14 THE QUEENS COURIER • AUGUST 19, 2021 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
More than 1,500 employees vaccinated at St. John’s
Episcopal Hospital following incentive program
BY JENNA BAGCAL
jbagcal@schnepsmedia.com
@jenna_bagcal
A hospital in the Rockaways announced
that more than 1,500 members of its staff
received the COVID-19 vaccine thanks
to a monthlong staff vaccination incentive
program.
Under the program implemented by St.
John’s Episcopal Hospital (SJEH), health
care staff who got vaccinated were automatically
entered into a raffl e to win a new
car, helping the hospital surpass Queens’
overall hospital worker vaccination percentage
of over 67 percent.
Currently, city data shows that only
40.7 percent of the Rockaways residents
in 11691 are vaccinated, making it the
top unvaccinated ZIP code in Queens
and the third overall in New York City
behind 11211 and 11233 in Brooklyn.
Additionally, 11691 was the second deadliest
ZIP code at the height of the pandemic.
“I am happy to say aft er implementing
the car raffl e contest, St. John’s has
climbed above the Queens County total
percentage of hospital employees who are
COVID-19 vaccinated,” said Christopher
J. Parker, RN, NEA-BC, CHCQM, executive
vice president, chief operating offi -
cer/chief nursing offi cer. “We are doing
all that we can do to provide that extra
nudge to those who may be hesitant to get
the vaccine, especially with the delta variant
becoming more prominent in NYC.”
Th e winner of the car raffl e, funded
through incentives from the Cares Act,
was Chidoziri Banks, a patient care technician
and Rockaway resident. Th e lucky
winner of the Honda Civic Sport works
the night shift at SJEH and is a stringent
advocate of the vaccine.
“Th is program was lovely because it
was a great incentive to infl uence staff
to get the vaccine,” Banks said. “I recovered
from COVID-19 and it was diffi cult.
I encourage you to protect yourself and
your loved ones by getting the vaccine if
you are eligible!”
Th ose interested can receive the free
COVID-19 vaccine at St. John’s new
Patient Express Care Center, which is
open Monday through Friday from 12:30
to 9 p.m., with vaccines available from 1
to 8 p.m. Patients can walk in without an
Photos courtesy of SJEH
appointment or schedule an appointment
at 718-869-7690.
Patients can also get vaccinated
through the Mobile Health Unit. Visit
@StJohnsEpisHosp on Twitter to fi nd out
the location of the Mobile Health Unit.
Chidoziri Banks, patient care technician.
Jerry Walsh, CEO; Ian of Honda City Levittown, human resources representative; Saundra L. Chisolm,
director of employee health and wellness emergency preparedness coordinator; Dr. Christopher
Parker, executive vice president, chief operating offi cer/chief nursing offi cer; Angela Schweitzer,
nurse manager, chief human resources offi cer and vice president.
(From l. to r.) Saundra L. Chisolm, director of employee health and wellness emergency
preparedness coordinator, with Alexis Raimondi, infection control director.
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