by the state."

South Florida Chen Senior Medical Center doctors similarly have assisted with COVID-19 vaccinations for high-priority elderly populations in Fort Lauderdale. As expected, seniors have shown their interest in these vaccines, and Chen doctors have been able to identify and schedule more than 3,500 COVID-19 vaccines there, being provided now by the Florida Department of Health (FDOH) at Chen locations in Miami, Oakland Park and Pembroke Pines, Fla.

Plus, Dedicated and JenCare Senior Medical Centers in Atlanta, Chicago, Jacksonville, Louisville, Portsmouth and Richmond continue to effectively collaborate with state departments of health and other community partners to identify and speed COVID-19 vaccinations of most-at-risk elderly living in underserved neighborhoods. ChenMed's long-term focus on transforming care of the neediest populations is increasingly making the nimble company operating more than 75 centers in 10 states a sought-after public/private partner for laser-focused COVID-19 vaccine administration.

This is not surprising, as a recent University of Miami study of some 400 ChenMed patients shows its high-touch approach to primary care can reduce coronavirus deaths among seniors by 40 percent. And, despite months of limited vaccine supplies, more than 62 percent of ChenMed doctors and 33 percent of ChenMed staff already have been vaccinated against COVID-19 to provide vital patient safety during the coronavirus pandemic, while also leading by example as COVID-19 vaccinated.

"Decades of vaccination history confirm the vital role that primary care physicians must play to annually address patient questions and concerns about the safety and benefits associated with each and every vaccine," notes Jason Lane, M.D., ChenMed National Medical Director, Clinical Strategy and Outcomes. "This is particularly true in underserved communities, where there clearly is less trust for government encouraged public health initiatives, and where we have seen how positive health outcomes can be achieved when primary care doctors focus on delivering VIP service and earning patient trust every day."

About ChenMed

ChenMed, headquartered in Miami Gardens, Fla., is a privately owned medical, management, and technology company that delivers the high-touch and personalized primary care Medicare-eligible seniors need to enjoy better health. Named one of Fortune 2020 "Change the World" companies, ChenMed brings concierge-style medicine and better health outcomes to the neediest populations. ChenMed brands include Chen Senior Medical Center, Dedicated Senior Medical Center and JenCare Senior Medical Center.

SOURCE ChenMed