Good Samaritan Health Centers of Gwinnett (Good Sam Gwinnett), a nonprofit clinic serving poor and uninsured individuals in Metro Atlanta, recently opened a new special care center for patients with COVID-19 and other highly communicable, infectious diseases. The Screening and Prevention Annex (SPA), a 500-square-foot addition at 5949 Buford Highway in Norcross, allows Good Sam Gwinnett to care for symptomatic patients while protecting their staff and patients from infection.
The new addition replaces temporary tents the center employed over the past year and a half. The project was made possible thanks to a grant from Gwinnett’s Coronavirus, Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which distributes federally-funded COVID-19 stimulus money. Providers can now see patients indoors and administer COVID-19 and flu tests as well as vaccines.
“We’ve been wanting to offer COVID vaccines for quite a while, and we believe that’s a large part of our role in the community, and it is a trust-building effort,” said Nurse Erin Koch, who has overseen creating policies and procedures for the SPA.
The SPA is part of Good Sam Gwinnett’s effort to increase vaccine adoption among Hispanic individuals, which is the demographic with one of the lowest vaccination rates, and one that makes up the majority of Good Sam Gwinnett’s patient population.
“We are so grateful to Gwinnett County for making this addition possible,” said Executive Director Dr. Gregory Lang. “From the start of the pandemic until now, we have had to care for sick patients out of doors in a tent, exposed to the weather and affording them little privacy. Finally, we can return to serving our patients in a dignifying setting with comfort and privacy. When COVID is behind is, we will continue to use the SPA for the care of persons with infectious diseases and to administer vaccinations to children and adults. It is truly a blessing to our ministry.”
Information: www.goodsamgwinnett.org.
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