b'The Road to 30,000 When the COVID-19 vaccine was released in January 2021, Virginia Garcia was ready. Our goal: Vaccinate 30,000 people by July 4. Our strategy: Work together in partnership with other agencies to increase access and eliminate vaccine hesitancy. Communities of color were hit especially hard by the virus, but the vaccinations rates for these individuals fell far below the general population. It wasnt just a matter of hesitancy, it was a matter of access. We knew it would take an all-hands-on-deck approach to meet our goal, so we trained our dentists, hygienists and pharmacists to administer the COVID-19 vaccineincreasing access and availability of the vaccine to the communities we serve. Each of our five primary care clinics began operating vaccination clinics two days a week. Non-clinical staff, volunteers and community partners stepped in to help during vaccination events, sanitizing public areas, assisting patients with required forms, answering questions about the vaccine and guiding patients through the vaccination process. Through it all, our staff worked tirelessly. I am so proud of Virginia Garcia. When things got really stressful and some health systems were closing their doors or laying off employees, we pulled together, and staff and leaders were willing to help where they were most needed, said Sarah Deines, Director of Quality.The pandemic strengthened Virginia Garcia as an organization, and expanded our definition of team-based care to include staff and leaders from all service lines, with many working outside their usual departments to meet the needs of our patients and our community.#JointheFight'