Phoebe demobilizes mass vaccination sites; shots available at clinics

ALBANY – Phoebe Putney Health System has demobilized its mass vaccination sites and transitioned COVID-19 vaccination efforts to more than a dozen clinics throughout southwest Georgia, including its urgent care centers. The last shots at mass sites in Albany, Americus and Sylvester were administered last week.

“Phoebe was among the first health systems in the state to stand up multiple sites designed to quickly and efficiently vaccinate large numbers of people, and we had outstanding success,” Health System President & CEO Scott Steiner said. “We have administered around 57,000 total vaccinations, including 55,000 at our three main sites. Hundreds of people inside and outside the Phoebe Family dedicated their time and talent to plan, organize and operationalize this mammoth undertaking that has protected thousands of southwest Georgians against the virus.”

Phoebe is able to close the mass sites because vaccines are readily available at Phoebe and non-Phoebe sites throughout the region. Phoebe is providing vaccines at all its primary care clinics, urgent care clinics, community care clinic, mobile wellness clinics and cancer center.

“The mass sites were most appropriate when we needed to vaccinate a lot of people at once,” Steiner said. “Now, we’re taking the vaccines into the community. Our primary care physicians can focus on getting their patients vaccinated, and our mobile clinics are making it easy for many unvaccinated people to access the vaccines.”

Currently, only the Pfizer vaccine is approved for 12- through 17-year-olds. Phoebe is providing vaccinations to that age group at the Community Care Clinic adjacent to its main emergency center and will begin offering adolescent vaccinations next week at Phoebe Primary Care of Americus and Phoebe Worth Family Medicine in Sylvester.

“We’re planning some large vaccination events utilizing our mobile clinics to target those adolescents,” Phoebe Putney Health System Chief Medical Officer Dr. Dianna Grant said. “We’re also reaching out to schools and partnering with some area pediatricians to ensure parents can get their kids vaccinated. It’s important for all eligible southwest Georgians to be vaccinated, so we can put an end to the pandemic in our area.”

Phoebe officials praised the city of Albany, Dougherty County, Dougherty County EMS and the Department of Public Health for their help in operating the Albany mass vaccination site. Organizations that have provided staffing resources in Americus include the Americus Police Department, Americus Fire Department, Citizens Corps, Georgia Southwestern State University, Goldstar EMS, South Georgia Technical College, Sumter County Sheriff’s Office and American Legion Post 558.

Updated information about COVID-19 vaccines is available at www.phoebehealth.com. Vaccination appointments at Phoebe clinics can be scheduled by calling (229) 12-MYMD (6963). Any group interested in scheduling a visit from one of Phoebe’s mobile wellness clinics should contact Phoebe Vice President of Operations Will Peterson at (229) 347-6289 or [email protected].

The hospital system announced Monday that its latest COVID-19 patient count is 25 at facilities in Albany and two at Phoebe Sumter Medical Center in Americus.

Only the Pfizer vaccine is available for anyone under age 18, and no COVID-19 vaccines have been approved yet for children under age 12. A list of Phoebe locations where COVID-19 vaccinations are available includes:

Pfizer Locations

♦ Phoebe Community Care Clinic, 417 W. 4th Ave., Albany

♦ Phoebe Primary Care of Americus (beginning May 28), 122 Highway 280 West, Building 3, Suite A, Americus

♦ Phoebe Worth Family Medicine (beginning May 27), 1014 W. Franklin St., Sylvester

Moderna Locations

♦ Phoebe Urgent Care at Northwest, 2336 Dawson Road, Albany

♦ Phoebe Urgent Care of East Albany, 2410 Sylvester Road, Albany

♦ Phoebe Primary Care at Meredyth, 2709 Meredyth Drive, Suite 330, Albany

♦ Phoebe Primary Care at Northwest, 2336 Dawson Road, Albany

♦ Phoebe Primary Care of Albany, 901 N. Madison St., Albany

♦ Phoebe Primary Care at Laurel Place, 1390 U.S. Highway 19 North, Leesburg

♦ Phoebe Primary Care of Americus, 122 Highway 280 West, Building 3, Suite A, Americus

♦ Phoebe Primary Care & Sports Medicine of Americus, 922 Jefferson St., Suite B, Americus

♦ Phoebe Primary Care of Buena Vista, 1009 Georgia Highway 41 North, Buena Vista

♦ Phoebe Worth Family Medicine, 1014 W. Franklin St., Sylvester

♦ Phoebe Primary Care of Camilla, 725 U.S. Highway 19 South, Camilla

♦ Phoebe Cancer Center (for oncology patients only), 427 W. Third Ave., Albany

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