The County of San Mateo is partnering with Dignity Health, Sequoia Healthcare District and the city of Redwood City to continue operating a weekly COVID-19 vaccine clinic in North Fair Oaks.
The new partnership helps ensure local residents have access to a community-oriented clinic in one of the county’s neighborhoods hardest hit by the COVID-19 virus. It also allows for a more predictable schedule as well as both drive through and walk-up registration without an appointment.
“From the beginning, we’ve said that our comeback depends on all of us, and that also means it depends on all of us working together to meet residents where they are at,” said County Supervisor Warren Slocum, whose Fourth District includes North Fair Oaks. “This pandemic has highlighted that we are responsible not only for our own health but those around us, and our vaccination efforts are no different. Every shot in an arm is a success for our county.”
Dignity Health and the city of Redwood City will assume most of the operational functions of the site while Sequoia Healthcare District provides funding. The County will continue helping with outreach in English and Spanish, including door-to-door canvassing.
North Fair Oaks is an unincorporated neighborhood of approximately 15,000 residents located between Redwood City, Menlo Park and Atherton.
“We’re thrilled to partner with Redwood City, San Mateo County and the Sequoia Healthcare District to help vaccinate some of our community's most vulnerable residents – many of whom have difficulty accessing high-volume vaccination sites due to work schedules and access to transportation, or they lack the technology to book appointments online,” said Bill Graham, president of Dignity Health Sequoia Hospital. “We believe these vaccine clinics will eliminate those barriers and allow us to protect the lives of many more of our neighbors."
The County established the NFO vaccine site along with other community locations identified as significantly impacted by COVID-19 and with populations deemed harder to reach or challenged to use mass vaccination sites. This new arrangement builds on the clinic’s early success by bringing in Dignity’s clinic staff and expertise, Sequoia Healthcare District’s generosity and Redwood City’s understanding of the community.
“Supporting the health and well-being of district residents in both times of calm and crises is really the value we provide our community,” said Sequoia Healthcare District CEO Pamela Kurtzman.
“Sequoia Healthcare District is in the unique position to help with the many unprecedented and unexpected challenges resulting from Covid- 19, and we do this best by aligning efforts with our partners who are stepping up to provide resources and support at these critical times.”
Redwood City Mayor Diane Howard also lauded the collaboration.
“The partnership among the County, Dignity Health, Sequoia Healthcare District and Redwood City exemplifies how, collectively, we are working hard to make receiving a vaccine easier, more accessible and convenient for our Redwood City and North Fair Oaks residents,” Howard said. “We are all eager to welcome some level of normalcy back into our lives, and these vaccination clinics will be instrumental in getting us there.”
Details and Schedule
The NFO clinic will be held on Sundays starting May 2, 2021, between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. at Fair Oaks Health Center, 2710 Middlefield Road, Redwood City.
While the NFO clinic does not require pre-scheduled appointments, the state of California’s MyTurn system offers options for online scheduling for vaccine clinics throughout San Mateo County.https://www.smchealth.org/covid-19-vaccination-program-overview
Learn more about vaccination opportunities in San Mateo County at https://www.smchealth.org/covidvaccine