Alivio Medical Center Receives 200 COVID-19 Vaccines for Staff

Alivio Medical Center received 200 doses of the Moderna vaccine for COVID-19 by the Chicago Department of Public Health to administer to staff. Alivio will begin administering vaccines to its staff on Wednesday, December 30, 2020 at 8am.

The health center has managed two testing sites, one in Pilsen and another in Berwyn servicing the southwest side of Chicago and surrounding suburbs since the start of the pandemic. To date, Alivio has administered 16,000 COVID-19 tests and has seen high positivity rates within the communities it serves all thanks to the hard work and dedication of its staff.

“We are extremely thankful for the heroic work our staff has done during the pandemic and the vaccines are giving us the hope that we have been waiting for,” said Esther Corpuz, CEO of Alivio Medical Center. “Our staff has stepped up to the challenges we have faced as an FQHC serving primarily the Latino immigrant community, which has been disproportionately affected by coronavirus.”

In addition to managing two testing sites, Alivio also has a team of contact tracers and community health workers who have been able to assist with tasks like notifying individuals they have been in contact with someone that tested positive for COVID and should get tested, safety guidelines to stop the spread of the virus, and connecting individuals to resources in the community they can access to help during this time.

We are grateful to Loyola Hospital System who will also be allowing Alivio staff to get vaccinated at their facilities.

“Thanks to the Chicago Public Health Department and Loyola, our staff will be able to get vaccinated in efforts to continue fighting the pandemic while protecting our patients,” said Dr. Jennifer Vargas, Medical Director at Alivio. “We have always put the health and safety of our employees first to ensure we can continue providing care to our patients and communities during these difficult times.”

Alivio has fearlessly advocated for quality, affordable health care access for Latinos in Chicago, Berwyn, Cicero and the Western Suburbs and is committed to reducing COVID-19 disparities through testing, education, and vaccination.