St. Luke’s Hospital
COVID-19 Vaccine Brings Hope
Post by St. Luke’s Hospital
with an introduction by Emily Rosencrans, M.Div., MFT, BCC
St. Luke’s Network Director of Pastoral Care
Introduction:
Greetings to my clergy colleagues!
St. Luke’s Hospital has a unique relationship with the Episcopal and Presbyterian judicatories here because we were given birth through the Church’s mission and vision to provide healthcare for the people of St. Louis in 1866. Never did our predecessors imagine how important our partnership in God’s healing work would be in 2020-2021 as we cope with the disruption, grief and loss of a year of a global pandemic.
According to the Training Manual for Mental Health and Human Service Workers in Major Disasters
(2nd ed., HHS Publication No. ADM 90-538), we are living through all the stages of a long process that leads to recovery. We have endured fear, uncertainty and realized the impact this virus has had on every aspect of our lives. There have been times of heroism and even a honeymoon phase when people cheered hospital workers, celebrating every victory and every life saved. We have felt disillusioned, as people reached the limit of how much isolation, sorrow, stress, physical exhaustion, and upheaval they could take. As we reach herd immunity, with vaccines becoming more readily available, we will soon be entering the reconstruction phase: rebuilding our lives, our businesses, as well as our communities, schools, and churches.
My prayer for all of you during this time is from Romans 15: 13…
“May the God of all hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope, by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
May the same hope that was with our forebears, giving them a vision for the healthcare of the people of St. Louis, be with you and yours as we work with steadfast courage to overcome…
Emily
* * * * * * * *
There is no question that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected everyone in many ways. Over the past year, many people have faced tragedy and significant disruption of their daily lives, yet we have also experienced many blessings. One of those blessings — the COVID-19 vaccine — brings us hope for a return to gathering together with all of those we love.
St. Luke’s Hospital is honored to serve as a COVID-19 vaccinator. This aligns with our mission to improve the health of the community because it enables us to vaccinate eligible Missouri residents and our healthcare team as safely and as quickly as possible.
We are following guidance from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services for prioritization of individuals at highest risk for severe illness to be the first to receive the vaccine. Currently, we are vaccinating individuals in the Phase 1A and Phase 1B – Tiers 1, 2, and 3 populations.
St. Luke’s administers vaccine doses by appointment to individuals in the eligible populations who are on St. Luke’s COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic waiting list and in the order in which their waiting list registration was received. To be placed on our vaccine clinic waiting list, please visit lukesvaccine.com and complete the online form. The wait time for a vaccination appointment is dependent upon vaccine availability and the date you registered. You will receive an invitation to schedule your appointment as additional vaccine doses become available.
Please note that members of the clergy who minister to patients in hospitals and residents of long-term care/congregate facilities are included in Phase 1A and can indicate their role when pre-registering. Those who are not yet eligible to receive the vaccine and are Missouri residents may also add their names to our vaccine clinic waiting list. When they become eligible to receive the vaccine, we will contact them if our clinic has doses and appointments available.
This is a rapidly evolving situation, so please continue to check lukesvaccine.com frequently. For the most up-to-date information about the vaccine, we encourage you to visit the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services COVID-19 vaccine website, MOStopsCOVID.com, or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website, cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19.
Please share this information with your congregation, and thank you for your leadership and service in the community.
Headline Photo: A St. Luke’s Hospital registered nurse holds a vial of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.
