The Baltimore Convention Center Field Hospital, one of Maryland’s COVID-19 mass vaccination sites, will launch a pilot program to improve access to the vaccine for vulnerable communities in Baltimore, Gov. Larry Hogan announced on Monday.
“This innovative program gives us another powerful tool to reach vulnerable communities with safe and effective vaccines,” Maryland’s acting health secretary Dennis Schrader said in a statement. “This is an all-hands-on-deck undertaking, and I want to thank our partners for their commitment to ensuring equitable access to vaccines.”
The convention center, which is led by the Maryland Department of Health, University of Maryland Medical System, and Johns Hopkins Medicine, over the next several weeks will phase in a strategy to expand vaccine access to people who live in six “high vulnerability” ZIP codes in Baltimore City.
Those six ZIP codes include:
- 21215 in West Baltimore, including Ashburton, Pimlico and Park Heights
- 21216 in West Baltimore, including Mosher, Mondawmin, and Walbrook Junction
- 21217 in West Baltimore, including Sandtown-Winchester and Upton-Druid Heights
- 21213 in East Baltimore, including Berea and Oliver
- 21218 in East Baltimore, including Waverly, Pen Lucy and Barclay
- 21205 in East Baltimore, including Gay Street, Middle East and Madison-Eastend
UMMS spokesperson Michael Schwartzberg told Baltimore Fishbowl that those ZIP codes were selected based on social factors that impact health outcomes, including high levels of unemployment and poverty, and communities that have experienced disproportionately high COVID-19 infection rates during the pandemic.
Vaccination appointments at the Baltimore Convention Center Field Hospital will be prioritized for people living in six Baltimore ZIP codes that represent underserved populations.
The program will involve ramping up community engagement in at-risk communities, refining technology used to reach specific populations, and collaborating with partners to dispel myths and misinformation about vaccine.
Officials expect it will take several weeks for the plan to be fully implemented, with more staff being hired to increase vaccine awareness and participation.
Staff will work with community leaders and individual residents to overcome obstacles contributing to the low number of residents getting vaccinated in the target ZIP codes, including the digital divide, lack of access to transportation, and vaccine misinformation.
Teams will work to overcome distrust of the vaccine by informing residents in those areas about the vaccine’s safety and efficacy.
Staff will also work to ensure reliable transportation to and from the Baltimore Convention Center Field Hospital by using ride-sharing and other community-based transportation assets.
Staff will work with people who lack internet access to help them sign up online or over the phone for vaccination appointments.
The opening of Baltimore’s second mass vaccination center at M&T Bank Stadium last week has allowed the state and its partners to refocus the convention center site on serving more vulnerable populations, said Dr. Mohan Suntha, president and CEO of the University of Maryland Medical System.
“This approach will build on the success we have already seen at the BCCFH. Since we began operations, we have been looking for methods to more effectively serve all communities in Baltimore,” Suntha said in a statement. “With a second mass vaccination site now open in Baltimore City at M&T Bank Stadium, it is the perfect opportunity to redouble those efforts and engage with local communities.”
Vulnerable community members who do not have access to the internet or who need help registering for a vaccine appointment at the Baltimore Convention Center Field Hospital can call 443-462-5511 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday to schedule an appointment. People can also register for a vaccination appointment at the convention center site online at www.umms.org/BCCvaccine.
Marylanders can find a nearby vaccination site or more information about the state’s COVID-19 response by visiting covidlink.maryland.gov.
