WVU Medicine Potomac Valley Hospital received their first doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine on Wednesday morning. The vaccination of frontline workers began almost immediately, with the first dose being administered to Marie Del Signore, FNP-C. “Volunteering to take the vaccine was an easy decision to make,” says Del Signore. “This is an important step in being able to continue to provide the best care to those in our community.”
Potomac Valley Hospital received an allocation of the vaccine along with the rest of the WVU Medicine Health System. “The health system has been active in assuring efficient operations to distribute the vaccines,” says Mark Boucot, president and CEO of Potomac Valley Hospital. “The vaccine is critical for the fight against COVID-19. Stopping a pandemic requires using all the tools available. Vaccines work with a person’s immune system so his or her body will be ready to fight the virus if exposed. Other steps, like wearing masks and social distancing, help reduce your chance of being exposed to the virus or spreading it to others. Together, COVID-19 vaccination and following CDC's recommendations to protect yourself and others will offer the best protection from COVID-19.”
Employees working closely with COVID-19 patients will be among the first ones to receive the initial doses. 70 employees are scheduled to receive the vaccine in the first week, with the remaining doses being spread out over the next two weeks. PVH anticipates receiving another shipment of vaccines in January. At this time, the vaccine is not mandatory. Employees are only receiving the vaccine on a volunteer basis.
Potomac Valley Hospital is a 25-bed critical access hospital in Keyser, West Virginia. The hospital serves the community of Mineral County, West Virginia and surrounding areas. PVH officially became a member of the West Virginia University Health System in 2014. PVH provides inpatient and outpatient care, including 24/7 Emergency Department services. PVH employs more than 250 healthcare professionals, including over 50 physicians, who are dedicated to our mission of striving to treat every patient like a member of our own family.
