Atlantis Health Care Group is the nation’s first dialysis center certified as a vaccination center.
Carolina, PR – Hundreds of nurses specializing in dialysis treatments for patients with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) were vaccinated against COVID-19 today with the Pfizer vaccine. This happened after the Department of Health accepted the recommendation of the head of Atlantis Health Care Group to upgrade essential personnel who manage CKD cases to category A-1, making Puerto Rico the first jurisdiction in the nation to prioritize this condition.
The president of Atlantis Health Care Group in Puerto Rico, Dr. Rubette Harford, stated that “The COVID-19 vaccination process will be carried out in stages at all of our clinics, beginning first with the nursing staff who provide direct patient care. We will then continue with the biomedical staff, dietitians, social workers, and maintenance employees to ensure that dialysis services continue to be offered uninterruptedly.”
Dr. Harford explained that the centers located in Carolina, Aguadilla, and Ponce will be used as a base to administer the first 400 vaccines to the staff working at those clinics or those near each of the aforementioned regions. “The specialized management plan that was developed contemplates administering the vaccine in stages, understanding that not all clinic staff will receive the vaccine on the same day. This will allow us to adequately monitor and take necessary action in the event of an adverse reaction to any employee. Furthermore, we can guarantee the continuity of essential services for patients suffering from kidney failure,” explained Dr. Harford.
Atlantis Health Care Group has approximately 700 employees working in 16 dialysis units located throughout the island, all of which are credentialed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Puerto Rico Department of Health for the vaccination process. Additionally, they have certified personnel to handle and administer either brand of vaccine: Pfizer BioNtech or Moderna. They also have the necessary storage equipment to preserve them. Atlantis is the second largest institution dedicated to offering CKD treatments in Puerto Rico.
“We thank the Department of Health for the speed with which it responded to our complaint, as patients diagnosed with chronic kidney failure have extremely compromised immune systems, making them highly vulnerable to infection. In fact, 22% of patients who received treatment in our clinics and tested positive for COVID-19 were unable to overcome the virus. We are hopeful that this vaccine will help stop the spread of the coronavirus and that we can return to normal in the near future,” said the President of Atlantis.
The CDC establishes that each state or territory determines the process to follow for the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. The agreement signed between the Puerto Rico Department of Health and Atlantis Health Care Group makes it the first institution dedicated to offering treatments for Chronic Kidney Failure to receive certification to become a vaccination center for dialysis patients in Puerto Rico once the Department of Health so determines within its vaccination protocol.
