Ascension Wisconsin is expanding vaccination administration to Ascension Medical Group – Wisconsin clinics and its Ascension Rx pharmacy locations. With a focus on convenience, this transition increases the number of locations offering the vaccine.
Since administering its first COVID-19 vaccination on December 16, 2020 at Ascension SE Wisconsin Hospital-Franklin Campus, Ascension Wisconsin has administered more than 225,000 vaccinations across the state of Wisconsin.
“I’m incredibly proud of our leaders and associates who rose to meet this challenge to expedite vaccine distribution as efficiently as possible. It was through their tireless efforts we have helped protect our patients and the community from a devastating virus,” said Vanessa Freitag, Vice President of Pharmacy, Ascension Wisconsin. “We’re also grateful to our patients and community members who trusted us with their care as we’ve worked together to build community immunity.”
In this next phase of vaccine distribution, Ascension Wisconsin is also offering COVID-19 vaccinations to its hospital patients at the time they are discharged to go home. Vaccines will also be available to patients upon discharges from Ascension Wisconsin emergency departments.
At its peak, Ascension Wisconsin was administering more than 10,000 vaccinations a week through its 15 hospital-based vaccination locations. As vaccine availability has increased and fewer individuals are registering at its hospital-based vaccination sites, the last Ascension Wisconsin large-scale vaccination site is expected to sunset operations in early July.
Many Ascension Medical Group – Wisconsin and Ascension Rx pharmacy locations are now offering COVID-19 vaccinations to patients and community members age 12 and older. To make an appointment, Ascension Wisconsin patients are asked to call their provider. Community members who do not have an Ascension Wisconsin primary care physician may schedule an appointment by calling 844-803-6446.
Throughout the pandemic Ascension Wisconsin has worked to eliminate barriers and inequities while increasing accessibility to the COVID-19 vaccine, particularly for those who are most vulnerable. Ascension Wisconsin has administered more than 8,000 vaccinations to underserved and vulnerable populations through its:
● Pop-up and Mobile Vaccine Clinics
● Community Vaccine Clinic Locations
● Large-scale Vaccination Clinics with Community Partners and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC)
“Our care teams have been fighting against COVID-19 for more than a year and we have seen the disproportionate impact this virus has had in our minority and underserved communities,” said Dr. Greg Brusko, Chief Clinical Officer, Ascension Wisconsin. “In our ongoing effort to vaccinate as many of our patients and community members as we can, we will continue to share accurate health information and encourage everyone in our community to take advantage of these extraordinarily effective and safe vaccines.”
As part of its commitment to improving the health of the community, Ascension Wisconsin will continue to focus on vaccinating underserved and vulnerable populations through its community clinics and collaborations with local organizations to support the equitable distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine. Ascension Wisconsin encourages everyone who is eligible, to get their COVID-19 vaccine to help protect not just themselves, but their loved ones, friends and neighbors.
About Ascension Wisconsin
In Wisconsin, Ascension operates 24 hospital campuses, more than 100 related healthcare facilities and employs more than 1,200 primary and specialty care clinicians from Racine to Eagle River. Serving Wisconsin since 1848, Ascension is a faith-based healthcare organization committed to delivering compassionate, personalized care to all, with special attention to persons living in poverty and those most vulnerable. Ascension is the largest non-profit and Catholic health system in the U.S., operating more than 2,600 sites of care – including 145 hospitals and more than 40 senior living facilities – in 19 states and the District of Columbia. Visit www.ascension.org.