LOCAL

Normal in sight for Cristo Rey patients

Krystal Nurse
Lansing State Journal
Dr. Aimee Leisure-Martins of the Cristo Rey Community Health Center reviews pre-screening questions with Paul Harvell, 74, of Lansing Monday.

LANSING — Two weeks from today, patients of the Cristo Rey Community Health Center can comfortably see their grandkids, shop for groceries and give some long-overdue hugs.

Doctors and volunteers administered 200 second doses of the Moderna vaccine Monday, part of a statewide pilot aimed at reaching vulnerable and underserved communities. Those include people with unreliable transportation, disabilities and language barriers that could prevent them from accessing a vaccine. 

Cristo Rey was one of 22 health providers tapped for the program by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

The health center received 400 doses of the two-shot vaccine for 200 people. Of those 200 vaccines, almost all of them went to vulnerable patients, with the occasional exception being made for a caregiver, said medical director Dr. Aimee Leisure-Martins.

Located at 1717 N. High St. in Lansing, Cristo Rey serves mostly Spanish speakers, administering medical care, food assistance, financial services and other aid. CEO Joe Garcia said a number of Cristo Rey's patients are on Medicare or Medicaid. 

"This COVID thing is dangerous, and we need to be serious about it," said Harvell, who got his second dose of the Moderna vaccine at the Cristo Rey health center Monday.

Paul Harvell, 74, has been a patient at Cristo Rey for a number of years and received his second Moderna dose Monday. While optimistic, he said he's not quite ready to return to normal life yet.

Harvell lives in a senior center, and while he has never contracted COVID-19 himself, he doesn't want to take his chances. 

"Most of my family is dead and gone," he said. "I’m trying to urge everyone to get their shots. I’m not a know-it-all, but please take your shots — that way we can feel safe easily."

Harvell said he will continue to wear a mask until well after the pandemic is over. 

Related: Health officials shift focus to vaccinating young adults against COVID-19

Leisure-Martins first applied for Cristo Rey to be a vaccine provider through the CDC on Dec. 1.

Once approved, she applied to participate in the MDHHS vaccine pilot program on Jan. 5. Cristo Rey and the Ingham County Health Department were the only centers in the tricounty area chosen to receive extra state-sponsored vaccines.

Joe Garcia, CEO of Cristo Rey Community Center in Lansing, holds a stack of door hangers he'll pass out in the neighborhood near the community center.

"We’re making (the vaccine) available to people in a place that makes sense," Garcia said. "If you don’t have a car and you want to come in and get vaccinated, there are about six different bus routes that stop right here. This neighborhood is low-income in general and we’re making sure that we’re reaching (out) to individuals too."

Monday's clinic marked the end of the program's March cohort. 

In addition to administering the vaccine, Leisure-Martins' staff spoke with patients about the science behind the vaccines, including their efficacy rates, in an attempt to address hesitancy surrounding the shots. 

Related: Exposed to COVID-19? Quarantine for the full 14 days

She added that many Cristo Rey patients live in multi-generational households. Vaccinating those individuals isn't just a matter of protecting one patient, but adding another layer of protection for an entire family. 

With its first cohort in the rearview, Cristo Rey isn't slowing down. Garcia is already planning for the next clinic on April 26, and plans to administer vaccines twice a month for as long as the MDHHS program allows. He even canvassed the neighborhood recently, leaving behind door hangers informing people about future clinics.

"Where else can you go where your doctor can sit down and explain it to them — the vaccine itself — (and) why they need to get it," Leisure-Martins said. "By the end of that 10-minute conversation, they’re able to get it. That’s one life saved."

Contact reporter Krystal Nurse at (517) 267-1344or knurse@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @KrystalRNurse.