Saint Alphonsus Collaborates with Idaho Council for Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Special COVID Vaccine Outreach

Boise, ID– It’s now easier for eligible members of the deaf and hard of hearing community to access COVID-19 vaccinations thanks to a joint effort by Saint Alphonsus Health System and the Idaho Council for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH).

The program includes communication outreach, assistance with scheduling, vaccine clinic signage, on-site interpretation, and special masks that accommodate the particular needs of the deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) community.

Saint Alphonsus’s new, centrally located vaccination clinic (former Gordman’s location, The Village at Meridian) welcomed its first eligible deaf and hard of hearing patients to experience the helpful accommodations. “Health equity means providing the place, space, clear communication and compassionate caregivers for all to have safe, person-centered access to care. In this case, that care is vaccinations. Some populations have real, perceived or social barriers to true ease-of-access to a vaccination.

It’s our mission to eliminate those barriers so all have opportunity to flourish.,” says Jennifer Palagi, Vice President of Saint Alphonsus Community Health & Well-Being, According to Steven Snow, Director of Idaho’s Council for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, the DHH community is the last to have access and information for services, “So we worked really hard with Saint Alphonsus to make this available in a way that makes sense for them.This really helps the deaf community feel valued, safe and satisfied in getting their vaccines.”Snow experienced the process first-hand receiving his vaccination, “This is really special. I had no struggles, I could communicate. It was very smooth and worked out beautifully!”Vaccine eligible individuals needing these services can indicated their language preference when scheduling a vaccination appointment at www.SaintAlphonsus.org/getvaccinated.

There are additional access options available through the Idaho Council for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.